Recruitment does happen. It has something to do with this kind of a concept:

Your brain has a certain resolution for processing of audio signals. Think of it as a 16 bit A/D converter. There are 2^16 values for sound level that the brain processes.

When you lose sensitivity in your hearing, it's primarily physiological - not neurological/psychological.

So, those 2^16 values that used to be spread over a wide audio level range, now focus their attention on the remaining dynamic range of the hearing.

The brain still processes the step changes as if it's spread over a wide range, where the steps were large, but now your steps are small due to physiological damage. The tweak to the next step is physically small, but the brain still thinks "Hey that's a bigger step change" so, blips become bangs.

Make sense?

@Ryszard: yes there is all kinds of limiting, multi-channel in fact, in modern hearing aids. Doesn't change the issue with recruitment.

John, here's hoping you get pulled off of the 'watch closely' list in a good direction.

-Scott

Last edited by rockstar_not; 12/16/11 10:56 AM.
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