Trains, transformers, and tinnitus: Case studies in hard-to-detect sounds

Abstract

It’s a phone call many acoustical consultants dread: someone driven crazy by an annoying sound. Sometimes, the source is unknown. Sometimes it’s a nearby industry or antagonistic neighbor. Some sounds are intermittent; some are steady. Some are high frequency; others are low and are described as vibration. Most consultants are greatly relieved if they can hear and measure the sound themselves. But the source can still be elusive, especially if the sound is very faint and if there are multiple potential sources. More often than not, the consultant can hear and measure nothing, which gets blamed on his poor hearing and shoddy equipment. A discussion of tinnitus is often received as an accusation of “hearing things.” But is tinnitus (or a similar condition) the only possible explanation? Why is the sound heard only at home? What triggered the person to start hearing it? The person may be especially sensitive, but to what? What advice is useful? The authors will present several case histories where community sounds were ultimately identified. For those sounds not identified, the author will discuss a number of possible explanations along with recommendations for the consultant and the person hearing the sound.