Can an accurate hearing test be done online?
Yes, if a calibrated headset is used. Standards such as ANSI or ISO specify specific headsets for professional or research work. Calibration simply means that we know how much sound is coming out of the headset at each decibels setting at each frequency. If the output of any handset is calibrated to the ANSI or a ISO, it can be used to test hearing. Research and hearing health care professionals more often than not use ANSI or ISO specified headsets which are expensive but very stable over a long period. Any good-quality headphones will be able to give a reasonably accurate result in most circumstances, for the test employed at this web site. Again, it is best to consult a licensed professional to confirm whether you have a hearing loss or not. Our test is only designed to give you a preliminary classification for information purposes only.
