DVD's and muffled voices

[Monkeyleg]

My wife is convinced I have "spouse deafness", because I constantly say "Huh, what did you say?" when she is in the other room running the sewing machine, vacuum cleaner or watching the movie I can't hear.

Oh, do I know that one. I have absolutely no problem hearing anyone speak (unless they're on certain DVD's, of course). My wife, though, is another matter. She talks very softly, and often mumbles to herself when she's doing something. I can never tell if she's just mumbling, or if she's talking to me.

Last night she was washing her hair in the kitchen sink. She had her head down in the sink, and a towel over it which further muffled her voice. On top of that, I had the TV volume turned up. When I didn't hear what she said, she got really cranky.

OTOH, she speaks very clearly when she wants me to do something.

[JonnyB]

Thread drift alert!!

Mrs. B. sent me to the hearing center for an exam a year ago. I, too, have a notch in my hearing that corresponds to many female voices; it falls right in their range of frequency.

I've asked her to please speak at me and get my attention first, so I can also face her. She often talks to my back while facing away form me. If I hear her at all, it's an unintelligible mumble.

Dick's DVD experience was just like mine - same DVD player, same TV, same settings. One sucked; the other was fine.

jb

[AJ Dual]

Thread drift alert!!

Mrs. B. sent me to the hearing center for an exam a year ago. I, too, have a notch in my hearing that corresponds to many female voices; it falls right in their range of frequency.

I've asked her to please speak at me and get my attention first, so I can also face her. She often talks to my back while facing away form me. If I hear her at all, it's an unintelligible mumble.

Dick's DVD experience was just like mine - same DVD player, same TV, same settings. One sucked; the other was fine.

jb

It's a known physiological fact that ALL men have a cognitive processing deficit when it comes to women's voices. We pretty much have to throw the brain into full-gear to "listen" to a woman's voice.

It's why men do the "Uh-huh... dear" thing.