Problems with hearing....broken speaker sound

I also have the broken speaker sound for about a year now. I can hear perfect but for example if I do a, I guess a suction affect, with my palm I can hear it sort of crinkling in and out. It started after I got an earache but don't know if that's what caused it for sure...

Have had the same broken speaker sound that you all are describing and also hearing loss. I am Male and 54. No dizziness. The problem is in my right ear at all volumes. Hearing aids make it worse. If I cover my left ear, the sound is not only broken speaker like, but sounds are more high pitched and voices sound like the speaker has inhaled helium. Natural sounds are clearer, but anything that comes from an electronic speaker is worse. Have been to 2 ENTs and both have said that there is nothing they can do. One of them thought a cochlear implant may help.

I've had this problem since 2008 (was 16 then, 22 this year). Started out after listening through my cheap earphones with the volume up quite a bit. I'm glad more people are sharing their stories about the grievances it causes. I'm quite active in getting the very latest info I can find. I have a quote from a doc from another help site advising a patient about what could be happening in his ears. It's all theory ATM, please take this with a grain of salt.

"Cracking-crackling-static sounds when provoked by noise can often come right from the middle ear space. Ears damaged by disease or loud noise can develop slight shifts in position of the tiny bones, the muscles, or the eardrum, even....people in explosions or falls or whiplash injuries can develop the same middle ear conditions. The distortion in the system is very like what happens when you tear a speaker paper, that covering that used to stick over the front face of speakers, and when it rips, there is an extra vibration in the sound quality that is annoying to music lovers! Sometimes this can happen when the stapes footplate is rattly-loose in its little 'seat' in the bony part of the temporal face, its little plate-like part rests gently on another eardrum like structure, and it vibrates to send those waves of energy into the inner ear, filled with fluid. If the footplate of the stapes is wiggly, then often sound, sometimes particular ones, will cause a real resonation-distortion. Surgeons sometimes will try to fix that with adding mass to the footplate by packing the area a bit with diced up tissue from other parts of the ear! : ( Well it sounds awful, but it must work once ina while as they will attempt it. Very acute listeners pay more attention to this than others, more dull in their senses. It is often diagnosed as a benign condition, i.e., not a progressive or serious threat to the health, more like a floater in your eye, generally not much for the doc to do there, just counsel you to ignore it! Easy to say, hard to do. Also this can result from a floppier eardrum if there has been any trauma or infection there, it can lose that stiffening middle layer of tissue and the two outer layers are very thin skin and then this can cause extra 'noise' in the system.... You are certainly not alone in this complaint, many people with tinn or hyperacusis will complain about that irritating distortion. Sometimes it is best to use a small earplug on that side when you want to listen to music a bit louder.....cuts out that distortion, or try a musician's plug."

There has been talk on the sites I've been to that the problem could be one of several theories. I'll start with the first, and it involves the two tiny muscles found in the middle ear. To those unfamiliar about them, we have two tiny ear muscles situated in the middle earspace that contract in response to loud noise to safeguard the inner ear from damage. They also act to stable the movement of the bones (as the doctor from the quote said). Doctors I've met with have speculated that when either one or both have been damaged - be it from physical injury or possibly just an inability to function well, the stabilization and protection it provides is compromised, thus possibly causing the annoying distortion/broken speaker effect.

Another likely suspect could be pointing to the eardrum itself. Like the quote speculated, I take it that when the middle layer of the eardrums become less stiff as a consequence of whatever its been through, that it could be causing the symptoms we're experiencing. I notice from experience that whenever I plug my ear deeply enough and suddenly pull it out, I notice a slight crackle. It's not the same full blown speaker crackle that I feel "deep" inside when exposed to really high decible noises, but it's similar enough. Trouble is, whenever I think back to the ear muscle malfunctioning theory, doubt surfaces. If I'm able to re-create the crackle similar to the "deeper" crackle I experience with loud noises, how is any of the ear muscles involved? Of course, it's entirely possible that the tensor tympani could be playing a part as it's closest to the eardrum, just my speculation though.

The last theory (the common diagnosis I've observed from other people) points to tinnitus. Classic tinnitus seems to be commonly defined as damage within the inner ear cochlear "cilia" - little tiny like-hairs found within the cochlea (responsible for relaying electrical impulses to the brain to be interpreted as sound). Damaged to these "hairs" could corrupt the electrical signal sent between the inner ear and the brain and produce certain abnormal sounds. One of those sounds could result in that broken speaker effect (again, speculation). There are other ways of having tinnitus which involve the inner ear, but that's another technical write up altogether which I haven't got time. That's tinnitus in a nutshell for me, please correct me if I'm wrong ;)

Anyways, I find it a bit hard to believe. Why? I've got multiple reasons to lists but am too busy, but one clue I took note of was that of my hearing tests. Normally, doctors would try to attribute the broken speaker to tinnitus; damage to the cochlear cilia. If that's the case, why has my hearing tests shown no degradation of hearing? Funny enough, my affected left ear has even better hearing than my unaffected ear! The logic doesn't quite add up, and ALL my doctors are hesitant to diagnose my case as classic tinnitus. I've seen this pattern with A LOT of people suffering from almost the same symptoms. A pattern where our affected ear(s) has shown no major loss of hearing. Although I can't speak for all of you that may have some differences between symptoms, the ones that are close enough could take this as something to think about and discuss.

There are a couple more theories I haven't got the time to list (such as the stapes theory I'm not really sure about), but I look forward to discussing it more later on. All the best to you guys!

 

I cant believe no one has found a cure for this, im 25 ans i've had the broken speaker effect in my right ear since I was around 21 years old. As a music producer, nothing would make me happier than to be able to really appreciate music at loud volumes, and to be able to listen to high tones and pitches without my ear buzzing and crackling. Please, anyone with anything that has worked to at least lessen the effect please speak up!!

I would love to find out what kind of surgery your grandma had. I have this same exact kind of problem. I find that taking a decongestant usually helps but it is a very slow process. I may have one good day where my rt. ear is finally hearing well then back to the same broken speaker sound. It is very frustrating. What I would give to hear normal is priceless.

I too have the blown speaker sound in my right ear..when I vacuum, listen to music, mow the lawn..it is not always there..it comes and goes..

I also seem to have vertigo? does anyone else with the blown speaker sound..i also have a friend that has this same sound problem...i heard taking Sudafed would help with vertigo and if the blown speaker sound has anything to do with sinus i wonder if that would help it also..hmmm

Which doctor and hospital did you get your surgery done?

Hi guys,

i have exactly same problem on my right ear. 

It like broken speaker sound every time I having a phone call. Whenever I speak on the phone, my right ear starts to have that sound. 

I went to local doctor to international hospital. They did check up and hearing test bla bla but they said my ears are in perfect condition???

I have been suffering this since 2012.

If Anyone found out how to cure this. Please drop me a line.

Appreate very much.

I've had the same issue described for 20 something years and it drives me crazy. The most disheartening thing is no one seems to have an answer. I've avoided movie theaters, concerts and other venues because they aren't enjoyable and will trigger the static/speaker sound. It's miserable. I ended up going to an ENT who said my hearing was perfect, the ear drum looked healthy and there was no wax present. The pressure test did show I had problems equalizing pressure. I decided to have tubes put in because despite not seeing fluid, it felt as if fluid was stuck in my ear and causing the crackling. After the surgery, I have to say, the symptoms lessened quite a bit but the side effect was everything sounded hollow and echoey and I lost nearly all bass response. I tried yelling at the top of my lungs and ears barely crackled but it was still there a bit. I decided the side effects weren't' worth it and had the tubes removed. Bass response returned but so did the static sound. Absolutely no change from before. At this point, I think it's a muscle issue, jaw structure problem, wisdom tooth issue or allergic reaction to something. I'm going to have my wisdom teeth pulled next to see what that does and have the dentist refer me to an oral surgeon for x-rays to see if perhaps the jaw is pushing into the ear which is what it feels like. If anyone successfully cures the issue, please post here and help us out.

Dan:

20 Years!! And I've had it in my right ear for a week. It drove me crazy even for the first day - I went to see a doctor immediately and she told me I had a bad flu and my throat was filled with mucus. Funny thing was, my throat wasn't even sore at all. Was prescribed some antihistamines, some lozenges and 1 week later, the problem's still here. I work pretty long hours (deskbound), have very little sleep but other than the ear, everything else feels fine & dandy. 

I love my music to death, audiophile by nature and this ear of mine makes me feel like the world has come crashing down on me. I'm really hoping it goes away one day - reading all the comments here, it seems like a hit or miss, but I'm attributing mine to a bad flu. Anyone else who had this because of a flu, please drop a comment. I am looking for some support here cuz no one else can understand or symphatise with how I'm feeling!!

-K

Jsen, if you're still out there, PLEASE update me on your condition. I understand what everyone is saying about the broken speaker sound in the ear with loud noise. I have that in my left ear, I believe, as a result of swimmer's ear as a kid. I rarely listen to loud music so it doesn't affect me as much. I sympathize with everyone who is affected more by this. My big stressor right now is a much louder broken speaker sound in my right ear as a result of a 4-mm traumatic eardrum perforation almost 4 months ago. It took two months to "heal" but now I hear clicking, popping and a broken speaker crackling in that ear every time I swallow. Hearing levels fine in both ears and no nerve damage after weber test (tuning fork). I read your post, Jsen. Your situation is the same as mine. My first 2 ENT docs thought I was crazy. The third said the popping would likely resolve as the new tissue gained some tensile strength months down the road. The 4th (seen yesterday) things the trauma inflamed the nerves of my middle ear and put me on prednisone (oral steroid). Please, Jsen or anyone else out there with a similar experience, update me on your condition. I hope to not listen to this forever. Impossible to concentrate with it. Thank you in advance. Chris Austin, TX

I have dam issue of weird noise at my ear I almost had almost month now it did happen to me once before and went away because i have a teeth broken after i went to a dentist and had me fix from the tooth pain it went away after 1 or 2 days after a few months it came back I go just again just to be sure if it's same annoy tooth problem can maybe fix it I really had with this weird noise sound at my ear I hope this works

It's dairy! I cut it out for allergy reasons and the Rattling went away within days. Now as SOON as I eat milk, sour cream, ranch, or heavy cream it comes back in minutes! Please try this, it surely will help!

I'm going through the same thing...broken speaker sound!!! It feels like I'm walking around in a bubble. The dizziness & nausea are miserable and it's been going on for months. These symptoms, however, are secondary to bad ear infections on both sides. One was even draining blood! Have you ever gotten a diagnosis? I'm going for an MRI tomorrow. I hope that you are feeling better!