What You Need to Know About Hearing Tests

Having trouble following your favorite show? Missing details at work because you can’t hear in meetings? Hearing loss can leave you feeling left out. 

At Manhattan Audio, we’re committed to helping you restore your hearing starting with a hearing test.

A hearing test is an essential part of maintaining your overall hearing health. Using a variety of screening and diagnostic methods, a hearing test can accurately gauge the extent of an impairment as well as which audio frequencies are most likely to be affected. In doing so, hearing tests can effectively identify the earliest signs of hearing loss, often before noticeable symptoms have begun to manifest to individuals. 

Even when no hearing loss is present, a hearing test can provide an invaluable baseline against which future declines may be more easily detected. Once diagnostics are complete, we can determine the best course of action.

Hearing Tests at Manhattan Audio, New York, NY

There are several different types of hearing tests available.

Audiometry:
Perhaps the most commonly known hearing test, this diagnostic involves using headphones to listen to sounds of varying tones and volumes. When you hear a sound in your left ear, you are instructed to raise your left hand, for example. We will track and mark the responses.

Otoacoustic Emissions Testing:
 During this diagnostic, a small probe is placed into the ear canal. The probe measures tiny, inaudible sounds that your ears make in response to detected sound stimuli. If these reactionary sounds are not present or cannot be prompted, it could be a sign that hearing loss is present.

Speech testing:
 It’s one thing to hear tones. It’s another to hear well enough to discern speech. That’s why we’ll conduct a speech test where we ask you to repeat a pre-set list of words and phrases. This will reveal whether you’re hearing speech with clarity.

There are several other types of tests available, each dedicated to revealing a certain aspect of your hearing health. We’ll examine your overall symptoms and determine which hearing tests best meet your needs.

What Happens During a Hearing Test?

Most hearing tests are conducted in a quiet room. You’ll be given a pair of headphones to listen to sounds, speech, or tones while we observe and note your responses.

It’s common to undergo multiple diagnostics during your hearing test, as each screening is designed to evaluate a different type of hearing loss. Once all diagnostic tests have been completed, we’ll evaluate your results.

What Does a Hearing Test Show?

Hearing tests, such as audiometry, are designed to provide enough information to determine the cause, type, and extent of hearing loss. Generally, hearing test results will be shown via a specialized graph called an audiogram. An audiogram is a graph with two axes: sound level (in dB) and tone.  

Your hearing range will be diagrammed out on this graph. Usually, there will be several data points–one for each tone tested, plotted at the edge of your hearing range. As a result, an audiogram will show:

What frequencies you hear well and which frequencies you have a harder time hearing.

The extent and severity of any hearing loss that may be present.

Usually, early hearing loss will affect one frequency more extensively than others. It’s not uncommon, then, to have dips in one area of an audiogram.

What Is the Normal Hearing Range?

The higher your data points appear on an audiogram, the closer you are to a normal hearing range. In general, a normal hearing range is considered to be the ability to hear sounds that are less than 25dB in volume–a sound level roughly equivalent to rustling leaves or whispered words. In general, we use the following categories to define normal hearing and hearing loss:

  • Normal hearing: The ability to hear sounds 25dB and below.
  • Mild hearing loss: Sounds between 25dB and 40dB are audible, but not softer sounds.
  • Moderate hearing loss: Sounds below 41dB-65dB are difficult for you to hear.
  • Severe hearing loss: Sounds below 66-90dB are hard to hear.
  • Profound hearing loss: Sounds need to be louder than 90dB for you to be able to hear them. That’s roughly as loud as a lawnmower.

Typically, hearing loss does not occur evenly across all frequencies. Simply because your hearing is “normal” at some frequencies does not mean your hearing will be healthy in totality. It’s common to experience severe hearing loss when it comes to high frequencies, for example, but have normal hearing levels across the rest of the audio spectrum.

The Value of a Hearing Test

Whether your hearing is waning or you haven’t noticed any issues, a hearing test is an essential part of your hearing health. If your hearing is fantastic, screenings can provide peace of mind and a benchmark for future tests. And if you have hearing loss, a hearing test can provide a roadmap to the best possible treatment plan.

What to Expect at Your Hearing Test at Manhattan Audio 

If you’ve never had a hearing test before, you may not know what to expect. Here’s a simple overview so you can walk in prepared and relaxed. 

Before Your Appointment It helps to bring a list of any medications you’re currently taking, a note of your medical history (especially any ear infections, surgeries, or noise exposure), and your insurance information. If you’ve noticed specific situations where your hearing struggles — crowded restaurants, phone calls, TV — jot those down too. The more context you can share, the better we can tailor your assessment. 

When You Arrive You’ll complete a brief intake form covering your health history and hearing concerns. Your audiologist will then review your responses with you and ask follow-up questions to understand the specific environments and situations where you’re noticing difficulty. 

The Examination Your audiologist will begin by looking into each ear using an otoscope — a small instrument that lets us view your ear canal and eardrum and check for earwax or other obstructions that could affect your results. This takes only a moment and is completely painless. 

The Tests You’ll then move into our quiet testing environment where you’ll put on comfortable headphones. Depending on your symptoms, we may administer a combination of: 

  • Pure-tone audiometry — listening for tones at various frequencies and volumes and indicating when you hear them 
  • Speech testing — repeating words and phrases at different volumes to measure how clearly you understand speech 
  • Speech-in-noise testing — hearing sentences while background noise is present, which reveals real-world listening ability 
  • Tympanometry — a brief test that sends a puff of air into the ear canal to measure how your eardrum responds, checking for fluid, wax, or eardrum issues 
  • Otoacoustic emissions (OAE) — a small probe measures your inner ear’s natural response to sound 

Your entire visit typically takes 45–60 minutes. 

Reviewing Your Results Once testing is complete, your audiologist will walk you through your audiogram — the graph that maps out exactly what frequencies you hear well and where any gaps exist. You’ll leave with a clear picture of your hearing health and, if needed, a recommended next step. 

No pain. No surprises. Just answers. 

Schedule Your Hearing Test

Who Should Get a Hearing Test
And How Often? 

Many people wait until they’re struggling significantly before seeking a hearing evaluation. But like vision or dental check-ups, hearing tests are most valuable when they’re part of your regular health routine — not just a response to an obvious problem. 

Recommended Testing Frequency 

  • Under 50: A baseline hearing test is recommended at least once, and then retested every 10 years if no changes are noticed. 
  • Ages 50 and older: Every 3 years, even if you haven’t noticed changes — because hearing loss often develops gradually and goes unnoticed until it’s significant. 
  • Known hearing loss: Annual testing to monitor how your hearing is changing over time and ensure your treatment is keeping pace. 

Common Signs It’s Time to Come In Now You don’t need to wait for a scheduled check-up if you’re experiencing any of the following: 

  • Frequently asking people to repeat themselves 
  • Difficulty following conversations in noisy environments like restaurants or offices 
  • Turning up the TV or phone volume more than you used to 
  • Missing parts of words — especially consonants like “s,” “f,” or “th” 
  • Ringing or buzzing in your ears (tinnitus) 
  • A loved one has commented on your hearing 

Why Not Waiting Matters Hearing loss rarely arrives all at once — it usually develops over years. Early detection means earlier treatment, and earlier treatment means better outcomes. Research has increasingly linked untreated hearing loss to social withdrawal, cognitive decline, and reduced quality of life. A hearing test is a 45-minute investment that can shape years of better health. 

No Referral Required You don’t need a doctor’s referral to schedule a hearing test at Manhattan Audio. We do recommend checking with your insurance provider, as some plans have specific coverage requirements — and we’re happy to help you navigate that.

Call or text us at 347-514-8035 

Reviewed by the audiologist at Manhattan Audio Inc

Still have questions? Ask our audiologist!