Hearing care · Hearing loss simulator
Hear what hearing loss sounds like.
Understanding it is the first step to doing something about it.
Hearing loss is hard to picture until you experience it. This free simulator lets you hear how everyday sounds — a conversation, the television, someone speaking across a busy room — change as hearing loss develops. It is a powerful way to understand what a partner or parent may be living with, or to recognise something in your own hearing. It is a demonstration, not a diagnosis — but it is often the moment things click.
- Use headphones or earphones for a realistic effect
- Find a quiet room with as little background noise as possible
- Set your volume to a comfortable, normal level before you begin
How the hearing loss simulator works
The simulator plays familiar, everyday sounds — speech, conversation, the world going on around you — and lets you hear how they change at different levels of hearing loss. As you move through the settings, the words blur, soften and slip beneath the background noise, exactly the way real hearing loss creeps in: not silence, but a growing struggle to make out the detail.
- Pop on your headphones or earphones in a quiet room
- Set your device to a normal, comfortable volume
- Listen to the everyday sounds as you adjust the level of hearing loss
- Notice how much harder speech becomes to follow — that is the experience millions live with
Why it helps — for you and the people you love
Most people with hearing loss do not notice it arriving; it is often a family member who spots it first. The simulator bridges that gap. If you love someone who is struggling to hear, a few minutes here shows you what they navigate every day — and conversations at home tend to become kinder and clearer as a result.
And if the milder settings already sound a little too familiar, that is worth paying attention to. The simulator cannot measure your hearing — only a full hearing assessment with an audiologist can do that. But it is often the nudge that turns "I should probably get that checked" into actually booking in. Sometimes a change is simply earwax; sometimes it is worth a closer look.
Prefer to check your own hearing from home first? Take our free online hearing test — a quick, private screening that takes just a few minutes.
Signs it is worth getting your hearing checked
The simulator is a good starting point, but these are the everyday signs that make a full assessment worthwhile:
- Conversations are harder to follow, especially in groups or noisy places
- You turn the television up more than others would like
- You often ask people to repeat themselves
- You can hear people talking, but cannot always make out the words
- You notice ringing or buzzing in your ears (tinnitus)
- You feel drained after a day of listening and socialising
If any of these sound familiar — or if you are 55 or over and simply have not had your hearing checked in a while — a hearing assessment is the clearest way to understand what is going on.
Hearing care across Greater Manchester & Lancashire
STOTTS. offers complimentary hearing checks and full diagnostic hearing assessments at every practice across Greater Manchester and Lancashire — in Unsworth, Swinton, Urmston, Chorley, Burnley and Padiham. Wherever you are, an in-person hearing test near you is never far away, carried out by an experienced audiologist who takes the time to explain everything clearly.
Find your nearest practice, or book a free hearing assessment online.
Hearing loss simulator — your questions answered.
What is a hearing loss simulator?
It is a tool that lets you hear how everyday sounds and conversations change as hearing loss develops. You adjust the level of simulated loss and listen to the difference — a powerful way to understand what living with hearing loss is actually like. It runs in your browser and is completely free and private.
Can the simulator tell me if I have hearing loss?
No. The simulator demonstrates what typical hearing loss sounds like — it cannot measure your own hearing or diagnose anything. Only a full hearing assessment with an audiologist, using calibrated equipment, can tell you how you are actually hearing.
Do I need headphones to use the simulator?
Yes. Headphones or earphones give a far more realistic effect than your device’s built-in speakers. Use it in a quiet room with your volume at a normal, comfortable level.
Why would I use a hearing loss simulator?
Two reasons. First, to understand what a partner, parent or friend with hearing loss experiences every day — it tends to make conversations at home a lot kinder and clearer. Second, to recognise sounds you might be missing yourself: if the milder settings already feel familiar, that is worth acting on.
Is the hearing loss simulator free?
Yes, completely free and private, with no obligation to book anything afterwards. Our in-practice hearing checks and full diagnostic hearing assessments are complimentary too.
What should I do after using the simulator?
If it resonates — for you or for someone you love — book a free hearing assessment with a STOTTS. audiologist. It is complimentary, unhurried, and there is never any pressure. Sometimes a change is simply earwax; sometimes it is worth a closer look. An assessment is the only way to know for certain.