Today, definitely sound. Miss having someone else around. Liked that. But am in my own house today, with the CD player on, and pretty loud too. In the past, I had my tv on.

TV as back ground noise drives me insane. Our TV is down a few steps from the kitchen.

I shut the door if DH is down there watching. If he comes upstairs and it's on for a while, I will shut it off.

My SIL has QVC playing 24/7. When visiting, I ask that she turn it off. We are there to visit, not watch TV.

I personally watch very little TV. Every so often DH will draw me in to a show.

During the day, it depends on my mood. Sometimes I like having music or the tv playing, and other times it annoys me. At night, I like white noise, like a fan. It helps me sleep. I can't sleep as well in a quiet bedroom.

Silence except at night when I have a sound machine. Sound, of course, if I'm watching TV in the evening.

Sound! If I really get into cooking, I don't notice the tv isn't on. Otherwise, I have the tv on. I'm lucky DH can sleep with the tv on. I sometimes fall asleep to it, on turn it off sometime in the middle of the night (usually when the bladder calls).

Since I can never hear the sounds of silence again till I die I guess I am forced to say sound. I hope those who are still blessed with the ability to hear silence cherish it greatly and know what a treasure it is. I have had extremely loud tinnitus in both ears since I was in my early 30's. I used wonder why my mom would grab her head with both hands and come to tears and say Lord please stop the noise in my head. I unfortunately understand completely. My family has Menieres disease which contributes to the tinnitus. I would pay big bucks for the opportunity to have some true silence, if only they could find a cure.SSo I use sounds to try to drown out the tinnitus. I have fans on around me always, 3 on in in the bedroom, 2 or 3 in the living room. I have the TV on most of the day. Sometimes music too. If you focus on the noise it really becomes maddening.

I also have tinnitus, and believe I have Meniere's. I am losing my hearing, but of course the tinnitus remains.

Unlike Raven however, I prefer silence otherwise, unless of course I'm actually listening to music or TV.

Sound. Music- all the time. We don't have a television. We usually put Netflix on one of the laptops at night but almost always fall asleep before whatever we're watching is over.

When we're home the TV is always on, my husband loves it...I don't watch it as much as he does...in the car we listen to music, although having the radio off is fine with me.

Silence. I have pretty acute hearing and find it exhausting to tune out noises. This time of year (Purple Martin season), I tend to listen to my birds in case they send a predator alarm. They know I come out and will chase off a hawk.

I have an analytical job so my brain is always running at top speed. I do put the TV on a sleep timer, will listen to music (or podcasts) while driving. I don't listen to music when running/exercising (sometimes I do when running but not often at all). That's my time to turn my brain off.

My husband almost always has something "on"....drives me crazy sometimes!

I often listen to music on the radio when driving by myself. Other than that, I tend to find "background noise" mostly annoying, too distracting.

I like peace and quiet...but...I empathize with you Raven...and the rest of our "club". I have the same malady and it definitely has a repertoire all its own. Sigh. But...I've had it longer than you have and I've trained myself not to hear it. I know that sounds impossible...but it really does work. Now...the only time it really bothers me is when I have to take some med...like Tylenol. That heightens the pitch and it drives me bonkers. If I can stay away from OTC meds...or any meds for the matter...it's relatively peaceful.

Silence.

I am very sensitive to noise.

Silence. My husband and I are always muting the TV during the commercials and just to have it quiet. My husband can watch TV with the closed caption on and be perfectly happy. I got into the bad habit of turning the TV on when I cook. This is a throw back to when I worked and was fixing dinner listening to the news. However even now when I start to make something I turn the TV on. Otherwise I don't have it on unless I am watching it.

I also have tinnitus. I keep the radio on 24\7. I don't watch TV very much. I listen to talk radio. Even when I am outside, I carry one in my pocket. Raven is right.... the constant sounds of tinnitus can make you feel like you are going crazy. I have just about got so I can ignore it....as long as I have something else to listen to.

Silence. The TV is on only when I'm watching it. Sometimes in the mornings I will turn a radio on, but mostly it is always some kind of "help talk" and now of course biased political stuff and I don't need that to start my day. I have some hearing loss and it seems to me that the radio/TV spokes people are all speaking too fast. It is surprising what you can hear in the silence, depending on the weather: the snow plows, the grass being mowed, the wind blowing in the trees, the birds singing, the mail truck as it passes. In the late evenings, I especially love hearing the trains as they whistle for the nearby crossing. To me, silence is peaceful.

I have tinnitus too, and hope I don't get meniere's. My mother had it and lost much of her hearing. I do have the oldies 60, 70, 80's music on my sirius radio in the car. Nothing in the house. TV is never on during the day.

Both.

Music is my keenest hobby. I listen to it frequently but NEVER as background din. When listening, it's loud and I concentrate on it and can do nothing else. I really detest Muzak/background sound clutter, no matter where or what. I have high quality sound systems in my cars, they're also played loud. If a phone rings, I often can't hear it.

The TVs are off when not being watched. I almost never listen to the radio.

Quiet is nice too. I'm fortunate to live in a neighborhood with almost no road or neighbor noise. If nothing else is going on, or at sleeping time, we appreciate the silence.

Silence......weeeeeell......birds chirping, breeze blowing, stellar jays imitating hawks screeches, shuffling of feet trail running up on the mtn trail above me & a low chatter of human speech if I listen intently, on a sunny day.....

Today I can hear the snow flakes and graupel hitting the windows .... skylights... sliding glass doors.....:0)

I mostly prefer silence and watch TV mainly for the news (except for one or two guilty pleasures!) As I mentioned on another thread, I listen to audiobooks when walking or cooking or doing other fairly mindless tasks. I always mute the TV during commercials. My DH watches TV in the computer room all day and sometimes the escalating noise bothers me when political discussions, etc. get a bit too enthusiastic. However, when he is away for a couple of days, the house is too quiet and I often think of switching on CNN just for the background noise!

Definitely silence!! I never have the tv or radio on at home unless I am watching or listening to it. I don't like background noise. I do however like listening to the radio when I drive.

You'll all be glad to know that I deleted my long, introspective disquisition on the subject. :)

None but ambient when I'm tired.

TV (not too visual so I only have to look up now and then) when I'm doing routine work alone, and want company.

Music when I'm driving or cooking a feast.

Radio all day long for local news/weather, local talk show (who happen to be friends of ours), and some national talk shows, NPR and classical music. I stream the Morning Blaze with Doc and Skip on my computer from 6-8 some mornings. Friday afternoon is Pandora with a wide mix of music (classical, traditional Irish, classic rock, heavy metal, and grunge) as a way to relax after cleaning the house and baking on Friday morning. When I'm cooking/baking I prefer classic rock and metal.

No TV during the day. We watch ROKU in the evening --- NO commercials :-). It's gotten so we can't stand regular commercial TV and we tend to mute the commercials the few shows we do watch.

No electronics as 'background noise' for me. If I'm listening it's because I'm interested in understanding what I'm hearing; I'm focused on it. I'm the same with conversation; not good at extended 'small talk'.

My tinnitus is less bothersome at times. I will listen to music in bed, but not just 'anything'. Our cars have always had superior sound systems, and I do enjoy cranking up a symphony -- but can only do so when driving alone. DH doesn't appreciate *forte*!

Snidely -- There is supposedly a similarity between 'mathematical brains' and 'musical brains', and you would seem to have both. (I have neither.) Do you think the 'math-attuned brain' is interested in the mathematical equivalent of a 'perfect equation' of notes? Do you look for a relationship formula in the seemingly 'random' notes of jazz?

Tinnitus in both ears here, also. Have had it for about 25 years. Did anyone have theirs start and never have any breaks before it became constant? Mine never 'stumped its toe at all'...just kept on giving - ha. At times it nearly drives me over the edge. I enjoy some of the Goldie Oldies, jazz, and good instrumental music at times to help me block the tinnitus. Supposedly, there is a new hearing aid made that is more capable of blocking the sound of the tinnitus - don't know if it is true as I have not tried it.

I've heard that said, chisue. But exactly as with everyone else, I am how I am and can't observe or compare myself to others except very superficially.

I don't fit the stereotype of an accountant in many ways. I'm good with mental math but otherwise have few of the personality or mental characteristics that many expect of an accountant.

I dislike modern jazz because my musical head wants a more predictable tempo and a more melodic feature than is typical. I know that jazz musicians are complete whizzes with the exotica of complex music theory (and I'm not) so I'm an ignorant listener when those features are performed.

I enjoy listening to the radio when I'm driving, but I don't have a CD player in either vehicle, don't have an Ipod or Smartphone, and I'm technology challenged. The kids would help me if I asked, but it's not worth the trouble. I rarely turn on the TV these days (especially now that DA has ended) and we no longer get the music channels on our basic satellite package. When my kids were younger I kept the TV on most of the time, for background noise, and I watched TV after they went to bed. After my husband died, I stopped watching the crime dramas and mystery shows I'd enjoyed before, and continued watching HGTV and the Food Network, until they all started to seem alike. I enjoy listening to the tunes I find on YouTube--once in a while I'll open a separate window, and listen to a favorite album while I cruise GW.

I just realized that I've become used to the house being silent when no one else is home.

A little of both. I turn the TV on in the morning and it stays on until I go to bed at 9 pm. then I have it on in the bedroom for a while but I find it hard to sleep with it on. I never have liked hearing radio in the morning.

I have profound hearing loss (late deafened, idiopathic sudden hearing loss) and occasional tinnitus in my "good" ear. Unfortunately I also suffer from hyperacusis. So I love silence. If I am not actively listening to a program on the radio I want silence. I have considered a cochlear for my other ear. It only has 10% hearing left. Just enough to pick up noise. Constant noise. At least with a cochlear the remaining residual hearing would be removed. However my doctor wants me to wait since new technology and stem cell research successes are just around the corner. Having the cochlear implant surgery would end my ability to utilize it if it becomes available.

I used to have TV, radio or stereo on all the time but now I turn it off more. Sometimes I fall asleep to something but I usually set a sleep timer, especially if I need to set an alarm to get up early. I enjoy quiet time and I enjoy some sound while I'm doing things. Much of the time I like to have comedies on that aren't all visual comedy. I can be working on something and still listen to the comedy. However if I'm concentrating on something I usually won't have the background noise on. Right now I'm listening to "24" while I surf a bit.

Gmatx when mine started it never stopped ever. It changes tone and frequency from time to time which can be startling. Makes me shake my head and say Wow. Which in turn has others shaking their heads lol. I would love to have it just stop for a few minutes even, I would probably cry I would be so happy. My sister has it bad hers started much later in her life and she is having a very hard time adjusting. I tell her to focus on other things and let recede into the background but she isn't having much luck with that.

Silence unless I should sit to watch something. I can not deal with a television on constantly during the day. I also dislike it if I visit someone and they go and turn on the television! Had that happen during a baby shower we attended and thought, how rude.

Sue

Sound but not TV. Audio book, mostly occasionally music but TV only if I'm watching a show, not for background noise. Silence in the morning.

Snidely -- Guess I'll have to ask another 'Math Brain' about the music thing! Your answer about preferring a 'predictable tempo' does seem to go along with what I'd thought, though. I may have listened to too many classical pieces. Now I find myself getting weary of predictable repetition, regardless of a change in key, tempo, or instrumentation. It is amazing that we humans still like music composed ages ago.

I only took one music appreciation course in college. The professor found it quite remarkable that humans would love a sound that came from vibrating a piece of cat gut. Attention getting!

i wake to the radio/news. listen to talk radio at work when i can. radio when cooking, mostly talk sports radio. TV at night. usually fall asleep with TV on but also shut TV and put talk radio on... its usually on most of the night.

so Sound...

love "silence" when working outside. nothing can compare to listening to the birds!!

I'm not sure I'm a math brain, just maybe someone who can do arithmetic (not real math) in my head.

I don't remember where or when but I remember once hearing someone say that the human enjoyment of a regular rhythm pattern develops in utero from the mother's heartbeat. It's true for many people that music with a good beat gets the feet tapping and body swaying, and a good melody can take up residence in your head and stay long after the music ends. These things happen to me when I listen to music.

My TV is on if I'm watching, or if have the kitchen TV on while I'm working there. Otherwise the TVs are off. No broadcast radio reception with our ham radio towers, but I occasionally stream NPR news or talk shows, or our local public radio station's jazz or blues shows. Music CDs or audio books in the car. At home, music only if I want to listen to it. I can't write or otherwise think when music is playing because I go right into the music.

At night, silence is essential while I a) read and b) sleep.

Like Pandora and tv as background noise, also like tv noise b4 sleeping. I pick mindless stuff b/c if I got something interesting, I'd get involved in the plot and goodbye sleep.

I prefer silence. When driving the car, I listen to the radio just for traffic updates (and, of course, to sing along). Listening to music for pleasure is an immersive experience, and one that I do every now and then. The TV is only on for news in the morning and an occasional on-demand show.

Silence. Except unless I'm outside and then I yearn for nature sounds. Wind blowing through the trees, birds, crickets, patter of raindrops.

Golf is my favorite pastime, a quiet subdued game. Until we are approached by an obnoxious golfer with a pimped-out golf cart complete with stereo speakers blasting Adele singing "Hellooo." NOOOOOooooooooooo!!!!!!

Never turn the radio on in my car. My time for thinking.

I have tinnitus and must always have some type of background noise otherwise the bell ringing bees in my head become overwhelming. At night I turn on a fan to sleep.

I use to always prefer silence, but DH has tiñnitus so has to have classical music on Sonic TAP, a TV station, playing. I have started to get tinnitus too so I now understand why he likes background noise.