Interesting thread, well resurrected!

I have very mild occasional tinnitus. High pitched whistle at low volume. It doesn't bother me at all, thankfully.

An audiophile friend of mine has quite severe hearing loss in one ear, but I am totally confident that his audiophile credentials aren't affected in any significant way - he still hears the changes wrought by differing components and setups. And he still enjoys his hifi and his music.

It's quite amazing what the brain can make allowances for.