I presently have a friend whom I can't understand because her voice is pitched so soft and low! I can be alone with her in a perfectly quiet room, and have no idea what she just said!!! It's embarrassing to have to ask her to repeat herself all the time. (And it doesn't happen with any of my other friends). Sometimes, pitch is an issue with almost everyone.

Similarly, I have difficulty understanding male actors on television because THEIR voice are pitched too low.

There are many conditions making it difficult to distinguish one voice from another, in a group setting, or noisy crowded room.

1 - APD "the cocktail party effect" Simultaneous conversations overwhelm your brain's ability to isolate a single voice

2 - Ambient noise level matches the pitch of the speaker, canceling it out.

3 - Damage to auditory sensory hairs that receive high frequency sounds, missing words with sharp consonants.

Here's a link:

https://americanhearing.us/how-the-cocktail-party-effect-affects-your-hearing/
https://www.thehearingsolution.com/blog/understanding-auditory-processing-disorder/

https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2020/01/why-it-may-be-hard-to-follow-conversations-in-noisy-environments/#:~:text=Hidden%20hearing%20loss%2C%20on%20the,and%20are%20thought%20to%20arise

https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/auditory-processing-disorder/symptoms-causes/syc-20555261

Some have tinnitus from having a job or the military.

What's a party

Auditory Processing Disorder

Though normal and understandable, if you are the only one in the group having that problem, maybe double check by seeing a doctor.

I started a new job it was super noisy and this big on steroids type dude going through a divorce would get livid pissed if you made him repeat himself. I couldn't hear what he said and he ran me over with the track mobile...so I never went back.

You're not alone.

I absolutely have this problem too, and I too thought it was hearing related.

But unfortunately, like you, it seems to be a perception thing.

I am completely overwhelmed in a loud, chaotic environment. It's extremely discomforting.

Weddings, parties, night clubs are all overwhelming, miserable experiences.

I can't understand a thing even when the background noise isn't very loud at all, and I tell people to text me rather than call, because I'm absolutely hopeless at having a conversation over the phone. I would say yes, this is normal, but no, it doesn't necessarily mean you have autism or ADD (or anything else).

Yes, it is very common to have difficulty understanding what people are saying in a noisy environment. 🍁

I used to hang out in a pub that had almost no sound deadening, and if it was crowded was extremely noisy and difficult to hear. The chatter was unbelievable. When I inquired about the acoustics, I was told it was on purpose so people couldn't eaves drop on others.

It’s most likely a hearing related issue or in rare cases cerebellar 💁‍♂