Okay. On further thought, I should add that I, too, am a slow, high-comprehension reader. But. And? I am terrible at names when I'm introduced to people: I do very, very, very much better after I've seen the name written down, so for me both things are needed in order to do either very well.

I hear just fine, btw. But it's very easy for me to tune out information that's coming to me just as sound--baseball on radio, for instance. We've long gotten our news via NPR, but I probably hear/retain half the stories, especially if there's anything else I'm doing or reading at the same time. I've taken to listening to Slate gabfest podcasts, in part to try to improve my attention to input that's just auditory.

A final piece of the puzzle from my own experience. I'm a person who can tune everything else out while reading, so much so that my spouse can find it difficult to break through if I'm reading.

I'm not sure all those pieces work in the same direction, but it seems to me that they are all parts of the puzzle.