Music and ear damage Question

[Excygy]

I've just wondered if anyone here knows the exact answer.


If let's say someone has an MP3 with earbuds and generally listen music at volume 16 out of 30 (random numbers to understand) and when you put it around 20-25 its really loud and not good for the ear.

NOW, when you go into a subway or any place with a loud constant noise that isnt that much damaging to you. But you cant ear your music anymore when at volume 16 because of the bad isolation. If you trun up the volume to 25 to finallym ear what you listen without feeling its too loud.....will your ear perceive that sound from the earbuds as 16 or as 25? (in term of ear damage)



not sure if i was clear enought?

[Europhoria]

Of course. Damage to your ear is relative to the noise from your earbuds not the difference between the background noise and earbud noise. Take a candle. Light it and hold it up against the sun, your eyes are still going to get ♥♥♥♥ed up.

[marie pavie]

Loud music is loud. It's not like there's some tolerance you can develop or anything.

[ukzardoz]

I have damaged hearing because of loud music amongst other tings, worst of all is tinnitus, all caused by loud music.
My audiologist advised me the worst thing EVER EVER is to put direct noise into you head. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/6982184.stm

It's all to late for me but don't play it too loud, YOU WILL regret it.

[Draek]

As 25. And if the subway were the equivalent of volume 25 of your headphones, they'll do the same damage to your hearing as volume 25 regardless of it being constant, as the adaptation happens inside your brain, but your ear is still being blasted at the same strength.

With some practice you can learn to consciously diminish or even eliminate that compensation of your brain, which is when you'll realize how obnoxiously loud most cities are.

[Washell]

Originally Posted by Excygy

will your ear perceive that sound from the earbuds as 16 or as 25? (in term of ear damage)

Level 20 from ambient noise + level 25 from earbuds will be level 30 to your ears. (Illustration purposes, actual math here)

[crysomemoar!]

listening to loud music/anything is bad for your ears, i don't listen to loud music nor do i use headphones.

it's why i've got good hearing and i plan to keep it that way for my later years when you'll regret using headphones/listening to loud music.

[bluz74]

If it's to loud, then you're to old.

[Excygy]

thank you for the confirmation.

That's why i hate earbuds. I prefer my headphones, wherever i am or whatever surrounds me...i still play it at the the same sound, and headphones have better sound distribution so my ear is more protected and its less damaging by 40% or something like that (its what it says on ultrasone site)

[skiddlywibble]

Originally Posted by Excygy

thank you for the confirmation.

That's why i hate earbuds. I prefer my headphones, wherever i am or whatever surrounds me...i still play it at the the same sound, and headphones have better sound distribution so my ear is more protected and its less damaging by 40% or something like that (its what it says on ultrasone site)

I managed to break my only pair of headphones. Such a pain. And I have really weird taste in music, so there's no way I'm playing it out loud.

At least when I'm deaf I'll be able to read in peace.

[Orko...]

Being exposed to anything load, not just music, can damage your hearing.

Originally Posted by ukzardoz

I have damaged hearing because of loud music amongst other tings, worst of all is tinnitus, all caused by loud music.

I have tinitus in my right ear, fortunately it hasn't gotten loud enough yet to bother me that much so most of the time I'm only aware of it when I think about it or the evironment is quiet. For that reason I usually have music playing most of the time I'm awake, but always at a comfortable background listening level. I don't know how I got the tinitus because I've never liked loud noise regardless of what it is from.

I have gone to a couple of parties but if it was louder that I considered comfortable, I wouldn't stay long. That was like ten to twenty years before the tinitus developed.

Originally Posted by ukzardoz

My audiologist advised me the worst thing EVER EVER is to put direct noise into you head. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/6982184.stm

I think that depends on how load the sound is, I still use earbuds but I always keep the volume at a low comfortable listening level.

[TeKraken]

Tinitus stops me getting lonely.

[TZK203]

You hear a ringing in your ear? Hair cells in your cochlea are dying--they don't get replaced.

[TeKraken]

Originally Posted by TZK203

You hear a ringing in your ear? Hair cells in your cochlea are dying--they don't get replaced.

My amplifier is only at 25% volume so a long way to go before I worry.

[Levi]

Meh, hearing aids are cool now man.