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Old 08-07-2007, 06:40 PM   #29 (permalink)
TheSloth
Headphoneus Supremus

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Join Date: Aug 2005
Posts: 2,326
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The part people often miss is that you never know when it will be 'your turn'. You could listen at above 90dB and suffer little or no hearing loss for an extended period of years (i.e. life), just as one could potentially chain smoke and never suffer any ill effects for it.

However in the case of hearing loss, it only takes one occasion to permanently lower the standard of hearing, particularly in the most sensitive hearing ranges (upper midrange in hi-fi speak). You could listen at the same level to the same song for years, and nothing, and then one listening could drop one of your ears sensitivity by 6dB - once that happens, that's it.

You also cannot compensate for that loss by upping the volume, because with decreased sensitivity also comes decreased pain threshold, therefore not only do you hear less, but suffer pain and discomfort at a lower absolute volume level.

So remember, hearing loss can come without the slightest warning - just because you don't feel any warning pain or discomfort doesn't make you 'safe'.
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