[Atropos]

how loud can the HD 650 play without distortion?

 

[digitalmind]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Atropos how loud can the HD 650 play without distortion?

Far beyond the limit of your ears.

 

[angler31337]

Just this week the Wall Street Journal had an article about a possible pandemic of hearing loss. The article (Spencer, Jane; "Behind the Music: IPods and Hearing Loss," WSJ: Tuesday 01/10/06) suggests an association between iPod use and the growing incidence of hearing loss in the United States. The report credited extended listening at medium-high volumes as being the cause of the noted problem.

Unfortunately, the article failed to recognize that it is the Apple ear-buds that are most clearly ravaging people's hearing -- not the iPods themselves. It seems strange to me that average Joe would be willing to put out $200+ for an iPod, but won't spend a penny on a decent set of IEM's. Natural selection anyone?

-Angler

 

[rimmer]

Quote:

Originally Posted by l_simon_l My Etys seem to aggrivate my tinnitus more than any other phone I tried. Maybe it's just a mental thing though since the isolation makes it hard for me to take the focus off the ringing sound. And when focused on the ringing it gets worse.... even afterwards when I take the etys off.

No, the direct air-tight coupling of the driver and ear drum causes much higher damage than open headphone/speaker at the same loudness.

 

[Arainach]

I'd like a source on that claim.

 

[jbloudg20]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Arainach I'd like a source on that claim.

Seconded... SPL is SPL doesn't matter where the source is located.

 

[cheechoz]

I do have a tendency to raise the volume, when a Grado is over my head! I guess that's why it's considered such a fun set of cans!

Do to the Senns darker nature, you would probably be listening to the type of music, that one wouldn't really listen to at high volumes! But there are occasions where I turn my HD650 up to some pretty load levels!

 

[rimmer]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Arainach I'd like a source on that claim.

A study outcome published in postgradual medicine journal. Sorry, in the trash for long.

It declared multiple points on IEMs: the need for lower volume being positive, on the other hand health risks from blocking the ear canal, inserting objects into and finally actually higher strain from sources airtight with the ear canal. Unfortunately, I do not remember or noticed the exact methodology, since I was not hooked on headphones at that time yet

.
Nevertless, it alarmed about epidemy of deafness coming in ~10 years and called for educating public of how harming loudness/possibly all headphones are (they tested the listening level with headphones/speakers and saw that most people listen to much higher dB on headphones to reach subjective the same level).

 

[Albatross05]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kraegorn I started out with Senns and my ears were very accustomed to it. I didn't notice any form of tinnitus in the quietness of my bedroom, not until my recent switch to Grados and K-1000. At the moment I'm sitting out from the headphone madness and hope there's some improvement on my hearing. It's nothing to truly worry about, but when things get bad, why make it worse. Besides, I'm too young to go deaf!!!

I've never tried Grados so I can't really comment on those. Over the years, using various (mostly cheapo) headphones, I've had brief periods of ringing after very extended listening sessions at VERY high volumes. I do not think reasonable listening levels should present a significant threat to your hearing.

Any headphone can be fatiguing if you listen for too long and/or if you listen at high voleme and your music of choice has lots of high and mid level frequencies. Low frequencies (supposedly) are less damaging. The percussive snap of certain drums would seem to me to be rather dangerous....as well as the high pitched screach of some electric guitars.

If your headphones seem to be more transparent, that may indicate an emphasis on highs and mids, rather than a truly neutral sound. I've been listening for many years and my hearing doesn't seem to have suffered too badly. I'm sure it could be better...and probably would be if I'd never been exposed to loud music.

In the end...every single time I've ever noticed listening fatigue, I've had a slight ringing for about a half hour after removing the headphones. So, IMO, that should be one of the warning signs that you're overdoing it.

 

[halcyon]

Quote:

Originally Posted by mattg3 .Is sennheiser designed to be safer with your ears or am i kidding myself and heading for same problems i felt the grado was taking me to?

AFAIK, no.

The only headphone that is at least marketed to be safer for hearing, is the Ultraosone range that uses their "S-Logic" to achieve an equal senseation of loudness with less air pressure.

This should, if true, help one to reduce change of hearing loss, ever so slightly, if one doesn't pump up the volume hopelessly.

 

[markl]

Quote:

What you need is an IEM. Now THOSE save your hearing.

That's not what the research is starting to show which is the contrary.

However, it's simply playing too LOUD that is the major issue, not the kind or model of headphones you wear.

 

[Andrea]

Quote:

Originally Posted by mattg3 Is sennheiser designed to be safer with your ears

I say, certainly. It feels like an aspect held in high regard by the sennheiser folks.

My 595 and 650 never - ever - leave my ears aching after a long listen at realistic volume. Same with the PX100 and others, even the HD201.


It's one of the good reasons that account for my fondness

 

[CookieFactory]

1) SPL is measured at the eardrum. It does not matter if the source is 1 inch from the eardrum or 10 feet, if the SPLs are the same, they are the same volume.
2) With IEMs you need less volume to get the same loudness as an open headphone due to the isolation. SPLs are therefore lower, and chance of hearing damage is lower relative to open cans.

 

[setmenu]

Perhaps on average most headphone listeners listen too loud?
If one considers that over the millenia our hearing mechanism/perception
have developed to best detect sounds by using a combination of directly
detected soundwaves into the ear canal and bone/body conduction to
augment lower frequency/energy levels.
We basically hear with our entire body.
The way we are expected to perceived sound when listening with
headphones is exceedingly artificial/unnatural compared to this holistic body
approach.
IEMs have to be the worst offenders here because they offer little more than
sound waves directly pumped into the ear canal.
Circumaural can at least affect the outer ear and surrounding area.

It would be interesting to measure the average spl levels those who listen to
bass heavy phones compared to those who listen to supposedly more
balanced or bass light phones.[recessed mids and or highs could also create
a desire for higher spls if the user prefers a brighter sound...]
For example.
I am not overly familiar with the Grado range, but often read how various
models are bright and can aggravate tinnitus etc.
So, how well are they doing the low frequencies?
Are they making good weighty ambient bass balanced with mid bass
punch/fullness ?
Could it be that Grado phones encourage listeners to turn them up in an
effort to add some weight to the sound?



.

 

[Firestarter]

my HD 25-1's do a good job saving it from outside noise, then destroying it with distorted guitars