[CuriousVoiger]

Hi all,

I think I might have damaged my ears.
Since I got the MS-1 my ears have never been too comfortable with their volume output, and finally I think I broke one of them. After listening to a couple of songs at louder volume than usual (nothing very loud), I started feeling pain in the right ear that has lasted for about 2/3 days (I don’t know anything more uncomfortable than ear-pain, even more than tooth-ache). I haven’t used headphones for the past four days now and the pain has now subsided to a slight pricking and itching now and then but still doesn’t feel normal at all. I’m not 100% sure but I also think the noise I hear when am I bed and there is not sound in the room, has increased.

I’m so pissed off that only few months into this headphone discovery journey looks like I’m already at the end of it. How can this be the case? Some of you guys have tried/owned almost every set of cans under the sun but I never read any posts about problems with your ears.
I must not be the only one who has felt pain or discomfort in the ears thru headphone listening at one time or another (unless I have the most f**ing sensitive ears in the globe)

I soooo wanted to get the MS-2 but now I’m not sure if I can listen to them. This really sucks. I don’t know if I got full-blown tinnitus or a slight case of it, I don’t want to worsen it any further, off course.
Perhaps, I should look at some canal phones such the Etys or UE5c where you may don’t need to have the volume too high to appreciate the sound.

Is this the end of the journey for me?
Should I go and see an audiologist to have the ear checked?
I need some advice.I don’t know what to do.
Please help!

 

[tempest811]

id definately go see a doctor about your ear...the sooner the better.

 

[mtbaird5687]

i get worried about it sometimes. im only 17 but sometimes i feel like i have a slight case.

out of nowhere ill hear a high pitched sound, like a beeeeeeeep or somethign.

is that what it is basicalllY? i may have a really mild case.

 

[Jahn]

yep go see a doctor asap. i agree that one's enthusiam for a good can can kill the ears - just temper the enthusiam and never pump it to "11" for the sake of your ears! especially for cans - your ears are prisoners to the sound, unlike speakers.

 

[Reck45]

Whenever I got it, I would just take a break for a few days and it'd be fine. Your ears can heal.

 

[tiberian]

i definately do because i had it few times before.

 

[breez]

Quote:

Originally Posted by mtbaird5687 i get worried about it sometimes. im only 17 but sometimes i feel like i have a slight case. out of nowhere ill hear a high pitched sound, like a beeeeeeeep or somethign. is that what it is basicalllY? i may have a really mild case.

Heh, I'm 17 too and got the same symptoms. First it was only in left ear, but now it has started happening to right ear too

It never lasts longer than 30 seconds and it doesn't really annoy me. More like "Aha, it's there again...".

I think I should be more careful with my listening levels. Sometimes I love to listen to music at night for 1-2 hours and apparently at loud levels. Next day I put on my phones and start listening I'm quite often blasted by the levels

 

[Veto]

I think the most important thing to remember is that you have to start
at a slightly lower volume level then one might want to start with.
In other words, set the volume to low for the first 5 minutes, then slowly
increase till it sounds full. Your ears get used to the level.
Everyting is relative, if you start blowing your ears out in the first minutes
threre is no way to go but to loud.

Sometimes I wonder what the hell people are doing to their ears. You hear someone on the train/bus just cranking the volume up so everyone can hear what they are listening to. That's not a wise thing to do.

 

[Mike Scarpitti]

Quote:

Originally Posted by CuriousVoiger Hi all, I think I might have damaged my ears. Since I got the MS-1 my ears have never been too comfortable with their volume output, and finally I think I broke one of them. After listening to a couple of songs at louder volume than usual (nothing very loud), I started feeling pain in the right ear that has lasted for about 2/3 days (I don’t know anything more uncomfortable than ear-pain, even more than tooth-ache). I haven’t used headphones for the past four days now and the pain has now subsided to a slight pricking and itching now and then but still doesn’t feel normal at all. I’m not 100% sure but I also think the noise I hear when am I bed and there is not sound in the room, has increased. I’m so pissed off that only few months into this headphone discovery journey looks like I’m already at the end of it. How can this be the case? Some of you guys have tried/owned almost every set of cans under the sun but I never read any posts about problems with your ears. I must not be the only one who has felt pain or discomfort in the ears thru headphone listening at one time or another (unless I have the most f**ing sensitive ears in the globe) I soooo wanted to get the MS-2 but now I’m not sure if I can listen to them. This really sucks. I don’t know if I got full-blown tinnitus or a slight case of it, I don’t want to worsen it any further, off course. Perhaps, I should look at some canal phones such the Etys or UE5c where you may don’t need to have the volume too high to appreciate the sound. Is this the end of the journey for me? Should I go and see an audiologist to have the ear checked? I need some advice.I don’t know what to do. Please help!

What? HUH?

 

[Construct]

I've had a fairly serious case of tinnitus as long as I can remember. It probably wasn't caused by exposure to loud noises according to the doctors I've seen, but rather some other internal disorder. However, I've become very diligent about wearing earplugs in noisy environments and listening to music at very reasonable volumes, erring on the quieter side. I really wouldn't want it to get any worse.

Trust me, you want to do everything you can to prevent yourself from getting tinnitus. It's a terrible condition that will not go away once permanent damage has been done.

 

[Jahn]

that reminds me - there are some near deaf folks on head-fi who are still enjoying their cans. so cure that tinnitus. if you can't, bite the bullet and still put some music in your life!

 

[jboehle]

I read somewhere some really good advice for headphone listening:

You shouldn't be turning it up until you think it's loud enough, you should be turning it down until it's just loud enough to hear.

I think the challenge is finding a headphone that will still produce the sound and detail that you desire, at a low volume.

-Jason

 

[mtbaird5687]

Quote:

Originally Posted by breez Heh, I'm 17 too and got the same symptoms. First it was only in left ear, but now it has started happening to right ear too It never lasts longer than 30 seconds and it doesn't really annoy me. More like "Aha, it's there again...". I think I should be more careful with my listening levels. Sometimes I love to listen to music at night for 1-2 hours and apparently at loud levels. Next day I put on my phones and start listening I'm quite often blasted by the levels

ahah i know exactly what you mean

 

[Jon L]

First of all, you will likely recover fully from *this* episode in the near future, so I wouldn't worry too much about it.

Everyone on this forum WILL get pain and tinnitus past a certain combo of volume+duration.

People who get permanent damage to their hearing and/or develop permanent tinnitus(No Cure!), are people who are exposed to loud noises for prolonged periods, such as construction workers who use those concrete-busters, or DJ's who don't use earplugs, etc.

It is possible to induce such permanent damage, however, if you keep doing it over and over. Since the probable reason you turn up your cans is not really lack of volume but body-shaking impact of music, you may want to do most of listening through speakers that give you air/floor-born impact...

 

[CuriousVoiger]

(first language not English - bear with me)

Thanks for the reply, I feel better already.
I think I’ll go and see a doctor on Monday anyway.
I hope is not a permanent condition and doesn’t tell me not to use headphones again. I can’t afford to spend thousands on speakers to get anywhere near the same sound. My ears may be too sensitive for Grados; next time I’ll go with IEM canal phones.

I was thinking it maybe a good idea if there was a sticky post at the top warning about risks with headphones if used inappropriately and early symptoms of in ears damage, etc, etc.
Before someone misunderstand -> Note: I’m not blaming Head-Fi for it at all by all means. I'm just making a suggestion I think could be a good idea. I am very very glad for this site. Head-Fi rocks

again thank you all