[Jam_Master_J]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jasper994 That will definitely cause brain damage!!! To the O.P.: Go see your ENT!

I think brain damage would cause you to buy Bose, not the other way around

 

[carlosgp]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rock&Roll Ninja Dr.House has been seen many times using headphones (iBuds specifically), what more proof do you need that they aren't dangerous?

This man eats strong painkillers like candy and drives a bike like crazy XDXD. I don't think he is a good example. In spanish we say "en casa del herrero, cuchara de palo"

. Don't know the english equivalent...

 

[Skylab]

What damages your hearing is not HEADPHONES -- this is silly. What damages hearing is exposure to SPLs that are too high. This is CUMULATIVE in a 24 hour period and includes ALL sound, including music. So if you mow the lawn without hearing protection, then that day you have exceeded your safe SPL levels for the whole day already, and you should listen to headphones only at EXTREMELY quiet levels.

If you want to enjoy this hobby over the long haul you need to buy a SPL meter and ensure your levels are safe.

BTW, improper use of IEMs can also cause physical damage, and using IEMs that aren't totally clean can cause chronic ear infections. For home listening it's much better to use a full-sized headphone, and you need to clean your IEM's after (or before) EVERY use.

 

[megawzrd]

^^^^^

Where would you recommend picking up an SPL meter Skylab?

 

[markot86]

I know you all are dismissing what the doctor said as complete rubbish, and while I do believe that the way he worded it seems slightly awkward (i.e. that headphones are hurting your brain), I feel that there has to be some truth to what he said.

Despite what some people may think, most doctors do not BS when they don't know anything on the subject. If they litterally know nothing about the subject, they'll refer you to someone who does. I don't know what kind of a doctor he is, but if he's at all good at what he does, then chances are he has heard/read it somewhere in one way or another.

I don't want to scare you, but the funny thing is, ever since I started listening to headphones, the same issues that you're right now encountering happened to me, hence why I've stopped listening for now. Pressure in both ears/ringing is possibly a symptom of a cold, but honestly, before listening to headphones, this had never been an issue for me. Since I have stopped listening, i've had two colds, neither of which have triggered this response; and I listened at VERY low volumes (we're talking 65 db peaks here). Sure we all would like to say that this is a cold issue and nothing else, but lets be honest here; I think your doctor is right when he tells you to lay off the headphones for a while.

 

[Sladeophile]

Heh, my audio teacher said the same thing, except for the brain thing. That is rediculous. Personally, I don't see why a can playing at the same volume as a speaker is more damaging. I guess air pressure could have something to do with it, but I have never felt air pressure from a set of closed cans. I have had more hearing damage from loud concerts than from anything headphone related.

I can also see that this is happening with a lot of kids that listen at extremely loud levels ALL the time. I can't believe they can stand that!

 

[fureshi]

Quote:

Originally Posted by luckybaer I went to an ENT because of ringing in my ears, and he told me to avoid exposure to noise - like making sure I wore hearing protection when operating lawn equipment, and NOT listening to the radio too loudly in the car (probably wanted me to stop that PERIOD). I can only imagine his horror now that I've discovered headphones. Seriously, my car stero is so loud at times - just to be heard at a normal volume while driving on the freeway. When I come off the freeway and wait at the off-ramp, I always have to turn down the volume A LOT. He also said the constant road noise would have a negative effect on my ears, too. After all, lots of cars are 70+ decibels when cruising at 65 mph or so. If you are in the car for a 30 minute commute, that's 30 minutes being exposed to 70dB of noise. Plus, if your car is going 70dB, how loud is your music if it can be heard clearly over the road noise? Everything seems to add up, so I've made it a point to minimize my radio listening in the car and I'm trying to cut back on my headphone time. I don't think I listen very loudly, so I'm not turning the volume down - any lower, and I'd not be able to hear the music properly.

i've also noticed the same thing when i come off the freeway. it's probably worse if you're driving a convertible or modified car. my s2000 is fine during normal driving but i've noticed my ears ringing after commuting to or from work. this is probably from both road noise and the radio being too loud. i've started wearing er20 earplugs when i drive and it has eliminated the ringing i get after extended driving. it's cheap protection imo and doesn't prevent you from hearing sirens or other important sounds when driving.

 

[markot86]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sladeophile Personally, I don't see why a can playing at the same volume as a speaker is more damaging.

While there has yet to be studies on headphones vs speakers (that I know of) There have been studies that have shown that SPL's are not the only factor of hearing damage. High frequency sounds damage hearing moreso than low frequency, and (believe it or not) sounds that are pleasing to the listener damage hearing less than those that are not. While neither of these have much to do with headphone listening, that at least proves the fact that there are certainly other factors that are coming into play here. Just because they have not been discovered does not mean that they are not there.

 

[warpdriver]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wodgy The problem with headphones is most people are terrible judges of how loud they're listening.

I think this is the key point. It's VERY easy to listen too loud, especially since you dont' FEEL the sound like you do with speakers. Any doctor would probably not recommend headphones just based on this fact.

 

[matt8268]

Doctors are smart people and know a lot of stuff, but I've found they can be dangerous advice givers because once they form an opinion (usually from either what they're taught or seeing a lot of similar cases), they repeat it as gospel ad nauseum. They LOVE to be the absolute authority, and have a hard time accepting data that doesn't conform to what they are expecting to see. I think this attitude comes from the way they are trained and their unrelenting schedules.

So for me personally, if I'm ever in doubt of one of their opinions, I do my own research. If you're concerned about what he said, I would ask him to give you the info backing his statement. Then look into the data yourself. If he can't cite good info, I would ignore him.

 

[Illah]

I believe that earbuds or IEMs are bad for you no matter the volume. Also there's been studies (forget where I saw it) that show that extended headphone listening can buildup bacteria in your ears due to increased heat and humidity - anyone who's had the 'sweaty ears' syndrome knows that this is quite common. Earbuds or IEMs are even worse as they plug up the ear completely.

Luckily large, open cans like the 650s don't build up too much heat/sweat, but I still wouldn't wear them more than an hour or two a day.

As for the SPL, volume is volume no matter where the driver is. Headphones aren't inherently bad in that sense. At a rock concert you can hear 100dB from 100' away, or you can get 100dB from an iPod bud about 1" from your eardrum. Same difference.

--Illah

 

[Sladeophile]

Driving with your window down is EXTREMELY loud and the reason why a lot of people have more hearing loss in their left ear (here in the states anyway). I would think that is more damaging...

 

[Skylab]

Quote:

Originally Posted by megawzrd ^^^^^ Where would you recommend picking up an SPL meter Skylab?

You want the Radio Shack ANALOG meter. And you need to couple the meter to the headphone using very think cardboard. If you search here on SPL meter you'll see some photos even.

 

[Audiofiler]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Alu On another note, after listening to headphones, I'm thinking that I can pick up any kind of noise much better than I could before.

I have thought this for years, and still to this day I say this too.
It is not crazy, sometimes am thinking I have sonic bat hearing or something, as nuances in the foreground or way background especially can not hide from me..

(deep in the headstage if wearing cans if you will)...

My hearing is amazingly detailed with regards to depth perception and pin pointing the sound source immediately and accurately regardless of the origin, very much have experienced this too..interesting..

 

[splaz]

Hmmm... I might see a specialist now.

I've had some rarely occuring issues that might need to be looked at.

About once or twice a year I'll get a dull ringing for a minute. No idea what that's about as it seems like Tinnitus although seems fairly strange...

Just tonight my left ear went weird. I could hear fine out of it but noises in my mouth like breathing and speaking sound sort of reverberated. Bit of popping when breathing as well like when driving down/up a hill and yawning so maybe issues with pressure, that tube connecting up to your nose or wherever it is.

Finnally I'm sometimes prone to ear ache in cold weather and when snorkelling in deep water even when holding my nose and blowing etc. I would get sore ears from diving deep down.

So yeah... weird. There are things that happen fairly rarely and have happened for several years. But yeah after what you guys have said I might get myself checked out and see whats up. Problem with me is that with something that happens rarely and isn't massively serious I don't usually follow it up. Like I had cramps maybe 3 or 4 times a year during my sleep. After a particularly bad one left my leg in quite a bit of pain I finnally got it sorted. Knowing me otherwise I'll be deaf then I'll look into it.