[sonance]

I generally check my headphone listening levels periodically, especially when comparing headphones, to make sure that I'm not listening too loudly.
Normally I listen at ~70-80db average level, with peaks still kept below 85db, or even below 80db, depending on the music, headphones and general noise level in my home.
Out of curiousity, I looked up reference levels db on the net to see what's recommended, and noticed this :
Quote:

40 db Buzz of mosquito 50 db Normal conversation 70 db Vacuum cleaner 100 db Subway or power mower 120 db Rock concert

(emphasis is mine) from this website: http://www.newton.dep.anl.gov/askasc...9/eng99325.htm
I found it shocking that a subway is 100bd. I assume this means from the outside, but I have noticed in the past that the inside of a subway is tremendously noisy as well, more than people realize. Given safe listening levels, I wonder if travelling on a subway for say 30mins a day, can do permanent damage to one's hearing? I used to take the subway daily a few years ago, but thankfully do not any more. Even so, I'm considering buying new IEMs (maybe those new shures that allow conversation monitoring, when shure gets around to releasing them) or even earplugs for any ocassional subway rides.
What do you think?

 

[Jam_Master_J]

I'd imagine IEMs would be great in that case. I even find the inside of most cars and buses quite loud without IEMs.

 

[iSleipnir]

See, this is the problem I have with the sudden scare about the dangers of headphone listeneing: There are loud noises in our everyday life that must be just as or more damaging to our hearing than headphones. Given what I know anything as long as 30minutes at that volume might cause long term damage. But then again, 30 minutes is supposed to be a max listening time at avg listening levels according to some of the the surveys cited in those recent scare articles.

 

[aerius]

It depends on the subway, some are a lot noisier than others. In Toronto for instance, I can take the Bloor-Danforth line without fear of hearing loss, but not the Yonge-University-Spadina line. Reason being the latter has a bunch of turns in it where the subway wheels squeal like a million stuck pigs. I find it painful when the subway goes through those turns and I do have to plug my ears.

 

[aaroncort]

I'd say that working in a lound enviroment is more damaging that long term headphone use at materate volumes. I work in a very loud bakery and between the convection oven, and the 5 refidgerator compressors my ears feel much more fatigued than when I haveall day headphone sessions. I listen at volumes slighly greater than normal conversation. I can still hold conversations without turning down the volume.

 

[Gravitas]

Check this chart out.

http://siri.uvm.edu/ppt/hearloss/sld001.htm

I remember seeing a similar chart on db level and amount of exposure related to hearing loss. Not sure how accurate this particular one is, but probably close.