[Goit]

Which headphones are the most friendly to your ears and won't cause hearing loss?

 

[Golden Monkey]

EDIT: never mind...

 

[Cool_Torpedo]

They're all the same regarding potential damage to your hearing. It all depends on how loud you listen and the time you keep listening to them.

Keeping this in mind, the answer is the ones you like their performance better listening at low SPLs. Maybe you enjoy better cans with enhanced bass and treble like some Ultrasones or Grados, or you prefer a more neutral sound like Sennheiser HD600's.

Environmental noise is also of importance. If you listen in a silent place, then isolation is not important and you will be able to listen very softly. But if you usually listen in a noisy place, then the safest cans would be some that provide good isolation thus you'd be able to listen at lower volumes which are safer to your hearing. In this case probably IEMs would be better.

Rgrds

 

[krmathis]

I say every headphone have the potential to be hearing friendly (an unfriendly for that matter).
Just keep the volume down and you should be safe.

 

[lordmozilla]

well i guess keep away from IEMs and closed headphones tend to be used at lower volumes, while on open phones, people tend to crank the volume up to get rid of background noise.

 

[synaesthetic]

IEMs have probably saved my hearing. I listen at much lower levels than I used to wearing open earbuds.

 

[QQQ]

Why use headphones in the noisy conditions in the 1-st place...

 

[sackynut]

Get something with very low sensitivity and high impedance, that way no matter what (without and amp) you cant get it that loud!

 

[nickdawg]

Quote:

Originally Posted by lordmozilla /img/forum/go_quote.gif well i guess keep away from IEMs and closed headphones tend to be used at lower volumes, while on open phones, people tend to crank the volume up to get rid of background noise.

What you really want to stay away from are earbuds like the ones that come with the device(ibuds). IEMs are actually better for your ears(as long as you use a safe listening level). Since they isolate they reduce background noise. Thus letting you listen at a lower level sinc eyou do not need to "drown out" the background noise. Think of the people wearing ibuds that you can hear several feet away. THAT is what is dangerous and causes hearing loss. Closed cans or IEMs are good if you are going to be in a noisy environment. You need the isolation to listen at a safe level. Just walking around campus(which is prettly loud at times) I can't imagine using anything other than my IEMs.

Regardless of type, almost all headphones can be "safe" headphones. Conversely almost all headphones can be "dangerous" headphones. It all depends on the user. If you use decent safe levels, you'll be fine. If you ignore warnings and blast them, you'll damage your

 

[lordmozilla]

Quote:

Originally Posted by nickdawg /img/forum/go_quote.gif What you really want to stay away from are earbuds like the ones that come with the device(ibuds). IEMs are actually better for your ears(as long as you use a safe listening level). Since they isolate they reduce background noise.

That's true but some people just listen very loudly with IEM's... I'm a very soft listner with IEM's because the sound pressure is enormous as they are so far in. Some people just don't realise how loud it is and keep cranking the volume up. It's well known that you get used to the volume of your IEMs and start cranking the volume up and then when you put it down it sounds really quiet. I use IEM's all the time and i love them, but i think discipline is wise while using them.

I still think not being an idiot and listening quietly is the only thing that'll save you. (says this while the 708B is pretty much on 2/3rd on my DT770s (80ohm mind you)...

 

[Febs]

Quote:

Originally Posted by lordmozilla /img/forum/go_quote.gif It's well known that you get used to the volume of your IEMs and start cranking the volume up and then when you put it down it sounds really quiet. I use IEM's all the time and i love them, but i think discipline is wise while using them.

This is equally true of any other headphone. Studies have shown, however, that listeners tend to listen to a lower volume when using IEMs because they isolate more ambient noise.

 

[Goit]

Do all of you headphone listeners suffer from tinnitus?
I'm not sure about IEMs because they go really in to the ear, and being loud will have serious problems if it's that close to your ear drum, because it stuffs the ear and causes immense pressure.

I'm looking for a normal headphone, not earplugs of any kind.

I want to have a good, pleasant listening experience, without damaging the ears.

By good I mean being able to clearly hear the music, with the proper lows and highs. Headphones can go down to very low frequencies right?

I am a bit paranoid about the hearing damage thing though, I already wear glasses, it's going to be a total blow if I get my ears damaged too.

I want to spend the money on a most cost efficient headphone, that is all of the money to go to the quality of the headphone, not on advertisement or that microphone. Which brand is the best for that? Like investing as much of the cost to the speaker itself. My budget is around 100 dollars US give or take.

And is it a good idea to get one of those non noise cancelling regular headphones. My idea is that there is a guide that if you wear your non noise cancelling headphones and still can hear people talking, then the volume is fine. Then I'll do this
Headphone Hack! Make You Own Noise Eliminating Headset! - Video

To make it noise cancelling, otherwise with a noise blocking headphone I wouldn't be able to do the loudness test.

Does that sound like a good plan?

 

[Beefy]

We need a stickied FAQ for this......

Quote:

Originally Posted by Goit /img/forum/go_quote.gif Do all of you headphone listeners suffer from tinnitus?

I do, but not from headphones. A single bad night at a loud club damaged my ears, and I now wear ear plugs whenever I go out and there is music. I also listen to headphones at very low volumes.

Quote:

I'm not sure about IEMs because they go really in to the ear, and being loud will have serious problems if it's that close to your ear drum, because it stuffs the ear and causes immense pressure.

Proximity to the ear is redundant. It is sound pressure level at the eardrum that is important. If you listen too loud, it is damaging regardless of where it comes from. Keep the volume down, and you won't have any problems.

Indeed, the high isolation of canalphones allows you to listen at low volumes in noisy environments like public transport. Equivalent closed or open phones need to be turned up much louder in these situations for you to be able to hear the music.

 

[Goit]

I should mention that I'm intending to plug these directly into computers and mp3 players, not into amplifiers.

Can someone recommend some headphones that sound good unamped, and are comfortable to wear, and has sound that is clear as different voices in the music can get distinguished at around 100 dollars?

Edit: Are there any headphones that sound "pretty" as in sort of emphasized tone colors perhaps? And it has to be "clear" too, like that each voice is audible, the mid or the bass can't drawn everything out etc...

Edit2: I listen to classical music, so I want the music to sound colorful and pretty.