[thelostMIDrange]

lots of good advice for the OP already, I have had this for 25 years and for me it was from too much volume. But tinnitius can be caused by other things as already mentioned.
 
The ringing you heard is not something to get upset about. This is the normal reaction of the fibres in the ear that get bent over and 'stuck' for a while. they should bounce back and the ringing stops. The problem is over time, they don't bounce back and the ringing never stops. That's tinnitus. The temporary ringing is just it's warning to you that you have reached the natural limits of volume, and is telling you to back it down a bit.

 

[bowei006]

Quote:

lots of good advice for the OP already, I have had this for 25 years and for me it was from too much volume. But tinnitius can be caused by other things as already mentioned.
 
The ringing you heard is not something to get upset about. This is the normal reaction of the fibres in the ear that get bent over and 'stuck' for a while. they should bounce back and the ringing stops. The problem is over time, they don't bounce back and the ringing never stops. That's tinnitus. The temporary ringing is just it's warning to you that you have reached the natural limits of volume, and is telling you to back it down a bit.

i used to get a bit scared about that ringing too and since then i've considerably lowered my volume of listening not just because i want to protect my ears but bc im being more social and talking to more people lately so i keep the volume at a ..palpable(right word use?) amount.
 
 

 

[pyramid6]

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hmm maybe invest in a stepped digital volume controler amp...for example E17 it has 60 steps in 0dB and a volume limiter.
 
 

I've tried an amp with one, still thought it was too loud.  I'm hoping to limit the volume upstream with a new DAC.  I hope to get it next week.

 

[bowei006]

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I've tried an amp with one, still thought it was too loud.  I'm hoping to limit the volume upstream with a new DAC.  I hope to get it next week.

what DAC? 

 

[GL1TCH3D]

I'm had ringing in my ears for over a year now... I had one or 2 ear infections as a child and had swimmers ear where my ear would hold in moisture... I was partially deaf for 2 days and ever since then I've had ringing.

 

[bowei006]

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I'm had ringing in my ears for over a year now... I had one or 2 ear infections as a child and had swimmers ear where my ear would hold in moisture... I was partially deaf for 2 days and ever since then I've had ringing.

and this(head fi'ing) is still your hobby..wow i give you props man
 
 

 

[catscratch]

Tinnitus is caused by many things.  Stress, teeth grinding, teeth clenching, infections, etc.  I have tinnitus because I clench my teeth when I sleep.  Even with a rubber night guard, it still won't go away completely.  But, at least it is minimized so I can forget about most of the time and I only hear it when I think about it and really concentrate to hear it.

This. There are lots of causes for tinnitus, and some degree of tinnitus is present in a fairly large percentage of the population. It's very common to not ever be aware of the fact that you have some peripheral tinnitus, then read about it online, realize you have it, and panic.

I would get a simple decibel meter (even a decibel meter app for a smartphone will do in a pinch) and get a rough estimate for what your listening volumes are. Then use the guidelines for safe sound levels to see whether or not you're at risk for long-term hearing damage. Also some good earplugs - Etymotic ER20 for instance - will provide a far more linear volume attenuation than normal cheap foam earplugs, and at concerts they generally are a good idea.

I've had tinnitus for years but I also have had issues with hypertension and tinnitus is linked to that. I can hear up to 19khz which is pretty good for someone my age. I can't say that I listen quietly, but my listening is well within acceptable safety parameters.

 

[GL1TCH3D]

and this(head fi'ing) is still your hobby..wow i give you props man
 
 

The swimmers ear has been slowly getting better (less moisture seems to be retained) and I realized how loud I was listening to music before (about 2/3 of the max volume on my iphone straight to the P5s) and now only listen at about 33-50% of max volume from any portable headphones (usually 32 ohms of impedance) depending on listening conditions (slightly more background noise I'll turn it up a bit more, such as on the bus, in a quite room or library, 33-40% is fine)

 

[bowei006]

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The swimmers ear has been slowly getting better (less moisture seems to be retained) and I realized how loud I was listening to music before (about 2/3 of the max volume on my iphone straight to the P5s) and now only listen at about 33-50% of max volume from any portable headphones (usually 32 ohms of impedance) depending on listening conditions (slightly more background noise I'll turn it up a bit more, such as on the bus, in a quite room or library, 33-40% is fine)

i don't own P5's so i don't know how loud that is :/ but it's great that you have been taking care

 

[GL1TCH3D]

i don't own P5's so i don't know how loud that is :/ but it's great that you have been taking care

Thank you =)
I just tested with a quick SPL meter app on my iphone with my T5ps being driven to above my normal listening levels (quite a bit above) being at 75-80dB while my normal levels are around 60-65dB which I believe is well within acceptable levels. Obviously this wouldn't be as accurate as a real SPL meter but it gives me a rough estimate.
I've also only been to 2 concerts in my life (1 of them the sound levels were very reasonable, the other was just blasting and my ears were ringing a lot after...) which probably helps.

 

[pyramid6]

Quote:

what DAC? 

WDS-1.  From my understanding the volume control will not affect the quality of sound in any way.

 

[LizardKing1]

I can't explain how much the loudness in concerts annoys me. It's so excessive, it's like a pissing contest of "LAWL let's see how loud we can put this!!1!eleven". I can't even be close to the stage because I get physical pain from it. Instead of investing in more speakers so they can cover the entire concert field with normal levels, they just use the generic concert speakers and put the volume all the way up so that way in the back you get decent listening levels, and in the front where you're supposed to be in a concert you get a blasted eardrum.

Anyway, I thought I should post this. I've ordered these, plus the single flanges that fit "over 50 models" and the Monster single flange imitations. They should arrive this week and I was hoping to start a thread about tips around that time, since I've collected a few and they are a very cheap component that can make a huge difference. Check out that guy's store, his prices seem very good and he has pretty much any tip you might want. I posted this because sometimes people think Etymotics is a great way to get isolation, and it is, but it's not like they have the copyright to triple flanged tips.

 

[Taowolf51]

I've been wondering something for a little bit; is the db, or the "loudness sensation" more important? For example, would a full-size headphone and an IEM with the same "loudness sensation" both do the same amount of damage to the ear? Or would the full-size do more because it is technically outputting more pressure?

 

[sonitus mirus]

The sound pressure level is measured in decibels.  The sound source should not matter, if you hear an 80dB signal with your in-ear buds, over-the-ear headphones, or even home loudspeaks, the pressure should all be the same.
 
That said, having a quiet noise floor goes a long way.  In this regard, I would give the benefit to in-ear or sealed cans, as you would be able to remove the background noise and listen at a lower volume, since the more "delicate" sounds would not be masked.

 

[Mad Max]

 
Quote:

I can't explain how much the loudness in concerts annoys me. It's so excessive, it's like a pissing contest of "LAWL let's see how loud we can put this!!1!eleven". I can't even be close to the stage because I get physical pain from it. Instead of investing in more speakers so they can cover the entire concert field with normal levels, they just use the generic concert speakers and put the volume all the way up so that way in the back you get decent listening levels, and in the front where you're supposed to be in a concert you get a blasted eardrum.
...

 
Are you me?  lol
 
 
 
Quote:

...
Anyway, I thought I should post this. I've ordered these, plus the single flanges that fit "over 50 models" and the Monster single flange imitations. They should arrive this week and I was hoping to start a thread about tips around that time, since I've collected a few and they are a very cheap component that can make a huge difference. Check out that guy's store, his prices seem very good and he has pretty much any tip you might want. I posted this because sometimes people think Etymotics is a great way to get isolation, and it is, but it's not like they have the copyright to triple flanged tips.

I bought the standard size ER20 a long time ago but the stock blue triflanges were a tad too small.  I replaced them with spare Head-Direct biflanges and they work perfectly.  So that's another option in case that those don't work out for you (or anyone reading this post).
Awesome attenuation.
 
The higher attenuation in the treble frequencies is very helpful as I've often heard people set V-shaped EQ curves to their systems, and the treble is absurdly harsh and bursting with huge, razor-sharp frequency peaks, nevermind the flabby, monotonic bass.
 
Don't need them for live violin or cello concertos, at least.