[Andrew Jones]

I had a hearing test recently and the audiologist concluded that my hearing was well within the expected range for someone of my age (47), which was reassuring. After discussing my listening habits with the audiologist, I'm now relaxed about listening for any length of time (but it's usually less than 2 hours), so long as I keep the peaks within the 70 - 75 dB range. However, I do have slight tinnitus, no idea what caused it, I don't think it's generally getting worse, but some days it's worse than others - I'm beginning to suspect that alcohol is one factor for the "worse" days. The best thing for dealing with the tinnitus is background noise, sadly I need complete quiet to sleep!

 

[dallan]

Quote:

Originally Posted by chinesekiwi /img/forum/go_quote.gif Go to Radioshack. Buy dB meter. Play at your normal listening volume. Put dB meter as close to the cups as possible. Anything above 90 dB = concerns.

Just what i need, another $50. meter. If i buy another meter i won't be able to afford the headphones i want to test. I have so many different meters in storage and with tools that you use once or twice and thats it that it makes me sick. The only one i use more often is the multimeter.

 

[charliex]

I'm turnin' 58 this year - 16 in Summer of Love, 18 at Woodstock - lots of concerts, parties, speakers, headphones over the decades - and, yes there must be some damage done. I get my ears flushed twice a year, and have noticed moderate tinnitus when I go nuts for too long on the cans....but, hey some music MUST be played loud, and the louder, the more enjoyable (listenin' to some Atomic Rooster as I write this). My perspective changes with time and temperament - life's too short, enjoy it while you're here and if that means loud music to calm the stresses of everyday livin, then so be it. I'll probably regret this someday soon, but will just have to turn up the volume to compensate ...

 

[Relinquished]

I once screwed my ears for some time using a linear pot which had a sharp increase in the volume at the end.The headphones could be heard a few metres away.Imagine the pain.I was shivering for 5 hours straight even when i was sleeping .

Now i am okay.Luckily.

I guess i should get some IEMs for concerts so i dont get blasted.Hate those girls shouting so loudly.

 

[mbd2884]

When I started looking for new headphones after my Denon AHD500 broke, I found this forum. And at that time, there were a lot of threads about safe volume listening and affects of long listening sessions with headphones.

Since then I have been very conscious of how loud my music is.

I think everyone here is willing to spend hundreds, many others thousands because we do listen to music in long sessions and are aware of what kind of damage our ears take. We are able to hear all the details of our music safely without having to crank the volume

So not only do we enjoy high quality sounding music, but it allows us to listen to our music at safe volumes also.

 

[Relinquished]

im a bassfreak.with my fiio in box finding mission,it is currently naked and i find myself turning volumes to the highs to get the bass.

oh man i want my fiio back in action quick.I love it compared to those high end amps.Lol.

 

[katzer1]

I used to practice the clarinet for hours a day for 10 years. Played in orchestra's and bands. Not a problem.
I didn't turn pro, got into software instead.
After a few years of no playing at all, I was comparing two headphones, got carried away.
My ears started to ring and I got sensitive to noise (was wearing ear protectors for a long time).
After a while it calmed down. But my ears still ring.
It gets worse with lack of sleep and coffee.


My zen approach to it (until there is a cure):
As long as I hear the ring, it means I am still alive.

 

[lucky]

Quote:

Originally Posted by katzer1 /img/forum/go_quote.gif My zen approach to it (until there is a cure): As long as I hear the ring, it means I am still alive.

That's the way.

 

[troymadison]

Ever since I got rid of my HD650s and Denon D2000s, my ears stopped ringing.

 

[katzer1]

Am I the only one who thinks this should be a sticky thread?

 

[8xOverMsOctober]

I have a moderate amount of tinnitus in each ear. It was caused from a range of factors including going to rock concerts w/o earplugs, being stupid when I was younger and blasted my walkman on the bus/at school, and using/being around loud equipment and machinery most of my life when I lived on a farm (this was the most damaging to my ears by far).

Most of the time the ringing gets automatically tuned out unless I'm really listening for it, or unless my heartrate/blood preasure goes way up - then it becomes very noticeable.

Since I got IEMs I generally don't go above 75db. I haven't noticed any added hearing damage caused by them.

 

[judgmentday]

I had a nice tube setup with the HD650. But after a while I could not hear my cell phone so I sold my whole setup. Now, I listen more to my tube home audio stereo and soon I'm getting a tube setup for my computer a Fatman amplifier and PSB alpha B1 bookshelf speakers.

 

[billybob_jcv]

Just as a previous poster mentioned, I think the one single event that caused me the most hearing damage was an afternoon of firing a .38 snubnose revolver without ear protection when I was about 16 years old. Stupid, stupid, stupid! My ears rang for 2-3 days after that. The second was an Aerosmith concert at the LA Forum - the acoustics were particularly awful that night in that giant tin can - and the next day my hearing was seriously muffled and took quite a while to clear. Ever since then I have worn earplugs at every concert. Ah - the indiscretions of youth...

 

[dallan]

For me it was Ted Nugent, he was way louder than when i heard Aerosmith, but i think Nugent was at the Forum and Aerosmith was at The Big A in Anaheim....Yuk.

Well i will be at the Forum for a concert in May but i don't think this one will turned it up to the db likes of Molly Hachett, Nugent, Blue Oyster Cult ect ect.

My ears rang after all of those. Even after Zepplin and Tull.

 

[oqvist]

Well I noticed it lately.... Listening tons and with volumes that I think is conservative... Some hours use it´s definiatly fatiguing for the ears and the mild tinnitus I got is getting back a bit. It´s not that loud ring though like when you really listened to loud.

As for db meter I didn´t find any on radio shack and the ones I found in Sweden was 200$ for some USB db metres

any specific brand I can google?