[pitakai]

I've used iem(sony ex71,creative ep630,phillips 9500) for over a year. by listening about 3-4 hours a day in low volume(around 10-15 level in my iaudio x5 mp3).I noticed that I've got mild tinnitus in quiet room,especially when i put my iem on without connecting to mp3 player.after that, i tried to change to clip-on headphones and closed-cans. about 2weeks ,the tinnitus is better to unnotice level only in very very quiet room.so,in my curiosity,i tried the iem on again ,the tinnitus came after 10 min. i tried for 3-4 times ,the result were the same so in my case ,can i assume that the iem cause tinnitus? or this happens only to me.Does anyone feel like me?

 

[Wmcmanus]

The IEM's themselves don't cause tinnitus, but the sound pressure that you're exposing your ears to. It's really pretty simple, and although there are tons of Head-Fi threads on the subject, the key is to turn down the volume. It's a function of 2 main things (and all sorts of less significant factors): how loud you listen, and for how long you listen. If you average 3-4 hours per day of IEM use, that's pretty significant. Turn the volume down a bit and see what the results are in terms of the ringing sensation.

BTW, if you really want to test my theory that volume level and length of time you're exposed to high SPL music are the key factors (not that I would recommend this test AT ALL), just crank it up as loud as it goes, put your IEMs in for about 10 minutes, and then turn off the music. Trust me, you'll hear some serious ringing! But don't do that to yourself. Remember that hearing damage, however mild or severe, is permanent.

 

[pitakai]

thanks for your comment.but as i said,i'm very careful about volume, i always listen in whisper level but can notice the tinnitus even putting iem on without connecting to player,maybe the silence of iem cause it? from what i've read ,loudness cause tinnitus.

 

[Inkmo]

hmm. 15 on an iaudio player is not very loud at all (well, at least that is so with my U2). I usually play my IEMs at 18 or so and my kosses at 22.

Maybe having them in is just irritating to you? There are a lot of nerves running through that one skull-hole (what is it, the acoustic meatus?) and cross talk can happen. that's how come tinnitus is a TMJ symptom. Or that's at least a really simplified explanation of what the ENT and audiologist I see told me. Anyways, that's one guess. It may also be that the IEMs seal you off and give you a little alone time with your head noise, and otherwise you don't think about it? I know that I never cared about or was able to hear tinnitus until I learned that I should be worried about it - a change that drastically reduced my volume and I think quality of life

Maybe you should start your player at 0 volume and turn it up with the IEMs until it's comfortable, instead of turning it down from a volume that you know to be too high. Or you could just put the IEMs in for a few hours some day without playing anything and see whether your symptoms return with just the IEM but no music...

 

[mirumu]

Quote:

Originally Posted by pitakai maybe the silence of iem cause it?

Maybe the silence of an IEM makes it easier to notice. One thing I've found with IEMs is that when you take them out the noise of the world outside can be quite loud.

 

[Wmcmanus]

If you've been careful with the volume, then I'd say don't worry about it. Obviously, if you have major ringing in your ears pretty much all of the time, you might want to get a qualified medical opinion. See an audiologist perhaps.

I get a very slight ringing whenever a CD that I'm playing a bit too loud finishes. But it only lasts for a couple of minutes, and it wouldn't even be noticable if I hadn't trained myself to listen for it over the years. It's not like I'm saying, "What?!?!? I can't hear you!!!!"

When I go out to clubs where the SPL's are upwards of 110 (and constantly at that) I always wear my Etymotics ER-20's. You should get a pair (they're only about $10) and use them whenever you're exposed to high SPL's for whatever reason. They attenutate the volume level by 20 dB, pretty much flat across all frequencies, so you hear exactly what everyone else is hearing, only not as loud. At about 90 dB, the music at the clubs sounds just about right to me.

 

[pitakai]

so,in my situation the best headphones for me should be earcups type, am i right? please suggest one that is best in low volume listening,thanks for all your suggestion.

 

[Wmcmanus]

I guess what I'm trying to say is that it really doesn't matter which type of headphone/earphone/IEM that you listen to so long as you're careful with your volume level, which aparently you are. So what you have now should work fine. In other words, there is no reason to believe that IEM's are inherently worse (in terms of the potential hearing problems that they may contribute toward) than any other kind of headphones available, or for that matter, speakers, lawnmowers, jet engines, or anything else that your encounter in your daily life that exposes your ears to high SPL's.

With IEM's there is the added risk that you may not perceive the sound to be as loud as it really is. Something about the way IEM's fire the music directly into your ear canal tends to give the listener an intoxicating type of effect. You're like, "Dang, that sounds good... let me turn it up!" not realizing that it's already pretty loud. Other headphones can have this effect on your thinking as well, but tend not to do so as dramatically, and this same psychological tendency is even less pronounced with speakers (or at least in my experience). In other words, with speakers, I get the sense of "Dang, that's too LOUD!" rather than "Dang, that sounds good!"

So I think just having an awareness of this issue is a great starting point, but don't think IEM = BAD in terms of tinnitus. LOUD = BAD, and you don't need IEM's to achieve loudness.

 

[poonpower]

whats tinnitus?

 

[Audiofiler]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wmcmanus You should get a pair (they're only about $10) and use them whenever you're exposed to high SPL's for whatever reason. .

XII

These are terrific for concerts, boating, X-Games, Nascar races, Amusement Parks, and night clubs...
highly recommended

 

[jschwetz]

Quote:

Originally Posted by poonpower whats tinnitus?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tinnitus

 

[monkeymadness]

Have your hearing tested while your at it.

 

[IPodPJ]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wmcmanus I guess what I'm trying to say is that it really doesn't matter which type of headphone/earphone/IEM that you listen to so long as you're careful with your volume level, which aparently you are.

I totally disagree, except to your point about volume level. Different types of IEMs make all the difference in the world. I've warned people (Apple actually removed it from their website for fear people would get scared) that the Apple In-Ear Phone caused major ringing in my ears at normal volume.
They were excessively high pitched and had tons of bass, and absolutely no midrange or so it seemed. After using them for only 30 minutes, I would have ringing in my ears for hours.

With my Shure e2c, and especially my Super.Fi 5 pro, I haven't had a ringing problem in the ears EVER! The better quality the IEM diaphragm or armature, the less damage I believe it will do to your ears, and this is based on first-hand experience.

So not that any of you audiophiles would ever buy a cheap pair of $40 Apple In-Ear Phones, but for those of you who might, DON'T!!!! TAKE MY CAUTION STRONGLY ON THIS ONE, PLEASE!!!!!!!! YOU WILL REGRET IT!!!!
I love my iPod (although I wish it had a better amp, custom EQ, balance control, etc.) but I will, until the day I die, tell everyone I see in an Apple Store to avoid the Apple In-Ear phones at all costs!!!

PJ

 

[Geoff Rymer]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Audiofiler XII These are terrific for concerts, boating, X-Games, Nascar races, Amusement Parks, and night clubs... highly recommended

X3. When I first used these (at a Prodigy gig) I couldn't believe how well they worked- that is to say reducing volume at an almost flat rate across the frequency range. The gig still sounded awesome, not muffled as I was expecting. I still had some ringing in my ears due to permanent damage in my late teens from clubs (wish I'd known about these things then) but compared with my mates...well, they just seemed like they were shouting over their own ears for the rest of the night.

 

[li0n]

Eh, I'm on my a700s at reasonable volume levels for about ~5-6 hours a day. And on real bad days, (i.e assignments due //exams ) 5-6 hours turns to 10-12 . I don't hear any excessive ringing (over what i normally have).