[Laowai 2008]

Turned deaf at 6500-7000Hz on my right ear as a teenager due to blasting mp3's through a tower of loudspeakers...

It doesn't bother me at all, but will never listen to loud and distorted music again...

Going to the audiologist is recommended..

 

[Skylab]

I *strongly* recommend using an SPL meter to measure the levels that you listen to headphones at. An SPL meter is less than the cost of any of the gear we buy, about $40. It's worth every penny. Make sure to keep the peaks below 80dbA, and you can enjoy headphones as much as you like. The basic measurement methodology is best illustrated thusly:

 

[woopididi]

is this connected to the headphone?

 

[Cosmom3]

Quote:

Originally Posted by rocdoc /img/forum/go_quote.gif Another bit of geeky science to add to Cosmom's input: One interesting thing about the neural connections of the ear is that the number of sensory cells processing the info from the cochlea is extremely small. We are talking in the thousands range, which on the scale of neurologic systems is infinitesimal (compare with millions of retinal sensors for vision). We lose some in time automatically, and they do not regenerate. There is high frequency hearing loss with age in everyone (fancily dubbed presbyacusis, ie old folks hearing), but this is certainly accelerated by exposure to loud noise. Chronic exposure is the worst. The time of exposure that is safe depends on the level. At about 90dB you are probably OK for 8 hours a day. At 100 dB that goes down to only 2 hours. Short bursts can be dangerous too, but only above 120dB or so. The numbers above are those used by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration in the US. Low frequencies are relatively protected, for some reason most loss occurs around 4kHz like someone pointed out, and then the extreme highs, above ~15kHz. So bottom line is: reasonable levels are fine, if they mimic say the sound in a classical music concert hall. Note that when you are in a concert hall you can easily hear that annoying dude 3 rows back shuffling his candy wrapping, so if the music you listen to is loud enough to prevent hearing similar sounds, it might be too loud. Put another way, your lawn mower probably puts out about 90 dB, so if your headphones are as loud you should start counting hours of listening. Hope it helps.

Interesting information.

To bring up another point, does anyone know if DB levels are significantly raised in any hall of sorts. In other words, does playing music in a concert hall at a level of 90DB translate into a 110-120DB level based on the sound waves which have no escape.


Also, its nice to see that I'm not the only one interested in this matter. I think unless certain things are brought to our attention every once in a while we may just forget. (like me)

 

[LORD-eX-Bu]

maybe I should start wearing earplugs while on the tarmac..

 

[appophylite]

Quote:

Originally Posted by woopididi /img/forum/go_quote.gif is this connected to the headphone?

(With reference to the SPL meter) You plug your headphones into the source you are playing back from and set the source to the volume that you typically listen to. Set the SPL meter on and place it against the headphone driver, where your ear would be (as Skylab has shown in his picture above). The needle will read the dB rating for the audio signal coming from the driver, and you can lower the volume of the source until the dB reading comes down to a safe level. Once you have done this, you know the threshold for relatively safe listening for that particular pair of headphones.

 

[UseName]

Interesting information.

To bring up another point, does anyone know if DB levels are significantly raised in any hall of sorts. In other words, does playing music in a concert hall at a level of 90DB translate into a 110-120DB level based on the sound waves which have no escape.

It certainly does raise levels, and it can be significant, although I don't have exact figures. It would depend on the room. Sound waves are simular to water waves in a bathtub. If you make waves in a bathtub at a rythym such that they build upon each other, you will eventually have the wave overflow.

Sound waves can do the same thing, however, depending on the room and the wavelength, the sound can be cancelled or amplified. This is why different rooms have different acoustics.

 

[UseName]

Headphone sound level meter

I thought this was a cool set up.

 

[eruditass]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cosmom3 /img/forum/go_quote.gif Interesting information. To bring up another point, does anyone know if DB levels are significantly raised in any hall of sorts. In other words, does playing music in a concert hall at a level of 90DB translate into a 110-120DB level based on the sound waves which have no escape. Also, its nice to see that I'm not the only one interested in this matter. I think unless certain things are brought to our attention every once in a while we may just forget. (like me)

in short, no.

if you use a spl meter, it will take into account the additions and cancelations of the waves. if you're measuring up next to the instrument then yes, but you're not getting a real measurement for your ears anyway.

Quote:

Originally Posted by woopididi /img/forum/go_quote.gif Will regular sized headphones(over the ear, clip-ons etc) cause the same amount of hearing loss like IEMs? same/less/more?

at same spl, no. typical usage? logic says IEMs will be the least, because you listen at lower spl's, though higher spl's are possible.

 

[Exapno]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cosmom3 /img/forum/go_quote.gif As a 20 year old I'm starting to see the repercussions of my dare devil life style as a kid.

20..? You're still a kid as far as I'm concerned

 

[Lifter59]

Quote:

Originally Posted by UseName /img/forum/go_quote.gif I'm certainly concerned by the possibility of premature hearing loss, but it's my take that if you love something, you have to do it despite the risks. You just have to take precautions. Which would include getting hearing checked regularly, listening at reasonable volumes, and taking regular breaks. As audiophiles, I think we may be at slightly less risk than say the average listener who listens to pop music blasting. We take a lot of time getting our systems to sound balanced, and will typically have a better understanding of what sounds good. I should say I mean no offense to you if you listen to pop music, but that genre has been most effected by the loudness wars. Therefore, the typical demographic of listeners would appear to think that loud = better, at least that is what the record companies think.

When I went to the audiologist to get my molds done she asked me what brand of IEM I was buying. I told her they were UE's and she said that the key point for safety was to keep the volume down and watch for spikes in the music I was playing. She said there was a bigger risk for fatigue especially if the IEM's introduced any distortion or other anomalies. I fly a considerable amount and was playing music louder and louder to drown out the loud drone of airplane engines for long periods of time. I have found that not only do I use a much lower volume level than before, I have actually noticed some improvements in my hearing as well.

As always, common sense applies here - if you turn the volume up loud enough to vibrate your fillings, there will be issues. The key message is that louder music isn't better sounding music.

 

[Cosmom3]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Exapno /img/forum/go_quote.gif 20..? You're still a kid as far as I'm concerned

I hope for that to never change, life is far too great for it to be dulled down with experience and age.