[DGriff0400]

Hey All,
            Im doing a safety presentation at work and since i love music and equipment i decided to do it on music and safety. Im doing up my research on how music can affect safety and was hoping the experts at head-fi could point me in the right direction.
 
Aspects im interested in (staking suggestions of course)
  *Headphone listening levels, and whats a safe listening level
  *How hearing loss happens
  *Can unbalanced (too bright or too much bass) headphones contribute to hearing loss (expert opinion needed)
  *Can eq'ing your headphones help for a smoother and safer(less damaging) listening experience.
 
 
 
Any contributions or criticisms are welcomed
Thank you

 

[EthanWiner]

You're off to a good start. Another "safety" issue is not being able to hear signs of danger when your ear buds are blasting. For example, when working in a factory, or crossing a street on foot, or not hearing a police or fire siren while driving. This is different from ear damage, but it's safety related!
 
--Ethan

 

[xnor]

Google noise exposure.
 
http://www.osha.gov/pls/oshaweb/owadisp.show_document?p_table=standards&p_id=9735
https://osha.europa.eu/en/topics/noise

 

[streetdragon]

85 db is generally regarded as the limit of safe level of listening, a suitable way to test the levels imo is to stick the mic end of the spl meter into the earcup and seal off the gaps as much as possible with your palm.
also high frequencies have more energy than low frequencies of the same amplitude due to oscillating more times in a given period of time (hence a higher frequency and pitch)

just a thought or 2 from me

 

[jaddie]

Quote:

85 db is generally regarded as the limit of safe level of listening, a suitable way to test the levels imo is to stick the mic end of the spl meter into the earcup and seal off the gaps as much as possible with your palm.
also high frequencies have more energy than low frequencies of the same amplitude due to oscillating more times in a given period of time (hence a higher frequency and pitch)

just a thought or 2 from me

That's actually an interesting idea.  You could make a baffle that fits around the mic, like a disc with a mic hole in it, and provides a surface onto which the earcup would seal.  No good for response measurements, and the mic to driver distance might through things off significantly, but you'd have at least some idea.  
 
The other way is the calculated method, measure the voltage across the driver, and back into SPL using published specs.  Probably the only way to do an IEM without a simulated ear.

 

[BillsonChang007]

Heya! 
 
Here's how I take care of my ears:
-NEVER, EVER listen music longer than 1 hour a day. Every Thursday and 24th of a month, it's a no headphone day for me. Unless I am a visiting headphone shops but usually, the day after it, I will stop myself from listening music through headphones.
 
-Volume limit, not more than 10% of the maximum volume in my MP3 Player for my IEM. Anything more than that, I will give up listening specially while on the plane, I never listen.
 
-Washing my eartips every week to my ears away from bacterias. Also, cleaning my ears. Sometimes, I skip listening music at this day.
 
-I never lent anyone of my IEM with my own eartips size on. 
 
-Never listen music while walking on the street. Don't even think about wearing it around your neck as this will trap dust. Listening music on the street can cause accident it happens everytimes on the news! 
 
-Don't touch my earphones with dirty hands! I don't want to wear bacterias or/and germs! 
 
-Using a clean dry cleaning cloth to clean my earphone housing. Keep it in the case provided whenever I am not using. Even at home so that it won't get exposed to dust.
 
-Never leave it in a car under the sunlight because I don't wanted my silicone eartips to burn and "chemical reaction" and stuff like that. 
 
-After le me lent anyone eartips, I don't wear it unless I clean it. 
 
-Never bring it for a jog. I did rather jog without music than taking the risk. I don't want my sweat to drop into the earphones driver and cause electric shock. <-possible? lol
 
Soo....errr, that's how I kind of protect my hearing safety. Might be too strict for a high school teenager, but HEY! I haven't get to try the Sennheiser HE90 xD

 

[Spyro]

If I am on a long road trip on interstate highways I can get sleepy which scares the crap out of me finding yourself dozing off.  Listening to IEM's and good music keeps me awake and focused for long periods.
 
I'm not recommending, just saying this is the case for me.  I would never do it around town or on crowded roads/streets.