[atx]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Skylab /img/forum/go_quote.gif Note that this level is too loud! I check to ensure peaks are less than 80dbA. This will allow a lifetime of headphone listening.

This is REALLY misleading. The safest level is at conversational level, which is about 60-65 db. This is simple to do: Turn on the TV at conversational volume. Put on your headphone, and turn DOWN the music volume until you can hear the dialogues said on TV. If you put your headphones on and you can't hear people talking to you or the TV, then it is loud enough to cause some level of damage after prolonged use.

I'm very sensitive to hearing and I notice my high-frequency hearing diminish after listening to my SR225 for more than 30 minutes -- everything sounds duller. I limit my grado listening to < 20 min at a time.

If you don't want hearing-induced tinnitus, avoid headphones with boosted/pronounced high frequencies (e.g. ksc75, grado, etymotics, etc), or listen to them for VERY short periods at a time. Believe it or not, BOSE is your best friend!

-- virtually ALL of their headphones are rolled off at the high end to some point, and the bass is big enough so you can hear them at low volumes. Have a listen at the OE-- they have NO highs and you can listen to them for hours and hours on end.

 

[GreatDane]

Quote:

Originally Posted by atx /img/forum/go_quote.gif This is REALLY misleading. The safest level is at conversational level, which is about 60-65 db. This is simple to do: Turn on the TV at conversational volume. Put on your headphone, and turn DOWN the music volume until you can hear the dialogues said on TV. If you put your headphones on and you can't hear people talking to you or the TV, then it is loud enough to cause some level of damage after prolonged use.

I think it's fine to listen up to 80 dB for an average listening session. 60-65 dB isn't very loud at all. Your description above isn't very critical of loudness levels because depending on the cans used, this could vary quite a bit.

The best thing that I have learned is to check levels with a meter and train yourself to be able to approximate the SPL.

 

[Bob_McBob]

Quote:

Originally Posted by MiChael. /img/forum/go_quote.gif Anyway real men don't care, they play rock all their life on-stage over 110db and wait for the deafness, when the tinnitus stops at last...

Actually, that would most likely leave you with both severe hearing damage AND tinnitus. It's possible for completely deaf people to still have tinnitus, since it's not a physical sound.

As a general reply to this thread, PLEASE take care of your hearing. Hearing damage is one thing, and while annoying I think many people could cope. You can never get away from permanent tinnitus. I recently had a bout of loud tinnitus in my left ear that lasted a couple of weeks, and it finally seems to have mostly gone away, so I am writing from experience here. I still have no idea what caused my tinnitus, but I intend to use the SPL meter method in the future.

 

[jamato8]

I see and read so much of tinnitis and having had it from time to time I can understand the frustration. I have had tinnitis that would keep me awake. I had a gun go off by my right ear once that caused some damage but fortunately is is minor. The ringing was really bad once when I played Ragged Glory at concert levels with my Klipsch speakers, my ears inner ears were even in pain. Talk about dumb.

What is interesting is that using headphone, for me, can actually get rid of the ringing. Why I have no idea but thankful I am.

 

[Jokieman]

Sometimes I can be laying in bed or sitting in a totally quiet room (or a loud restaurant for that matter) and suddenly I'll just be hit with a wave of high pitched frequency that slowly fades out over a period of a few minutes. Combine this with the hissing I hear when in a totally quiet room, and then combine that with my inability to hear anything above 15khz and I'm pretty sure I have tinnitus.

 

[Bob_McBob]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jokieman /img/forum/go_quote.gif Sometimes I can be laying in bed or sitting in a totally quiet room (or a loud restaurant for that matter) and suddenly I'll just be hit with a wave of high pitched frequency that slowly fades out over a period of a few minutes. Combine this with the hissing I hear when in a totally quiet room, and then combine that with my inability to hear anything above 15khz and I'm pretty sure I have tinnitus.

Jokieman, you'd know if you had tinnitus. It's common to occasionally get a short burst of ringing in one ear (I have this and my doctor says I shouldn't worry), and many people will hear some sort of low level noise in a completely quiet room. For two weeks I had a high-pitched whine in my left ear that I could hear even in crowded areas. Your hissing may be tinnitus, as it can sound like many different things.

 

[Skylab]

Quote:

Originally Posted by atx /img/forum/go_quote.gif This is REALLY misleading. The safest level is at conversational level, which is about 60-65 db. This is simple to do: Turn on the TV at conversational volume. Put on your headphone, and turn DOWN the music volume until you can hear the dialogues said on TV. If you put your headphones on and you can't hear people talking to you or the TV, then it is loud enough to cause some level of damage after prolonged use.

There is NOTHING misleading about what I said. I said 80db PEAKS. This would mean much of the time you would be under 70db. This is completely safe. You should have read my post more carefully before accusing me of being misleading.

 

[photek]

reminds me when I had an inner ear infection. I had ringing in my ears that could probably be compared to tinntinus, I couldnt sleep and I was depressed about the whole thing, thank God for drugs that got rid of it lol. I do hope everybody has some kind of sound in their ears, tinntinus or not, I can hear it in the bathroom where its quiet, but it still doesnt sound like something exterior, but when I had the ear infection it sounded like someone was holding something next to my ear, the most similar sound I can think of is like the night vision goggle sound from Splinter Cell.

 

[rincewind]

I'm not commenting on previous posters because they don't say whether they did or didn't, but anyone who goes to a gig (of any music genre) without ear plugs is simply asking for trouble. Also, earplugs will usually filter out the harsh treble that most gigs I've been to have, and allow you to hear more of the mids/melodies. And at gigs you only need to feel the bass

 

[Jokieman]

Quote:

Originally Posted by rincewind /img/forum/go_quote.gif I'm not commenting on previous posters because they don't say whether they did or didn't, but anyone who goes to a gig (of any music genre) without ear plugs is simply asking for trouble. Also, earplugs will usually filter out the harsh treble that most gigs I've been to have, and allow you to hear more of the mids/melodies. And at gigs you only need to feel the bass

x2, it can get so bad in a concert that one time I became dizzy and had trouble standing. It was the high treble that did it to me. Since then I wear ear plugs usually. The sound even in a small club atmosphere can often be overwhelming. I've seen people have difficulty thinking because the music was so loud (they forget what they are going to say or just break off in the middle of talking and space out). And that was before they were drunk. hehehe.

 

[puiah11]

Quote:

Originally Posted by afobisme /img/forum/go_quote.gif is always there, it becomes much more present when i block out noise (ie: put my e4cs in and dont listen to music). i usually can't notice it when the sound is not blocked out. it's ALWAYS there. thing is, should i still be using my e4cs? i think i've always had tinntinus, and over the years, it's been relatively consistent (as in it hasn't gotten better or worse). what should i do?

My old piano teacher had this condition.

She said that wax therapy had been successful.

Also, you need to use earplugs if you work in high noise environments.

You should see an audiologist (ear DR.) or an ENT.

I would see someone who specializes in ear stuff.

 

[gates_2]

I believe I have had tinnitus for some time now, but it has been minor, until I got a bit congested last week. Now it is much more noticeable, even in a semi-noisy room. I'm praying that it will back off once i get completely cleared out.

I think my flute playing did it for me. I've played for 9 years now, and only this summer realized that i have a temporary "muffled" hearing out of my ears after a practice session. I picked up some etmyotic er-20's, but....

My problem is, with flute playing(at the collegiate level, anyways) it is really important to be able to hear the most intimate details of the tone you are producing. The ER-20's cut this all out, and even after a focused 30 min. warmup, I get a very airy-jazzy flute sound, NOT what I'm after at all. Thus, I'm kind of upset.

I think I'll schedule an appointment with an audiologist this week, have my hearing tested, and get impressions done for the sensaphonic musician's earplugs(5db noise reduction)- I'm hoping these are better than the ety's.

Anyone have any experience?