[metaldood]

I bought the TripleFi 10 from Amazon deal last year and was using them for couple of weeks. I don't keep my ipod volume more than 30% on normal earphones/headphones. But as TF10 are IEM's with the same volume, I have developed minor tinnitus. If I try hard to hear that 'ringing' sound I can hear it esp in quiet room/ at night/ early morning.  I have sold my TF10's since this incident and use normal earbuds(sennheiser cx-300) sparingly.  I love music and have to listen with headphones/earphones only because of other people living with me.  I would like to know if buying and listening to closed cans like M50's, Shure will increase tinnitus. I don't listen to music anywhere else beside at home. So volume of my music has always been 30-35%.  I am 28 and do not want to lose my hearing, but at the same time enjoy my only hobby which is music. If that means not listening to music via headphones(also earbuds) I will do it. 
 
Thanks for reading.

 

[DaBomb77766]

I think you should definitely visit a doctor or audiologist about this.  That's not normal, people often listen a lot louder than that and don't develop tinnitus.
 
Myself, I've always had tinnitus...I usually only notice it when the background is very quiet though, but sometimes it gets pretty bad.  Still, it doesn't seem to be triggered by loud volumes, it's just always there.

 

[metaldood]

Thanks for your input. I developed this only because of IEM's as they were really "deep" in the ear. I have been listening to higher volume music with normal earbuds/ sennheiser HD202 for 5-6 years without any problems.
 
 
Do you use headphones even with tinnitus? 

 

[DaBomb77766]

Quote:

Thanks for your input. I developed this only because of IEM's as they were really "deep" in the ear. I have been listening to higher volume music with normal earbuds/ sennheiser HD202 for 5-6 years without any problems.
 
 
Do you use headphones even with tinnitus? 

Headphones don't seem to affect my tinnitus at all.  Only really, really dangerously loud sounds make it worse...like an explosion or someone turning their speakers up way, way too loud.
 
But I've never noticed any difference listening to IEMs.  From what I understand though, they may or may not be more dangerous to your hearing than normal headphones due to their design.  Not sure if there's much real research out there to back this up though.
 
Still, I think going to a doctor is your best bet.  They know this stuff better than I, or probably anyone else here does.

 

[Lazarus Short]

Hearing loss/damage is cumulative and irreversible (well, somewhat).  The whole trouble with headphones (well, some of them) is that they sound so good, it takes too long to realize that they are too loud.  I have all but given up headphones, and yes, I have tinnitus.  I am wearing hearing protectors as I type this, and rarely leave home without them.

 

[metaldood]

Quote:

Hearing loss/damage is cumulative and irreversible (well, somewhat).  The whole trouble with headphones (well, some of them) is that they sound so good, it takes too long to realize that they are too loud.  I have all but given up headphones, and yes, I have tinnitus.  I am wearing hearing protectors as I type this, and rarely leave home without them.

What are these hearing protectors? Have you gone to a doctor for your tinnitus? Is it very severe? Which headphones do you have now?

 

[Lazarus Short]

 
Quote:

What are these hearing protectors? Have you gone to a doctor for your tinnitus? Is it very severe? Which headphones do you have now?

I use the cheap kind that you roll up and compress, and they expand to fill the ear canals.  They can bost the S/N ratio of a car stereo considerably - possibly the cheapest and best car audio tweak out there.  I have no health coverage - no doctors.  It's not too bad, but I'm militant about protecting my hearing - Harleys and vacuum cleaners make me nervous.  Having sold my Stax steup, I now have Sennheiser 280pros, and Signet KT22's.  Both are more than good enough for my occasional use.
 

 

[metaldood]

Quote:

 


I use the cheap kind that you roll up and compress, and they expand to fill the ear canals.  They can bost the S/N ratio of a car stereo considerably - possibly the cheapest and best car audio tweak out there.  I have no health coverage - no doctors.  It's not too bad, but I'm militant about protecting my hearing - Harleys and vacuum cleaners make me nervous.  Having sold my Stax steup, I now have Sennheiser 280pros, and Signet KT22's.  Both are more than good enough for my occasional use.
 

Okay. I guess I have to get used to this and sparingly use earbuds or any headphones for that matter.

 

[metaldood]

Quote:

Headphones don't seem to affect my tinnitus at all.  Only really, really dangerously loud sounds make it worse...like an explosion or someone turning their speakers up way, way too loud.
 
But I've never noticed any difference listening to IEMs.  From what I understand though, they may or may not be more dangerous to your hearing than normal headphones due to their design.  Not sure if there's much real research out there to back this up though.
 
Still, I think going to a doctor is your best bet.  They know this stuff better than I, or probably anyone else here does.

 
So how about this idea?
 
Earplugs like
 
http://www.amazon.com/Etymotic-Research-ETYPlug-Protection-Earplugs/dp/B0044DEETC/ref=dp_cp_ob_e_title_1

+ Headphones like HD280 ?
 
So earplugs and then wear headphones at normal volume over them?
 
Would that help preventing further loss?
 
 

 

[DaBomb77766]

I dunno, I think it'd be better to just get headphones that are known to work well at low listening volumes and just use those.

 

[rymd]

It's incredibly unlikely that listening to headphones at reasonable volumes caused your tinnitus. You would need to listen at unbearable volumes all throughout those weeks ... there must be something else that caused your tinnitus. As long as you listen at reasonable volumes, no headphone should make tinnitus worse.

 

[Spareribs]

The bottom line is this:
 
Avoid headphones! Speakers rule.
 
OK, If you must, find a good headphone and use it wisely. In the end, speakers rule and are the king in audiophile land. Sorry headfiers.

 

[BASGTA]

When I went to see my doctor a few months ago about some tinnitus I was having he said it could be from a flu. In your case, listening only at really low levels shouldn't cause tinnitus, unless you're listening to them for a long time. I've read that even listening to something around 70db for an extended period of time can cause hearing damage.