[smeggy]

I have tinnitus in my left ear along with some high frequency hearing loss. The hearing loss has been there for a while and the tinnitus a little less time. I can't atribute this just to headphones though, I spent 8 years in the army and was a heavy vehicle mechanic for 12. I've also spent a lot of time in construction, all with very loud machinery and gunblasts etc. My ears have proven surprisingly resilient over the years considering what they've been put through.

Sadly all this abuse comes back to bite you in the ass soner or later.

 

[Aptmunich]

I never set the volume on my ipod any higher than 10-40% maximum when using my shure e2's.

i realise that everyone uses different programmes to encode and that'll make the songs vary in volume but i'd guess anything over 75% with shure phones on the ipod is gonna cause you problems sooner or later.


I like to play the 'limbo' game cause i'm so paranoid about my hearing (play in a rock band, strict earplug policy there!)

i see how low i can keep the ipod's volume and still enjoy the songs. Sometimes when i do crank it up somewhat it's quite revealing when i realise i can still hear everything at a volume setting half of the one i had been using.

Comeon people lets limbo!

 

[toaster]

Well, i just got back from the doctor.

My hearing is absolutely normal and there has been no damage done to my ears.

Phew.

Over the last few days i had a prolonged bout of tinnitus which finally started to subside yesterday. My minor hearing loss seems to have been just a "shock" to my hearing. After musical abstinence for a few days and lowered listening levels with the e3's on my bus ride home, my hearing seems to have nearly fully returned. I believe that the doctor's words also added an element of psychological aid on my road to recovery.

I have learned a great lesson here and I will from now on use the technique some have mentioned of starting the music low and then gradually raising it progressively, as opposed to turning my ipod on at full volume.

The E3c's are for sale as stated at 135 shipped and i look forward to a future of enjoyable headphone listening with my hearing fully intact. Safe listening fellow headfiers.

 

[smeggy]

I guess there are only a few of us here who like to enjoy our music at somewhat realistic sound levels. A lot of music can be played at lower volumes without significant impact on the feeling of the music. Unfortunately, much in the rock and metal world (my faves) the music just loses so much of what makes it rock in the first place. Rock is meant to be loud and energetic and you just can't pull that off at low volumes.

I doubt I'll ever be able to quell my metal madness despite the dangers. I thought by the time I reached 40 I'd have modified my tastes to a somewhat more genteel form of musical entertainment... BEEEP!! Wrong. 45 and still crazy. I've been a rock fan since 1969 when I got my first tastes of Led Zep and all the others of the day.

I just have to face it that I'm still gonna be rocking into the grave, ears whistling and a big cheezy grin on my face.