Volume & Hearing Loss

[admin_exported]

Just read this article in the times: http://technology.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/tech_and_web/article6851339.ece#comment-have-your-say.

Apple's site has this article (http://www.apple.com/sound/) that explains the basic theory and suggests using the volume limiting function of your iPhone/iPod.

How can one determine how loud your device is with a given set of headphones so that you can make a sensible choice for the limit setting?

The RNID has this on-line hearing check so you can check to see if you have already done damage (http://www.rnid.org.uk/howwehelp/hearing_check/take_online_hearing_check/)

Would be a good topic for the main magazine this.

 

[carter]

could cause problems to people with very compressed files as thay often need to be turned up a little higher i think.

 

[idc]

Apart from Keith Moon damaging Pete Townshends hearing by packing too much explosive into a drum kit, I am not aware of any professional musicians who have gone deaf due to prolonged exposure to loud music. Its industrial noise that seems to be more of a problem. But maybe the Who at full blast 8 hours a day, 5 days a week would be different matter.

 

[Anonymous]

There is US medical guidance that children should not listen to a level above 85db for prolonged periods, in fact Griffen have headphones which limit to this level. I've used an iPhone app "decibel" to determine levels, I was a bit concerned that my new headphone amp was encouraging me to listen at unhealthy volumes, but 85db is pretty loud.

There is evidence from it in the construction industry, compressor let off (a piercing shriek) is particularly bad for it, my Dad has some hearing loss from when he worked as a civil engineer.

 

[ElectroMan]

Pardon?

 

[Anonymous]

john illsley too and http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2008/jun/01/health.musicnews and roger daltrey eric clapton mic fleetwood phil collins ted nugent jeff beck bono

so there is a link between playing loud music and going deaf

 

[Tom Moreno]

idc:Apart from Keith Moon damaging Pete Townshends hearing by packing too much explosive into a drum kit, I am not aware of any professional musicians who have gone deaf due to prolonged exposure to loud music. Its industrial noise that seems to be more of a problem. But maybe the Who at full blast 8 hours a day, 5 days a week would be different matter.

I think you'll find that many musicians have an above normal degree of hearing loss. This is lessening these days as almost all performers that get to play large venues are now using in-ear monitors that double as ear plugs. Many musicians from back in the day are nearly deaf.

 

[Anonymous]

Thank you all for your replies. Since my original post, I've managed to locate the original research material on which the EU recommendations are based. The full scientific version is here and the layman's version here. It contains references to research on deafness in musicians for those in any doubt.

Both of my parents have significant hearing impairment that spoils their lives. I'm also a musician so I confess to being slightly paranoid about hearing loss. Learning that listening too loud (>89dB) for just 5 hours per week can cause permanent hearing loss after 5 years alarms me and motivates me to take precautions.

I don't have the artificial ears and noise meters that these scientists used to measure the loudness of an MP3 player. I have no way to know how loud my iPhone is or determine how the volume limit slider affects the loudness.

zzgavin, thanks for the info on decibel, I will check it out.

 

[Anonymous]

In case it helps anyone else reading this ...

Using Decibel it's interesting to hear what 80dB sounds like from your lounge speakers. Quiter than I imagined.

Found this website that gives specific advice on iPod volume limit.

http://www.generationdeaf.com/index.html

Based on research by these people: http://www.hearingconservation.org/docs/virtualPressRoom/portnuff.htm.

In a nutshell, set the volume limit on your iPod/iPhone to 60-70% and don't adjust it to compensate for ambient environmental noise unless you really watch the clock.