Deafness, tinnitus and the invisible toll of loud music

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I agree. The objective of this thread it to spread awareness about hearing safety. We are talking about what is safe level based on solid empirical evidence from large number of trials. We want people to know about the potential harm to our ears. This is not about any individual’s listening preferences/ abilities or equipment being used. We would ideally want opinions or thoughts that add value to the topic.
 
Decadent_Spectre said:
Because I'd rather people's responses are based on the contents of my post and not my equipment.
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It is actually the other way around.
It is the contents of your initial post that created interest in understanding the equipment you are using.
Of course it is your prerogative to or not to disclose the same.
 
firearm12 said:
I think everyone should be careful in not reading those posts. Those dont any value to thread or in general, ironically they seem to suggest that 120db is very normal listening level for any person and anyone following that could lead himself to serious ear damage.
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You are again assuming that they "suggest".

Kannan said:
It is actually the other way around.
It is the contents of your initial post that created interest in understanding the equipment you are using.
Of course it is your prerogative to or not to disclose the same.
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I understand that.
 
We can accept that one person in this conversation is consistently listening at very high levels of @130db with no apparent damage to his hearing miraculously and, he doesn’t wish to divulge details of his audio set up,….and move back to the topic ?
 
Analogous said:
We can accept that one person in this conversation is consistently listening at very high levels of @130db with no apparent damage to his hearing miraculously and, he doesn’t wish to divulge details of his audio set up,….and move back to the topic ?
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Yeah correct. Reminds me of ripley's believe it or not. Remember seeing some people that defy science. 100 dB is loud and 130db is harmful for ears with one exception in our case
 
firearm12 said:
I think everyone should be careful in not reading those posts. Those dont any value to thread or in general, ironically they seem to suggest that 120db is very normal listening level for any person and anyone following that could lead himself to serious ear damage.
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Right... Very misleading..
 
I am not sure how you guys conclude SPL level. Most mobile phone apps based. SPL meters are not calibrated and measuring by that would be misleading unless you calibrate that with a standard SPL meter. I think that could be the case with DS but I don't know for sure.

In my case I listen at an average level around 70 dB and have no hearing loss as of now nor tinnitus. But my wife finds even 70 dB to be too loud for her and then I reduce to around 65dB.

I can't even imagine how loud would be 130 dB.
 
Hari Iyer said:
I can't even imagine how loud would be 130 dB.
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Imagine severe pain, agonising pain, forcing you to immediately cover your ears on hearing this sound.

Military jet aircraft take-off with afterburner at 50 ft produce 130 dB). (Ground staff are required to wear ear protection).
 
Analogous said:
@prateekatasniya,
It may not be useful to pursue this logical approach in this case.
we have seen this pattern of behaviour before and wasted a lot of time. The last one was in a thread on climate change where the claim was about relocating to another galaxy!!! ….It was funny and entertaining fir a while, but ended by the mods closing the thread,

It goes like this: ….make an outrageous comment in a thread
Those following the thread feel outraged, provoked and reply, questioning the obvious lack of logic of the post.
He responds defiantly, refusing to share how he arrives at this conclusion, never admitting he could be mistaken, this continues for several pages……now he owns it….
Responding to his post feeds his need for attention and encourages him.
To be fair, we all exhibit a degree of attention seeking by participating in these discussions. But this is something else.
It’s possible he may not be aware of this pattern of behaviour in himself.

This is quite common in popular social media platforms and is often used to troll public figures to get their attention or for other nefarious purposes.

I love this satirical statement: “Never let logic come in the way of a argument “
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The two opinions are connected. Claiming to listen to 120db at home is sufficient to induce not just ear but brain damage as well.
 
I sit 8 ft from speakers. I installed sound meter app on phone and found that 70db is avg max i can go up to. At that level i can hear everything in the mix, anything above that seem too loud. In my case 60-70db seem most enjoyable sound.
 
I live in an apartment with average SPL of 55 dB because of traffic, ongoing construction on a neighbouring plot and fan noise. When watching movies, I need to hit 70 dB to be able to listen to dialogues. I wonder at what SPL do we watch movies in theaters. Well, I am going to watch Shang-Chi and the Legend of The Ten Rings in IMAX to find out.
 
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Music heard at moderate levels is music. Beyond a certain limit it is no longer remains as music even if it is by a famous artist, but unbearable noise.
 
Bloom@83 said:
The two opinions are connected. Claiming to listen to 120db at home is sufficient to induce not just ear but brain damage as well.
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Looks like you are pointing already their brain is damaged so the thread started is to make to fun on others and to check the others their brain is working properly :p :p :p :p :p
 
sumitkpandit said:
I live in an apartment with average SPL of 55 dB because of traffic, ongoing construction on a neighbouring plot and fan noise. When watching movies, I need to hit 70 dB to be able to listen to dialogues. I wonder at what SPL do we watch movies in theaters. Well, I am going to watch Shang-Chi and the Legend of The Ten Rings in IMAX to find out.
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Typically, 30 to 40db above ambient noise is a good level to keep. In movies, the SPL varies significantly. However, if it works well for you at 70db, then good for you. In the movie hall, it should be higher esp. with lower audience to absorb the sound.
 
one good thing about Covid is work from home and hence it has been nearly 1.5 yrs since I have used earphones .......previously I used to take breaks while listening to music on earphones ....since I did feel a certain discomfort at times .

On the Flip side on screen time (laptop - OTT) has increased and hence there is eye strain . Need to move away from this now .
 
Noise-induced hearing loss can result from a one-time exposure to a very loud sound, blast, or impulse,
or from listening to loud sounds over an extended period; Both loudness and length/time of exposure are factors.
Sound is measured in units called decibels. Sounds at or below 70 A-weighted decibels (dBA), even after long exposure, are unlikely to cause hearing loss. However, long or repeated exposure to sounds at or above 85 dBA can cause hearing loss. The louder the sound, the shorter the amount of time it takes for hearing loss to happen.

Here are the average decibel ratings of some familiar sounds:
  • Normal conversation- 60-70 dBA
  • Movie theater - 74-104 dBA
  • Kitchen appli
  • Music through headphones at maximum volume, sporting events, and concerts - 94-110 dBA
  • Sirens - 110-129 dBA
  • Fireworks show - 140-160 dBA
Your distance from the source of the sound and the length of time you are exposed to the sound are also important factors in protecting your hearing. A good rule of thumb is to avoid noises that are too loud, too close, or last too long.

Here is a link to a review from WHO that answers common or frequently asked questions on hearing loss due to recreational activities: https://www.who.int/pbd/deafness/Hearing_loss_due_to_recreational_exposure_to_loud_sounds.pdf
 
All the people following this thread have only one question. How he is able to listen to music at 130db. How did he measure the level and what equipment he has got. He doesn't seem to have any answer and also not even willing to answer. Guys this behaviour is very simple to understand because there is really no answer. He is just teasing and passing his time. There is really no need to value his posts.
 
Analogous said:
Here are the average decibel ratings of some familiar sounds:
  • Normal conversation- 60-70 dBA
  • Movie theater - 74-104 dBA
  • Kitchen appli
  • Music through headphones at maximum volume, sporting events, and concerts - 94-110 dBA
  • Sirens - 110-129 dBA
  • Fireworks show - 140-160 dBA
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+ Angry Wife - 200 dBA :p
 
So, I am not alone. I too have tinnitus, Audiogram suggests very mild hearing loss. It's really annoying, that persistent ringing in ear. My tinnitus is not due to audio exposure though, it's probable origin is chronic allergic cold I believe.

Has any treatment been effective against it? Allopathic or Ayurvedic or anything else?
 
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