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MP3 users hearing damage warning


Rob W
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MP3 users hearing damage warning

 

The surge in sales of iPods and other portable music players in recent years could mean many more people will develop hearing loss, experts fear. If the volume through headphones is too high, there is a real risk of permanent damage to hearing, they say. Sydney's National Acoustic Laboratories found a quarter of personal music system users in a random sample listened to music at dangerous volumes.

 

The Royal National Institute for Deaf people urged awareness of the risks. Millions now own MP3 players - Apple has sold more than 20 million iPods.

 

A recent study by the Royal National Institute for Deaf People (RNID) found 39% of 18 to 24-year-olds listened to personal music players for at least an hour every day and 42% admitted they thought they had the volume too high. The RNID regards 80 decibels as the level at which hearing is threatened - 20 less than a pneumatic drill.

 

Some MP3 players can reach 105 decibels. EU iPods have a sound limiter to comply with noise safety levels, however sometimes users hack through this in order to listen to it louder. The RNID said it was possible that any rise in popularity of personal music players might lead to more cases of hearing loss in the future.

 

Too loud

 

A spokesman said: "RNID has been concerned for some time that many people are turning up the volume on their personal stereos to levels that could create hearing loss in the long term. "This is precisely the case when attempting to drown out unpleasant noise from traffic and on the Tube."

 

 

Noise levels

A quiet room at night - 20 decibels

An ordinary spoken conversation - 60 decibels

A busy street - 70 decibels

A pneumatic drill - 100 decibels

Some personal music players (at high volume) - 105 decibels

Aircraft taking off - 110 decibels

 

Graham Frost, chairman of the British Society of Audiology, said the risk of damage increased with noise level and duration of use of personal music systems . He said it could take months or years for that become apparent to the individual. "Users are using them for longer periods because of the amount of material stored on them and because of convenience. If you use them for short periods and have breaks in between that is better than continuous use."

 

The first warning sign that volumes might be too high is a ringing or buzzing noise in the ears, says the RNID. It is a sign the sound was loud enough to damage your ears, if exposure became frequent.

Protective filters for in-ear headphones are available from many high street stores and regular breaks should be taken from listening to personal stereos.

 

Apple was unavailable for comment.

 

RNID has a campaign urging people to be aware of the risks so they can continue to enjoy music for longer.

 

Don't Lose the Music Campaign recommends:

 

* Take regular breaks from the dance floor in nightclubs and use club chill out areas to give ears a rest from loud music

* Stand away from loud speakers when in clubs or at gigs and concerts

* Wear ear plugs if regularly exposed to loud music, i.e. as a frequent clubber, DJ or musician

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Noise levels

A quiet room at night - 20 decibels

An ordinary spoken conversation - 60 decibels

A busy street - 70 decibels

A pneumatic drill - 100 decibels

Some personal music players (at high volume) - 105 decibels

Aircraft taking off - 110 decibels

14516[/snapback]

I love the level of scientific accuracy there. What's next? "Some personal music players (if you put them through huge fucking amplifiers) - 7 trillion decibels"?

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Noise levels

A quiet room at night - 20 decibels

An ordinary spoken conversation - 60 decibels

A busy street - 70 decibels

A pneumatic drill - 100 decibels

Some personal music players (at high volume) - 105 decibels

Aircraft taking off - 110 decibels

14516[/snapback]

I love the level of scientific accuracy there. What's next? "Some personal music players (if you put them through huge fucking amplifiers) - 7 trillion decibels"?

14528[/snapback]

 

Aye, and I refuse to believe there's only 5 decibels difference between listening to your iPod loud, and standing next to a fucking jet engine.

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The person can choose to listen to it a lower volume if they want to. I have stopped listen to my at full volume now as i started to notice it was effecting my hearing.

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The person can choose to listen to it a lower volume if they want to. I have stopped listen to my at full volume now as i started to notice it was effecting my hearing.

14539[/snapback]

And you look like a twat on the bus.

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people on buses who have there "personal" walkmans so loud they might as well have a ghetto blaster on their shoulder

 

pong-ghettoblaster.jpg

14542[/snapback]

 

 

also damages your shoulder............................

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people on buses who have there "personal" walkmans so loud they might as well have a ghetto blaster on their shoulder

 

pong-ghettoblaster.jpg

14542[/snapback]

 

What is that? Sign language for 'I'm a fucking retard'???

 

:blink:

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people on buses who have there "personal" walkmans so loud they might as well have a ghetto blaster on their shoulder

 

pong-ghettoblaster.jpg

14542[/snapback]

 

What is that? Sign language for 'I'm a fucking retard'???

 

:blink:

14634[/snapback]

What's Jade Goodey's lad doing with Gemmill?

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Noise levels

A quiet room at night - 20 decibels

An ordinary spoken conversation - 60 decibels

A busy street - 70 decibels

A pneumatic drill - 100 decibels

Some personal music players (at high volume) - 105 decibels

Aircraft taking off - 110 decibels

14516[/snapback]

I love the level of scientific accuracy there. What's next? "Some personal music players (if you put them through huge fucking amplifiers) - 7 trillion decibels"?

14528[/snapback]

 

Aye, and I refuse to believe there's only 5 decibels difference between listening to your iPod loud, and standing next to a fucking jet engine.

14535[/snapback]

 

It's a logarithmic scale though. Makes pefect sense.

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Noise levels

A quiet room at night - 20 decibels

An ordinary spoken conversation - 60 decibels

A busy street - 70 decibels

A pneumatic drill - 100 decibels

Some personal music players (at high volume) - 105 decibels

Aircraft taking off - 110 decibels

14516[/snapback]

I love the level of scientific accuracy there. What's next? "Some personal music players (if you put them through huge fucking amplifiers) - 7 trillion decibels"?

14528[/snapback]

 

Aye, and I refuse to believe there's only 5 decibels difference between listening to your iPod loud, and standing next to a fucking jet engine.

14535[/snapback]

 

It's a logarithmic scale though. Makes pefect sense.

14953[/snapback]

If you know what that means it does :blink:

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To be honest, I've noticed that my hearing is diminishing a bit. I used to think that the loudest setting on my Minidisc player was far to loud, now sometimes I don't think it's loud enough!

 

Too many festivals, probably...

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Problem is, listening with ear plugs directs all the sound straight into your ears. The human body quickly gets desensitized to sound, so to retain the effect of, say Franz Ferdinand, you have to turn the volume up. And up. Before you know it you hit the maximum.

 

Another problem is that most use hardly any batteries or rechargeable batteries. In the olden days, my walkman use was restricted by the cost of batteries! Not any more.

 

I just listen to my mp3 player when I'm walking, to take the edge off boredom. Probably about an hour a day, not too much I hope.

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people on buses who have there "personal" walkmans so loud they might as well have a ghetto blaster on their shoulder

 

pong-ghettoblaster.jpg

14542[/snapback]

 

What is that? Sign language for 'I'm a fucking retard'???

 

:blink:

14634[/snapback]

 

No, it's sign language for "I'm a lilly white ginger retard"

;)

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