[Tfug] speakers

[Tim Ottinger]

This is true.  Progression of badness:
  in one ear, one earbud dangling (dangerous)
  in ear
  on ear
  over ear with foam isolation padding
  speakers across the room

Sound bounces off your ears normally.  Earbuds go straight into the canal,
which is more dangerous. You want to diffuse it a bit.

Loud is always more dangerous than quiet, and the loss in hearing is
absolutely permanent.  It will not grow back later.  Sadly, your brain is
good at interpolating, so you lose accuracy in hearing before you notice
loss of sound and range.  By the time you notice, you may be permanently
damaged. If you play guitar (like I do) then you have to be extra careful.
You may need to use Hear-Os for stage.  I have already taken a little
damage.

In the case of leaving one earbud dangling, be sure to set the volume with
both on, and ignore the fact that it sounds half as loud with one out.
People who listen with one ear are finding about a 40% hearing loss in the
music-listening ear in just the space of a year or so.

If you

On 9/25/07, Jeffry Johnston <tfug at kidsquid.com> wrote:
>
> Careful, it's easy to mess up your hearing even faster with
> headphones.  The
> advice they give in the instructions is good: Set the volume to a
> comfortable level when you first start listening and then leave it
> there.  I
> also avoid using headphones in the car because there is noise and I end up
> turning it up louder than I should be.
>
> Jeff
>