Can Very Low-Frequency Bass Be Damaging to Hearing without You Realizing It?

A couple of guys showed up to a garage gig, with 2 stacks of 4x12" subs and went on to play this very loud, very low bass noise. I really didn't feel like it was very loud but it totally gave me loudness hyperacusis and some tinnitus.

I think that low frequency noise like that is harder to know if it is dangerous.

We were given no warning or no earplugs. I'm pretty angry as these guys knew better and were completely careless to all the people that have no clue what kind of sound they're about to make.

 

Yeah, if you can feel the sound, it is dangerous. Subsonic thud is dangerous. It made my tinnitus worse, plus I got low frequency hypersensitivity and generalized sound hypersensitivity. I had some Bach prelude pipe organ, I didn't realize the loudness, and then my neighbor mods his truck to make the most noise possible... Had to buy a new house, lucky I even found a suitable one.

 

From what I've experienced, earplugs don't help reduce lower frequency bass sounds.

I've been a wedding DJ for 27 years, and when I put in my earplugs, they will block out the high frequency screeching of guests and music, but the bass sounds (especially from rap and hip-hop) still permeate my head. The throbbing sometimes actually sounds louder because there are no higher frequencies to balance them out.

I have a neighbor who occasionally blasts his bass-heavy music outdoors in the Summer. Most of the time, I can only hear the bass notes and not the actual music itself. And of course, I hear cars all the time with bass so heavy I'm surprised the car doesn't split in two.

 

I got tinnitus from bass 10 years ago. It got worse again 6 months ago from bass.

 

Did you get high or low frequency tinnitus from the bass?

 

Hearing loss in higher frequency, high pitched. I was listening to a song that had high pitches. The vibration of the bass may have damaged the hair cells, which may be thinner in the higher frequency.