Finally Bought Noise Cancelling Headphones, Can I Go Back to the Cinema Now?

Before getting tinnitus I was always someone who loved going to the cinema and ever since I got tinnitus (over 2 and a half years ago) I’ve been too scared to go back as I know they can often be around 100-110 dB!

I have now purchased some noise cancelling headphones that are NRR 28.

Do you guys think it would be safe for me to go back to the cinema now?

 

It doesn't matter if you use the best hearing protection in the world. If external sound is loud enough, it will pass through your head/skull and be transferred to your inner ear by bone condition. This can spike your tinnitus and could make it progressively worse. Loud sounds and tinnitus do not go well together so I advise you to be careful. I also advise you not to play audio through any type of headphone including noise cancelling even at low volume, as this can make your tinnitus worse. People who's tinnitus was originally caused by exposure to loud noise are most at risk. Please read the post below written by an Audio Engineer who is a member of this forum.

Michael


@Bill Weir

Hi!

I'm an audio engineer and now have T. I hate to have to tell you this but there are no earplugs that can protect you in the typical nightclub environment. The best protection will only lower the Sound Pressure Level (SPL) by about 30 db. Assuming the sound is typical, it's going to hover around 105 db A when measured using long term averaging, slow response on a meter. This means there will be peaks well in excess of 120 db"A" weighted. Weighting the scales of measurement on the sound meter gives more accurate readings. "A" weighting approximates what your eardrum is sensitive to... meaning sound with the deep bass filtered out. "C" weighting includes the bass and is generally 15-30 db higher than an "A" reading.

So, 105 db A (typical nightclub or major concert translates into 130 db "C" or more including the bass. How long do people generally stay in the average nightclub? Too long! 4 hour stay is average. A concert is generally 2.5 hours. Many people will stay in the club all night until they are "OK" to drive and be back in public LMAO. The drugs people do screws up their judgement and desensitizes them to physical sensation and people damage themselves without realizing it.

Sound levels pretty much everywhere are TOO loud IMO. Instead of the industry standard 105 db A (Live Nation SPL cap) I like to keep it at 96-98 for people. Why so loud? Above 96 db the fight or flight response begins to kick in and you get that rush of excitement you get at a concert. It's a lot of what people pay for. Deep bass goes in through bone transconductance. You don't "hear" it with your eardrum you feel it This is how it is possible to have bass with headphones. If this transconductance did not occur, the long wavelengths that make bass would not have enough distance to unfold when using headphones. So, earplugs DO NOT protect you from low frequency damage. Not even a little bit.

So, on the one hand, you're going to have 100db + peaks getting through your earplugs in the range above 100 Hz (low note on a 4 string bass guitar is 41.7 Hz) and the bass below will pressurize your cochlea like nothing is even there, straight through the bone. Some of the subwoofer arrays I have installed in places must have security grating around them to keep people from getting within ten feet of the subwoofer array because the array produces well over 150 db down at 35Hz at 1 meter distance and would make them nauseous or in some extreme cases even worse than that.

I can say this definitively from direct personal and professional experience. If you value your hearing and do not want your tinnitus to increase, avoid these places or if you must go limit your exposure considerably.

 

I use noise cancellation headphones in loud situations.

 

I go the cinema with pro plugs in.
If you do decide to go them maybe cut the trailers out ask the cinema about the sound exposures for that film.

love glynis

 

I don't know what level they crank up the sound in American cinemas, but I've never found them particularly loud or unpleasant since I saw Air Force One in 1997, which I kid thee not, was essentially presented in glorious Deaf-A-Rama.

I saw The Predator last week with no hearing protection. It was my first movie since my acoustic trauma in June, and it didn't affect me whatsoever. It makes me wonder whether Australian cinemas aren't as loud as their US counterparts. I'll have to check if some safety regulation was imposed locally to cover for potential damages. I know they can be a bit more laissez faire in the US about these sorts of things.

 

Thanks everyone for the replies! There are some small cinemas near me that i think I would go to, and I think I will go to a quieter film like comedy or romance first of all, haha. I have been to bars and such that have been far too loud and just left, so if I find that with the cinema I’ll just leave and know I gave it a go.

 

Cinemas are not that loud (in the U.K.). 110db is a rock concert and cinemas don’t get anywhere near to this level.

All you need are some filtered earplugs; ideally custom molded ones because you can’t beat them for clarity. If the movie is a drama you might not need anything.

I’m a huge movie buff and have seen hundreds of films at the cinema. I used to go every week for years. After my T became a problem I measured the SPL in various cinemas using a sound meter so I could get some real data on how loud they actually are. The results after visiting many cinemas and films (non-IMAX) showed dialogue scenes ranging in the 60’s, with the odd peak here or there into the 70 range, and action scenes having spikes into the 80’s, and very very rarely the occasional blip into the low 90’s (only saw this a handful of times over various movies).

The result? The Leq would likely be under 80db. In a drama it definitely would be.

With that said, I’m extra cautious nowadays so I wear my 10db reduction ACS filters to take the edge off any loud parts. However, I see no purpose or reason to use noise cancelling headphones as they are not designed for the variations in sound like a movie has. They are designed to eliminate background noise like the hum of a plane. Also, you want to actually hear the movie! If you have too much protection you will strain to hear what people are saying and will sit listening to your tinnitus for an hour and half!

 

My last cinema experience was a total disaster lol

I am truly neurotic and I ended up forcing my maid to go into the theater and stream it for me over her phone while i sit outside and watch it on my tablet LOL

Next time I'll just use my plugs.

 

I have noise-cancelling headphones that I hadn't used in over a year. A month or two ago I used them while running making sure I kept the volume low. For a week after my good ear spiked like it's never done before. Needless to say I haven't used them since.

 

I bring both earplugs AND over-ear protection, and will wear one or both as needed.

But honestly, your best bet is to find a theater that's typically not as loud as others, and still bring and wear earplugs.

It's worth having a little muffly hearing that risking more damage.

I also have SPLnFFT on my iPhone for measuring dB, and will check dB in the theater.
Don't be worried about what other people think if you walk out of the movie to protect your hearing.
Just go get a coffee or something while other people finish.

 

They should just have subtitles in theaters already.