Headphones — White Noise Generators and Tinnitus

Intrusive probably also covers when normal sounds meet the pitch of the tinnitus such that your own voice sounds like its tearing into your brain at normal speaking volume.

 

I’d like to share my experience. I have tinnitus and hyperacusis, bought a pair of good “audiophile” headphones (sennheiser hd660s) for my hifi system. Sadly I soon discovered that even at low volumes both my T and H got worse. Equalizing a bit was indeed helpful, cutting superhigh frequencies, but still painful. Had to stop.
Also proximity is REALLY influent to me. Listening at 50db at 1 meter and 50 db at 3 meters does A LOT of difference.

 

HI @Alessandro Rossi

I am very sorry to hear about your tinnitus and hyperacusis being aggravated by headphones. Many people in this forum know my stance on Headphone use and people with Noise induced tinnitus. I am an Audiophile too and used to listen to music a lot through HI-End headphones that eventually gave me tinnitus, because I was listening at too high a volume without realising it. That was 24 years ago and I have never used headphones since.

I now enjoy listen to my music in high quality though speakers. I do have good HI-FI system even if I say so myself and have gone to great lengths to obtain the best sound quality from it. Including having my listening room acoustically treated.

My advise to you is to stop using headphones even at low volume and preferably never use them again, as your tinnitus could permanently increase to a new level. However, it is your choice.

Please click on the link below and read the posts in the thread.

Take care and hope you start to feel better soon.
Michael

https://www.tinnitustalk.com/threads/why-advise-against-headphones.30632/page-3#post-512687

 

Thank you Michael, I’ve read alot of your posts and I can’t agree more. My T and H is indeed noise induced. I was a musician and played in several heavy metal bands from 18 to 32. Plus I was a regular goer of discos, pubs, gigs...everything started with a very soft tinnitus when I was 25. Of course I ignored it and kept all my musical activities. Had to stop playing at 32. Now at 37 I give vent to my musical needs with hifi, but some days are really tough. Lately I have to wear plugs for washing dishes or for vacuum cleaner, for going to cinemas etc. Will see a doctor next week (the first private, serious one hopefully, if this coronavirus permits).

but yes headphones are bad. Gigs even with plugs are bad. Not protecting your ears to the sounds that YOU feel painful is bad. I’m starting to learn, at my expenses!

 

HI @Alessandro Rossi

Your tinnitus and hyperacusis can improve but it will take time, so you need the proper treatment. Therefore, you need to see an Audiologist that specialises in the treatment for tinnitus and hyperacusis. Your auditory system is oversensitive to sound at the moment. The best way to treat this is by using White noise generators, but you should be under the care of an Audiologist that specialises in this treatment. As you have read some of my posts you will be familiar with what I've just advised. Seeing an ENT doctor is fine for tests on your auditory system but for treatment of your tinnitus and hyperacusis, you need to see an Audiologist that specialises in the treatment that I've described not and ENT doctor.

Best of luck
Michael

 

So does the no-headphone even at low volume rule apply only to music or to conversation audio as well?

Been offered a good job but it involves listening to translators through headphones for hours.