Isn't It OK to Use Headphones Even at Low Volume?

@glynis,
Yes, and that's also true. You can't properly deliver any kind of acoustic stimulation such as NMT or ACRN without the use of headphones. They are also excellent for masking. Not to mention that you cannot do pure tone audiometry without a good pair of headphones. It's a double-edged sword. Meaning: use it wisely.

It's not the headphones that are damaging, it's the noise level.

 

On their own, headphones may not damage your hearing under normal conditions, if the volume is kept in check. But you may be at greater risk of damage should something go bad with the headphones or the device you have them connected to, especially if you use the in-ear models.

This is what in-ear models look like.


This is what normal "earphones" look like.


These terms are often used interchangeably.

There are even "airpods" now.



As well as "earins".



There are so many pods, ins and outs now that it's becoming difficult to keep track of it all. These personal listening devices are now even fusing with hearing aids. There are now consumer grade headphones with amplifying features that can rival the professional hearing aids. There are some really innovative ones I have seen. But that's for another post.

Some will say that the in-ear models and noise canceling headphones allow you to keep the volume low, because you don't have to crank up the volume to block out the external noise, and that for this reason they are safer than other models. That perhaps is true... if you do keep the volume down low.

This is what noise canceling headphones often look like.


There may be smaller ones available with noise canceling feature, but more often than not, it is fitted in the large headphones like these ones.

Maybe it's just me then... but I have used a lot of headphones in my life, and a lot of different portable, personal listening devices. I never cared 2 cents about the external noise! I was young and I was dumb! When I would crank up the volume I would do it for pure pleasure, because, lets face it, it is much more energizing! Many of us anyway... and we don't think of the consequences until after the fact.

It's like upgrading from a car without air bags to a car with air bags! If you are "safe" in a car without air bags, traveling at a speed of 50 Kmph, then theoretically...



You should be even "safe-er" in a car with air bags installed, traveling at the same speed. But what do people do?



They punch the pedal to the metal and go 70 Kmph because they have a "safe" car now, a safer car relative to the old model.

That's just how we people are, and we constantly keep pushing the limit, the limit of our cars, and our selves. It's the same with these supposedly superior headphones. The headphones are only going to be as safe as you are wise in using them.

I would rather see safety measures be put in place to protect ourselves from ourselves. Instead of trusting the judgement of the user. But it's not easy.

So in cars, I want to see limiters installed that disable the car from reaching insanely high speeds. You will find that all modern cars have these installed already. But what do the users do? They go angry and complain to each other how their cars won't go over 200 Kmph and they advise each other on how to disable the limiter that's been built in by the manufacturer. They want to be able to wroom past the "competition" on Autobahn at 250 Kmph. For no good reason.

And with headphones, you will find that everything from early 2000 model of iPod to the latest "smart" phones have a volume limit. On some devices you hear a beep warning you that you are past the safe listening level. On those that have a display you will see a warning message similar to the one you see below.



You can often freely choose to ignore the warning. On some devices, you are not able to disable this feature. Then users get angry and ask each other for advice on how to hack it so they can disable this safety measure.

On some devices, this can be adjusted or circumvented by design.



On this model you can obviously set your own maximum level. But of course!... you know what's safe for you...

 

I don't want to pass on judgment on people that use or those that don't use headphones. As I said, it's a double-edged sword really. They have their benefit and drawbacks. People need to be informed, and then make up their own mind about it.

The risks I brought up regarding headphone use are real. Some headphone designs may be more risky than others. But these risks often stem from other factors, not the headphones themselves. Things such as user's listening habit, and safety of the device they are being connected to, as well as use cases. Someone working professionally with audio in a studio may be at a greater risk of hearing damage than someone who listens to the Beatles once or twice in a week. There are a lot of factors to consider.

As I said I have used headphones on more than one occasion since my tinnitus started, and it was caused most definitely by that intense noise I was blasted with. It has not increased the severity of it, or caused a permanent spike. But the outcome may very well be different for other people. I can only talk about my own experience.

 

Here is a little something to consider regarding the in-ear headphones.

Another reason to crank up the volume! Or not to, if you want to play it safe and you can stand the bad sound quality.

This is all coming from the horse's mouth, Stephen Ambrose, the inventor of the in-ear monitors which all in-ear headphones are based on. Especially those that make a very good seal of the ear canal I would say.

https://www.soundandvision.com/content/through-diaphonic-lens
https://asiustechnologies.com/pages/technology

 

Here is a video where Stephen Ambrose talks about his latest invention.

"How loud is too loud?"

Check it out!

Asius Technologies Keynote at Accelerate 2016

 

I had a lot of regret initially, but I am over it now. When I looked around on the web I found at least 2 case reports from users that used the same audio device and had the same problem. Plus, I found one musical instrument manufacturer that had similar technical issues where one user reported on their forum that he had acquired hearing loss because of it. I am sure if you stick to it and spend some time on it, you will dig up many more such cases. I wouldn't be surprised if these guys have tinnitus today. If they don't, they might get it soon. All it takes is a couple more such incidents and ear abuse by noise.

Noise is the primary killer of hair cells and nerve cells. It's also the primary tinnitus trigger. Be it from long term overexposure, or occupational or non-occupational accidents like mine. Given the intricate complexity, and speed of production, I would even argue that it's more likely to get faulty audio equipment today than it was many years ago in the analog age.

 

There is a good reason why the BBC has had special limiters designed and installed on all their headphones for a very long time. So if you do audio production, and you want to use headphones, make sure you invest in a limiter to protect your ears. It's a cheap investment for something that can prevent hearing damage and tinnitus. This wouldn't be a bad idea even for regular folks out there.



These are retrofitted Sennheiser HD480 headphones. These are not the regular model you buy in a retail store. These are noise limited to 88 dB SPL. Note the "CANFORD" marking on them. That's the name of the company that customizes them, and they have a contract with the BBC. But anyone can buy these from them. They have a range of professional headphones that they customize. These Sennheiser cost about 150 GBP or 200 USD. They have one Beyerdynamic that's cheaper, and then the prices go up for the more expensive models.

Could this be something for you @Rick Austin?

They are the only company I know of that does this. You can check out their website here:

Canford - Level Limited Headphones And Headsets

They may be able to retrofit your own headphones with a limiter, but you need to contact them for that and you may need to pay an investigation fee if your model has never been customized by them.

 

You mean in regard to tinnitus and headphone use? Headphones worsening the tinnitus? Well, I can only speak of my own experience. As I said, my tinnitus was caused by sudden, loud noise. It just so happens that the noise came through my headphones. I have since used the headphones a couple of times, just the normal ones, not the ones you put inside your ear canals. I have not had worsening of my tinnitus because of it. If anything, using the headphones, combined with white noise and ACRN seems to have lowered my tinnitus a little bit.

I have said it before and I will say it again. It's not the headphones, it's the noise! But! Using headphones may predispose you to more damage in case of an acoustic shock, such as a loud noise burst being fed through your ears. Especially damaging are the in-ear headphones and monitors. I have quoted the designer of these saying the same thing above.

There is no reason to argue on the technical aspects of the headphones. The main argument seems to be on whether or not the use of headphones by someone who has tinnitus, even at low volumes, can worsen their tinnitus. My experience is that it does not, and in fact when used with some acoustic stimulation, they seem to lower my tinnitus. Not to mention the residual inhibition where tinnitus is completely suppressed for a short period of time, which I have experienced a few times, with the help of headphones.

Headphones per se are not damaging, noise level is. Which is why I posted about headphones with limiters above. So that people may be informed about how to protect themselves from sudden noise bursts. Some of us are using headphones professionally, and some are experimenting with acoustic stimulations using headphones.

That would depend on how old you are or if you are terminally ill. Don't you think we will have a cure or at least an effective treatment within the next 50 years or so? I agree that there needs to be more research on tinnitus and hyperacusis. But not necessarily on its relation to headphones use. I'm afraid that sort of research would be like chasing your own tail. We already know what's causing it. It's primarily noise and ototoxicity.

Same here! Because I know mine is caused by noise.

Deep brain stimulation seems to be very effective in some patients. There is also the promise of optogenetics. Even acoustic stimulation and neurofeedback seem promising if we can find an effective protocol. For that we need to better understand the mechanisms that lead to tinnitus. This is where the research money should go to, not to see whether or not headphones can worsen the tinnitus.

You would be surprised how often people bet on their luck, every day.

There was at least 1 case report I saw where the patient had almost complete suppression of tinnitus following deep brain stimulation, and this was in 2015.

 

What type of XLR do you need? Canford offers a number of configurations. You need headphones or headset? They have for example Beyerdynamic DT109 with XLR 5-pin connector.

I don't think you will find a general purpose audio limiter where you can plug in any kind of headphones and be effective at protecting your ears. It depends on sensitivity of the drivers, source and load impedance, and so on. So the limiter and headphones need to be matched and tested accordingly. That's why Canford will retrofit your headphones as a custom job. But you can contact them, see what they say.

 

It's funny that you mention "deliberate liar". That's something I have thought about myself after seeing the "Decoding the Brain" episode of Breakthrough last week. It made me wonder how trustworthy the witnesses are in the court of law.

Here is a short segment on memory from that episode.

Memories Make Us Who We Are | Breakthrough

Here is the full episode. Skip to 6:38 for the relevant segment.

There is a famous homicide case in Sweden from the 1990s - called the Kevin case - which has recently crept back from the past. It involves three boys aged 4, 5 and 7. Kevin being the youngest and the victim. The other two boys were brothers and they were pointed out as the primary suspects under "reasonable suspicion".

The point is, that the police was so focused on solving the case (or the chief investigator was so concerned with ending his career with a perfect record), that they pressured the boys so hard that they eventually gave in and confessed. Since some journalists started digging in the material regarding the case, they have uncovered several disturbing errors and protocol violations and the case has been brought up to light again, and since 8 May 2017, the case is wide open again and the true perpetrator is on the loose.

We have a similar saying for this where I come from. We say, if the man knows where he is to fall, he would not go there. It makes sense, of course.

True!