....When one considers that many users of these tone generators or "test your hearing" videos have gotten tinnitus within a few seconds or later, it makes sense. I think this danger is very poorly researched to date. The circumstantial evidence pointing to the danger of pure tones cannot be denied.
For safety reasons one should never play pure tones, not even the low frequencies.
There is a risk that some people will mistakenly associate the perceived dangers of online pure tone generators with hearing tests performed by audiologists.
Some individuals may argue that if you have hearing loss, tinnitus, or hyperacusis—or even if you only suspect you do, or if you do not but want to establish a baseline for future comparison—you should never take a hearing test. The belief is that by avoiding any kind of testing, you can never confirm or describe the specifics of your hearing condition. You will not be able to report which frequencies are affected, whether there is a difference between your left and right ear, or identify the pitch of your tinnitus or the tones that may trigger hyperacusis.
Yet, you might still claim to have these conditions, refuse all testing, and expect health professionals and others to accept your self-assessment. You might also ask for accommodations or advice based purely on spoken descriptions. That approach not only limits your own understanding but also makes it more difficult for others to offer helpful support or treatment.
In my experience, audiologist-administered test tones are presented at very low or inaudible volumes and are gradually increased in five decibel steps until you can hear them. If you cannot detect a particular tone at a given volume, that suggests hearing loss at that specific frequency and intensity. The test reflects damage that has already occurred. Once you hear the tone, you press a button to indicate it, and the tone test concludes.
I plan to ask my audiologist again for more detail, but during an audiogram I received while participating in a tinnitus study in 2024 and 2025, the test tones were not continuous. Each tone lasted about three seconds and included a vibrato effect, which gave it a subtle wobble. This helps distinguish the test tone from internal tinnitus. If your hearing is damaged at that frequency and the tone reaches a higher volume, you might not hear the tone itself but instead perceive an alternate tone. This alternate sound is not loud but may act as a signal that the tone has reached a potentially harmful level. At that point, you can remove the earphones and inform the audiologist.
I suspect that many people only seek out an audiologist after realizing they may already have hearing damage. That was the case for me. Unfortunately, by the time most people act, the damage is already done.
From my experience, tinnitus and hearing loss are not fixed conditions, especially following an episode of acoustic trauma. Hearing ability often continues to decline not just in the days or weeks afterward, but across several months and even years. The outcome of tinnitus and hyperacusis depends on the severity of hair cell damage and the ability of the auditory system to adapt. The adaptability of the hearing system is one reason why some people report that they have recovered from tinnitus.
People often get their hearing tested when the damage has already occurred and is still in a state of change. Even then, many do not take protective steps. We see many forum threads from people who had tinnitus early in life, found relief, and then became too confident. Later they developed worse tinnitus after attending a party, a wedding, or a similarly loud event. It is easier to blame a hearing test for worsening symptoms than to acknowledge risky habits that led to this point, such as singing, visiting noisy places, driving, riding the bus, listening to music, working in loud environments, or walking through busy streets without any protection.
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