Music Player Volume and Ear Safety Guide !!

[a_k_s_h_a_y]

This guide is to help you and provide you some tips and for your knowledge and Not To Create A Fear

Increasing Popularity, Great number of choices , Small, Easy, Good and Fall in Prices and the Coolness factor of having one factors have made us to buy one of the Portable Media Players

They let you listen to the music on the go and give hours of battery life and easily charge back again in no time from your laptops.
And They have lots of other features that you know geeks know them much better then a layman out there !

Now a days even a 5k cellphone sports a Descent Music Player and FM tuner !! this adds to it !!

One of the most neglected factor by people is the hearing problems that these MP3 players bring with themselves. This will now be proved .

Presented will the research done by scientists and noise experts to prove the point !!!

The damage to your ears is depends both on the noise level and time of exposure

Sound levels is measured in A-weighted decibel (dBA) units its on a logarithmic scale

which means 2dBA is 10 times 1dBA !! Note This Point !!


Noise level Table
How loud is too loud?

Decibel level What we hear

10 dB Normal breathing
20 dB Rustling leaves, mosquito
30 dB Whisper
40 dB Stream, refrigerator humming
50-60 dB Quiet office
50-65 dB Normal conversation
60-65 dB Laughter Every day Conversation
70 dB Vacuum cleaner, hair dryer Restaurant
75 dB Dishwasher
78 dB Washing machine, High Class Room without a teacher
80 dB Garbage disposal, city traffic noise

Prolonged exposure to any noise above 85 dB can cause gradual hearing loss.

84 dB Diesel truck
70-90 dB Recreational vehicle
88 dB Subway, motorcycle
85-90 dB Lawnmower
100 dB Train, garbage truck
97 dB Newspaper press
98 dB Farm tractor

Regular exposure of more than 1 minute risks permanent hearing loss.

103 dB Jet flyover at 100 feet
105 dB Snowmobile
110 dB Jackhammer, power saw, symphony orchestra
120 dB Thunderclap, discotheque/boom box
110-125 dB Stereo Rock Music
110-140 dB Rock concerts
130 dB Jet takeoff, shotgun firing
145 dB Boom cars

A Flash Based Meter with Noise

Another one check this one too


Music dBA levels

60-70 dB normal piano practice
70 dB fortissimo singer 3 ft. away
75-85 dB chamber music in small auditorium
84-103 dB violin
85-111 dB flute
85-114 dB trombone
106 dB timpani & bass drum rolls
120-137 dB symphonic music peak
150 dB rock music peak

Safe levels beyond which u face risk

80 dBA 8hrs ( but note 80dBA is Considered risky in the long term )
90 dbA 8 hrs
92 dbA 6 hrs
95 dbA 4 hrs ( This is the level @ which people listen to in heavy traffic )
97 dbA 3 hrs ( This is the most common level set by teenagers in presence of 75dBA ambient noise )
100 dbA 2 hrs
102 dbA 1.5 hrs
105 dbA 1 hr
110 dbA 0.5 hr
115 dbA 0.25 hr or le

So the sound level at a normal conversation is 60dBA and if your mom calls you or some one says something to you when you are listening to music and you can't hear then it means you are listening to music @ 80dBA


Sound Levels about 80 dBA are considered dangerous !! That's also the sound level of city traffic !! Now If you are listening to music in city traffic then the output of your music player will be certainly more then the ambient sound of 80dbA and will be around 90dBA which is very dangerous when exposure time is long !!

If you think you have "gotten used to" the noise you are routinely exposed to, then most likely you have already suffered damage and have acquired a permanent hearing loss. Don't be fooled by thinking your ears are "tough" or that you have the ability to "tune it out"! Noise induced hearing loss is usually gradual and painless, but, unfortunately, permanent. Once destroyed, the hearing nerve and its sensory nerve cells do not regenerate!

Noise hearing loss usually starts with high frequencies !!
High frequency sound ringtones are used by students in USA in classrooms !!
Simply Put the Younger Students can hear the high frequencies well but the teacher can't and hence small kids use these ringtones in the middle of classroom to go unnoticed !!

Getting Back to Sound Levels by Music Players these charts make it clear !







So you can clearly see that volume levels of 60-70 % is risky !!


All combinations of headphones/earphones and MP3 players generate potentially harmful sound levels !

It will take from 12 minutes (at 102 dBA) to seven hours (at 86 dBA) to exceed the occupational noise limit noted above. You will exceed the limit in just one minute if you played heavy metal or pop music at full volume levels of 114 dBA. At this sound level, exposure for longer durations can pose a risk of immediate, serious and permanent hearing loss. !!!


The Bottom Line Is Your MP3 Player Will Damage Your Ears Any Way !!!

Bose that's why came up noise cancellation headphones for airlines.....remember the ad ??

So when there is lots of ambient noise just shut your music player and save your ears !! And save your a$$... you dont want to get dumped by your gf and fired by your bose coz u dont listen to them ( read u cant hear them ) !!

Compiled from various sources !!

Regards Akshay

[Gigacore]

very good guide. thanks. it helps me a lot coz i spend most of my time listening to music while commuting in bus.

[a_k_s_h_a_y]

BUS ?? man that's again risky........better find out the noise levels in the BUS for info !! i think its certainly very hazardous !!

ok u can be sure noise levles in bus exceed 85dbA naturally !! its almost the same as truck engine noise

[Gigacore]

^ yup it is. you know the traffic level in Bangalore. so after reading this thread i would like to quit listening while commuting.

[a_k_s_h_a_y]

good am happy to know it helped u....hope it helps many !!

[vish786]

i usually avoided ipods and mp3 players for long time, coz of this fear, and i hav generated a pain in my right ear by seeing movies on comp using my headphone.
in short... keeping the volume at 10% to 50% which is equivalent to 60dBa , one can listen to music/movies for 10-12 hrs is safe. am i correct that way.

nice guide.

[a_k_s_h_a_y]

yes volume levels of 20-40% are really good
u find these volume level no use in the day time

but @ night 12 AM just listen to music @ low volumes.......it will be crystal clear and u will be surprised !!!

[max_demon]

i listion mostly at night , so volume remains between 10-20%

[ratedrsuperstar]

too bad for me i listen to music during the train about 70% of the total value but i don't listen in busses which themselves have high volumes but i listen for about 2hrs not more than that

[ax3]

WOW ........ excellent 1 frd ..........


u just CLEARED my EARS ............ i listen 2 mp3 songs 4 more than 2-3 hrs daily using my headphones ........


else after some years i would just say "aaayaaa" 2 everybody talking 2 me .........


mayb its time 2 turnon my speakers in my room .........


thanx a lot frd ..........

[Sykora]

This was a very interesting read, appreciated. Unfortunately, I don't know what volume level my shuffle gives me, so I can't say how much it is. However, I run music at home at a setting of 15-25 %, so it can't be that bad. Maybe I'll have to lower the volume during commuting though...

[a_k_s_h_a_y]

cool........am happy that it helped many of you guys

i hope it helps many more !!

[sourav]

new york is called the loudest city
think if u were their what will happen to ur ears

[phreak0ut]

Dunno how many will be really following this. Is info is posted at the right place. Since many don't have the habit of reading books, they would miss the same info. Good job! I've tried telling my friends, but they gimme a glare I think I'll let them go deaf, what am I to do?

[infra_red_dude]

nice read, akshay

[a_k_s_h_a_y]

I think I'll let them go deaf, what am I to do?

yes right let them go deaf...can't really help !!! just tell them and forget it !!

Dunno how many will be really following this

if they have read this they have to follow, there is no way out.....common the facts are true and proved they can check out the official OSHA and other sites !

Is info is posted at the right place they would miss the same info.

hopefully this is right place...or may be moved to chit chat or mobile monsters

nice read, akshay

thanks a lot !!

[RCuber]

What about listening to Radio Indigo on Full volume in bangalore traffic with helmet on :-s ?

[a_k_s_h_a_y]

What about listening to Radio Indigo on Full volume in bangalore traffic with helmet on :-s ?

obvioulsy it will be completely out of safe range....will be around 100 dbA
bangalore traffic !! my home is on a one way main road...dont ask how much noise !! we are shifting away next year !

recently a survey published in times of india measured noise at various streets and places in b'lore to 80-90dBa !! try to find it out in times of india archive on net if possible !!

[infra_red_dude]

^^^ did you forget about the safety of other people on road???!!! man, don't ever keep ur ears plugged when driving! its dangerous for you as well as for every other person out there driving around you!

[RCuber]

Yep thats true .. will trun down the volume from now onwards . But how can one resist good music

[infra_red_dude]

But how can one resist good music

if you don't then in addition to you there will be some more who won't be able to resist an accident!!! (god forbid!)

[Pathik]

Good read..
Btw i had read somewhere that if u keep ur earfones plugged in for about 1 hour then the bacteria in ur ears multiplies by about 10 times..

[vish786]

Good read..
Btw i had read somewhere that if u keep ur earfones plugged in for about 1 hour then the bacteria in ur ears multiplies by about 10 times..

i 2 read this in a mail.

[a_k_s_h_a_y]

if u keep ur earfones plugged in for about 1 hour then the bacteria in ur ears multiplies by about 10 times..

even me !! i too got this mail and orkut !!! i dont know how this can be true !! may be their earphones are dirty !!

@ infra_red

yes i forgot about others safety !! its certainly risky when walking on the road with earphones and driving with them on !! coz sound which then a basic protection and warning system is turned off

[Pathik]

^^ I think thats safe as long as there is not very high noise cancellation in ur headfones..

[infra_red_dude]

^^^ nothing is safe as long as ur ears are plugged. plus its an offence when driving.

[akshaykapoor_3]

Hi aks_win a.k.a Akshay, This is Akshay here !

Buddy that guide was awesome...Good work...Keep it up !

Reading this tut, i feel that we shud help as many ppl as we can ..For eg many of my own frnds will benefit frm this.. I wish to upload this post at my Blog (giving the source) if u dnt mind ! ...!

[aditya.shevade]

OMG.... I listen to my iPod Nano, with the bundled earphones for about 3 hours per day and that to at about 80-90% volume....

Now I need to reduce the time.... else hope that by the time I start loosing the ability to hear, some biological expert has found a solution to avoid it.....

Aditya

[a_k_s_h_a_y]

Reading this tut, i feel that we shud help as many ppl as we can ..For eg many of my own frnds will benefit frm this.. I wish to upload this post at my Blog (giving the source) if u dnt mind ! ...!

cool !! go ahead !!

[W i d e S c r e e N]

Is there a software to monitor and CONTROL the level of dB the PC Out is producing because there are various volume increase functions working on at the same time on a PC.

Such a software should DEFINATELY help