HEY! CAN YOU HEAR ME ALRIGHT? No? Maybe you’ve got iPod Ear, then. It’s a new term that describes those starting to lose their hearing because of the ear buds stuffed in ones ear that’s connected to an iPod. Dean Garstecki, a Northwestern University audiologist and professor, is spreading the word that iPods are not only doing damage to Creative’s Zen market share, but also to listeners ear drums.
“We’re seeing the kind of hearing loss in younger people typically found in aging adults. Unfortunately, the ear buds preferred by music listeners are even more likely to cause hearing loss than the muff-type earphones that were associated with the older devices,” Garstecki said.
Garstecki has a friend at Witchita State University who pulls out the ear buds of students and asks if he can measure the output coming from their DAP. He finds them to be loud and sometime as high as 110 to 120 decibels.
“That’s a sound level that’s equivalent to the measures that are made at rock concerts,” said Garstecki. “And it’s enough to cause hearing loss after only about an hour and 15 minutes.”
So what’s one to do? Garstecki just says turn it down. Or if you like it loud, go get the old school over the ear type headphones. I got ‘em and love them. Besides, they have much better bass response. He also suggests noise-canceling head sets as well such as the Bose ones found in every Apple Store.
So don’t pull a Kiss and turn it down even though we like loud!
[tags]music,ipod ear,loud,hearing,loss[/tags]
