Sound Listening Practices

I often encounter people on the subway or in the street who listen to music through their earbuds, cranked up so loudly that you can hear the headphones buzzing from 15 feet away. The human ear temporarily adapts to different noise levels—much as the eye adjusts to different levels of light—­causing people to turn up the volume continually, often beyond safe listening levels, especially in noisy places.

When I measure the sound pressure levels (SPL) of MP3 players and earbuds, they generally max out at 115 to 125 dB, depending on the source material. Most chainsaws generate an SPL of around 105 dB, and rock concerts can reach 120 dB. Your ears can take that kind of abuse only for short periods of time without damage such as tinnitus (a persistent ringing in the ears) and hearing loss.

Since the two primary reasons people crank up the volume is to hear more bass and block out noise, why not kill two birds with one 'phone? Get yourself a decent pair of noise-­isolating earphones such as the ones featured in this story. Most will give you better sound quality, stronger bass, and far less outside noise—and they can help you protect your hearing.—Mike Kobrin