IPods Earbuds Damage Hearing

I wonder if the blame could be placed on record companies for having their records mastered so "slovenly"?

Probably only partially, and the user themselves must realise that there is a volume control.

It's been known for a very long time that earbuds can be dangerous, therefore it doesn't shed any new light on the subject to me hence I've known about it since my high school days some 17 years ago.

It has more to do with the fact that they don't block out any noise, and so if you're walking around in an urban environment you have to turn the volume way up beyond what is healthy in order to hear anything.

I think that walking around "in an urban environment" wearing headphones or earbuds is stupid anyway, not only do you risk damage from hearing, but you risk other things (getting run over, mugged etc.). I feel 'blind' and vunerable when I can't hear what's going on around me.

Not to mention the fact that you look like an anti-social tard, at least that's what I think when I see kids on campus wearing them.

Edit: formatting

I wear earbuds durring various commuting and don't feel like a 'social retard' since I take them out when I'm actually supposed to socialy interact.
They are a life saver since it takes me 45min to get to my universety and I would get bored silly on a bus, and I don't want to listen to (mostly arguments and yelling of) people around me. Anyway I always check not to go above 3/4 of the volume level. Damn I sure hope I'll get some noise canceling ones in the new year!

I used to use the ipod white earbuds as well and had to turn the volume up to 80% in order to hear my music properly (since I commute by bus everyday). But ever since I got these Sony EX51's, which plug up your entire ear canal, I only need to have it at 50 to 60% now. So I guess they were worth the money since I get better sound and (hopefully) healthier ears

The volume level on the player has almost no informational value if you do not tell headpone impedance (and sensitivity) as well.

So true. I have some Westone UM2s and at the same volume level as some in-ear Sony phones they would deafen me.

At the end of the day it's the end user that has control of the volume. Should I sue a drinks company for getting liver disease if I drink too much? I think not.

Most good canal phones have far better noise reduction than so called noise cancelling phones as well, you generally need them quieter than normal phones. My iPod is on around 1/3 volume and that's plenty. Check out head-fi.org for advice on this.

Why would I feel like a retard with my phones in? You generally can't tell I have them in, the wire goes over the top of my ears and down my back and the phones sit flush in my ears. I agree about the white ipod buds as they've become a fashion statement but to me that just says 'I am wearing an ipod and can't hear you, feel free to steal it'.

Agreed. If you travel by bus, train or underground you're better off with the ones that act as earplugs. The one's that use noise-cancelling technology are most successful with the constant, predictable background hum of airplanes.

The volume control on an iPod isn't linear anyway (obviously) so 60% could be anything - certainly not 60% of the amp's power. Also iPod earbuds sound quite ok with the felt pads on, without them your ear canal isn't sealed at all and half the sound (and all the bass) escapes. I never see anyone with the felt pads on, so sad.

The quoted article is clear: it is the responsibility of the user to turn down the volume. It cannot be any clearer than that. The user must take responsibility for his own actions.

iPod earphones don't damage hearing per se, it's simply the idiotic users that have the volume too high. That applies to any headphones, they're all capable of causing damage. Responsibility lies solely with the user.

I use canal-phones, when commuting, for three reasons. Firstly they block out the inane conversations that others have, secondly they block out the annoying tinny noises from people who think it's clever that their earphones can be heard 20 feet away and thirdly I don't need to have much volume to listen to my own music. They're a godsend and I don't feel like a social retard on my 80-minute journey! Based on my own observations, I think there will be a high proportion of today's younger generation with hearing loss (older people aren't exempt, just in a lower proportion)

I remember sitting on a train (the quiet, by UK standards, Eurostar) hearing music so loud that it was disturbing me (and my hearing has no doubt suffered after many loud gigs, some with earplugs some not).

So I was quite surprised when I realised the sound was coming from the earbuds of a guy who was plugged into his laptop sat behind me. Can't imagine your eardrums could take that for very long! Sheer madness...

In that article it states no more than 60 minutes a day with headphones!! Is this correct? I listen to headphones for probably 8 hours each day or so... =(

8 hours a day isn't a problem IF you don't have it too loud. UK employers are obliged to provide hearing protection, in the workplace, at 85dB over an 8-hour time-weighted average and must enforce the use of it for levels over 95dB. That suggests hearing damage starts at around 85dB for prolonged exposure so maybe you should consider that aspect. 85dB is loud but not THAT loud.

The article also said "at 60% level" but that is just meaningless because it depends on what player is used and what headphones/earphones are in use.

Simple common sense says keep it as low as you can...

Well if I got a pair of Sharp HP-MD33-S in-ear phones and rockboxed iRiver H320 (I use track gain on my iRiver as it is more accurate for my purposes).
My main listening volume range is –20 to –15 dB (at least not higher than –10).
Is that ok for my hearing?

Probably though it is a little louder than I listen on my Rockboxed H140 using Shure E3s. -25 to -20 for me. In a quiet room around -30 sometimes.

I go down to –25 or –30 in a quiet environment, too. BTW, what type of replaygain are you using?

Album gain. More often than not I listen to whole albums hence I utilise gapless playback a lot

This article's redundant. "Prolonged, loud noises damage hearing." No shit.

Hehe, more of that, they blame earbuds. It's exactly like blaming drugs because people abuse them.
I wonder why nodody started blaming kitchen knives yet.