could I go deaf from listening to music to much?

[KageFenikkusu]

my parents are complaining that I listen to music way too much and that I will go deaf. I listen to music between 50%-75% volume but I have my headphones on all the time,literally and I have my iPod next to me playing music all night (20%-40% volume) will I go deaf from this or are my parents just whining?

 

[ddrfr33k]

It depends on the volume output. This chart [http://www.gcaudio.com/resources/howtos/loudness.html] is a good example piece for what point you'll start to suffer permanent hearing loss. There was a story on the evening news a couple years ago about how more and more 20 and 30 somethings are suffering from hearing loss that is easily preventable.

tl;dr: they are correct, to an extent. You might want to tone it down a bit if you value being able to hear your music.

 

[dicai]

There's bit of true on both sides... prolonged exposure to louds sounds can damage the hearing threshold. That's why old people can't hear as much as teenagers, because their hearing became degraded from all the hearing in their life.

But if you always have sounds so near to the ears it slowly accelerates the process of loss of hearing. Take rests between listening sessions, that wouldn't hurt.

Also, don't listen to music when sleeping-you can't be fully rested if you were listening to a sound all night.

 

[Erana]

What kind of iPod we talkin'? My sister had pointed out to me last year that at the same percent with the same headphones, my iPod touch was producing a much louder sound than her normal iPod.

What you need to do is go into the settings, and see if there's a way to lower the max volume output. I suggest putting it at most, 70%. It might be a bit annoying at first, but it will be very beneficial in the long run.

Also, I suggest looking for a good pair of over-the ear headphones, if you can tolerate them. Because it sends the sound less directly into the ear and blocks out much more ambient noise, you will not need as high a volume to get the same experience with them.
Not to mention, if your parents are concerned about your hearing, discussing this idea with them would both show initiative and likely give you the chance to get some sweet headphones. Good sound and putting your parents at ease is a win-win in my opinion.

 

[BonsaiK]

my parents are complaining that I listen to music way too much and that I will go deaf. I listen to music between 50%-75% volume but I have my headphones on all the time,literally and I have my iPod next to me playing music all night (20%-40% volume) will I go deaf from this or are my parents just whining?

Literally, all the time? You may not go 100% deaf but you will experience hearing loss. Guaranteed. I work in the music business and I am both professionally and academically qualified to tell you that your ears will be utterly fucked well before you hit middle age if you continue your current listening habits.

I know a lot of club DJs and many of them are deaf in one ear by the time they hit 30 (and then they have to change careers). They become deaf by mixing at clubs - they hear their headset with the earpieces one-off one-on and listen to the club PA with one ear, and simultaneously listen to whatever they're cueing up next through the (closed) headphones in the other ear, so they can beat-match. Guess which ear they go deaf in? If you guessed "the ear listening to the club PA" then you're wrong, they all go deaf in the headphone ear. That's right - headphones are really that bad. The very worst ones are the iPod style ones that sit directly in your ear canal. The big closed can-style headphones are a little better for you - but not much. From the point of view of your ears, you're better off listening to a louder sound being generated further away, than a quieter sound being generated right against your eardrum.

If nothing else, you definitely need to give your ears a break when you sleep. Pete Townsend, the guitarist for The Who, performed some of the loudest concerts in the world, making it into the Guiness Book as "the world's loudest band" in the 70s. Now Pete Townsend has tinnitus and acute hearing loss. Guess how he got it? Nothing to do with his band activity - he lost his hearing by wearing headphones 24-7 - just like you.

 

[lapan]

It also depends on the type of head phones you are using. Internal headphones like the ones in my picture are especially bad since they override some of your ears natural defenses to give you a better bass.

 

[tomtom94]

Too much, unlikely, too loudly, yes, naturally, especially if it's being blasted into your ears and you're trying to drown out background noise.

Turn it down a little or invest in some noise-cancellers. And I'd stop listening to it while you sleep.

 

[KageFenikkusu]

It also depends on the type of head phones you are using. Internal headphones like the ones in my picture are especially bad since they override some of your ears natural defenses to give you a better bass.

Not those ones they don't fit in my ears and I hate the iPod ones ( break too easily and they make the music sound crap)
I use headphones not earphones and there flaton the earpiece so they sit on top of my ear and my iPod is a 4th gen touch
Thanks for the advice everyone

 

[Terminal Blue]

Try and be careful and always listen to music at the lowest volume which doesn't make it sound crap. I'd recommend trying to stay below 50% volume even when you're using normal headphones, and try and get good quality noise cancelling headphones if you can.. they make it much easier to listen to music on lower volumes because they retain better fidelity at lower levels and block out more background noise. Also, your ears naturally adjust to different sound levels, so after a while high volume won't necessarily sound any better.

The thing to remember is that everyone loses hearing acuity over the course of their life and ears don't really heal very well. The more punishment you put your ears through, the faster your hearing might decay as you get older. Tinnitus (noise in the ear) is a common symptom of hearing damage, so if you ever notice it at your age it probably (not definately, but pretty probably) means you're subjecting yourself to too much noise.

The length of time you spend listening shouldn't really be a problem unless you're listening to things too loud in the first place. Ears were meant to listen to stuff.

 

[TheRightToArmBears]

I'm not sure about deafness, but you can get tinnitus. One of my friends works as a tree surgeon and he knows a lot of guys who have it due to chainsaws. Mind you, you would have to be listening to it really loudly.