Health & Medical Hearing

Choosing the Right Pair of Headphones - Preserving Hearing and Sound Quality Alike

Whether it's a more mobile lifestyle or simply the fact that cities keep getting louder and louder, more people are listening to music through headphones on a regular basis than ever before.
And while it still might be a popular activity to jump into the car and blast the stereo, for legions of commuters who find themselves on subways, trains, and buses, chances are that the actual way that music is experienced is through headphones.
Whether going to work on a daily basis, making due with the delays on a long flight, or simply enjoying music in an apartment without dealing with hearing the racket the neighbors prefer, the right headphones can do wonders.
The only trouble is that the wrong headphones often hasten hearing loss, especially now that there are so many musical devices that actually pump sound directly into the ear canal, providing no sort of aural cushion to ensure that volume levels don't need to be loud.
And the wrong headphones don't just make it difficult to block outside noise from being a problem; they are actually doing their own damage on hearing.
This is due to the fact that while the volume level can go right up, the device in question is also located directly in the ear.
The result is too much racket that simply harms, rather than providing a great way to listen to some favorite music.
However, there are plenty of great headphones out there that actually aid in the prevention of hearing loss, while also delivering incredible quality sound.
For those who are in the market for a serious pair, then sometimes prices can get up there, but the benefits are that just like the right car or pair of sunglasses, making a good investment can result in years of happiness with the exact same object.
Even those who are on a tighter budget but still worried about hearing loss can actually manage to find noise-canceling options out there, which are a huge help.
For anyone who has ever been on a noisy plane or in a loud subway car, noise canceling headphones can actually use an internal microphone to gauge the sort of sounds happening, and then create white noise to balance it out.
And the cost of these sorts of headphones has been going down over the years.
Choosing the right headphones to decrease the chances for hearing loss is about more than just whether or not they sit around your ear, rather than in them, like the standard earbud pairs that come with most mp3 players.
It's also about knowing when to take a break, and understanding the importance of volume in the whole equation.
By keeping mp3 players turned down, those who are listening on a regular basis also do less damage because they aren't trying to drown out the sounds of the city with something that is just going to cause more harm than good.
Likewise, it is crucial to take breaks when listening on headphones for an elongated period of time.
Too much noise directly in your ears is never good for long-term hearing, even if the volume level is kept more reasonable.

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