Using earphones and ear buds that won't damage your hearing

Earphones are a very common accessory used with our technology especially now that people are on the go so much and always want to be entertained without disturbing all of the people around them. Mobile devices like cell phones with built in MP3 players and iPods and laptop computers have contributed greatly to the use of earphones. They are more common than they have ever been and are used in many different applications. With all of the new technology and the need for people to constantly have a pair of headphones on has contributed to hearing loss and damage for many people. But there are measures that can be taken to reduce the risk of damage to your ears. Here are some suggestions that will help you understand new listening technology that won't damage your hearing.

There are many options when it comes to reducing the amount of hearing damage and loss imposed by using earphones and ear buds too often or too loud. One of the most obvious ways to decrease the amount of damage done by a set of headphones is to turn down the volume or to decrease the amount of time spent listening. However, most people use portable devices in places that are very busy such as a train or bus, busy streets and crowded buildings and they don't want to turn down the volume because then the ambient noise will completely drown out the sound. But when the amount of sound around a person increases, the volume of the device usually increases as well. It is rarely possible to enjoy the music or video playing and having the volume low enough to protect ears properly from damage.

Some suggestions have been made. One of the suggestions is to go back to more old school headphones that are larger and disperse the sound more than a pair of ear buds. Ear buds are very small, but contain speakers that are capable of very high volume and can concentrate the sound into the ear canal better than a set of earphones that just rests on the ear rather than being inserted into it. This suggestion is often ignored by many because of the image associated with older headphones. They are also often bulky and difficult to carry around, which is one of the main selling points of ear buds and smaller headphones.

Another option to reduce ear damage is to use noise canceling headphones or ear buds.  These headphones actually cancel out the ambient noise and allow head phones to be used in settings where it may not normally be possible or logical.  Noise canceling headphones are more expensive and sometimes ignored as an alternative because of their price.  The main advantage of a set of noise canceling headphones is that they eliminate the ambient noise which is often a reason that people turn up the volume in the first place.  They are thus able to turn down the volume and blast less sound into their ears to get the same satisfaction out of their listening experience. 

Some headphone manufacturers are even creating reduced volume headphones.  They are intentionally made able to get to lower volume levels.  They are made to different specifications and the amplifiers in the phones are weaker and therefore not able to get as loud.  However, this doesn't seem to do much about ambient noise and people may just become frustrated with them when they can't hear their music. 

Some of the best ways to decrease ear damage are mostly associated with self control and moderation.  People are frankly listening to mobile devices too much and too loud.  Some experts recommend that people try and apply the 60 percent and 60 minute rule.  Reduce the volume to 60 percent of what you would normally listen at and limit listening time to just 60 minutes in a single day.  Although this may be inconvenient, the truth is that people really are damaging their hearing with ear buds and need to do something different.