Truth about headphones and hearing

What is your iPod doing to your ears? Illustration by Hong Bin Jeong

Tuned into what he wants to hear, tuned out of the world around him–this describes the typical Singaporean teenager spotted on one of the trains of the MRT. Jay Z’s voice was blasting in his headphones and could be heard by everyone around him. Everyone who was still tuned into this world, that is. Unsurprisingly, they were the minority.

Ten music lovers on the MRT were asked how loudly they were playing their music. Four out of 10 said that it was at 60 percent, three admitted that it was at 70 percent, two people had it set to 80 percent, and one had his at 100 percent. Although this experiment was not scientifically valid due to the small group of participants, it still has value. On the MRT, it is obvious that Singapore teens spend a lot of time listening to music. However, how many hours a day is considered a lot? And what do these volume percentages mean anyway?

GenerationDeaf, a Noise Induced Hearing Loss awareness website, provides information about the hazards that iPod use. According to the website, if you listen to music at 10-60 percent of the maximum iPod volume, you are on the safe side and therefore can be plugged in virtually 24/7 with no harm to your eardrums. Those who prefer their music at 70 percent should not worry too much either; they won’t go deaf as long as they limit their daily dose of Jay Z to four and a half hours. However, if none of the above sounds like you, you should start paying attention to your music habits.

Seventy-two minutes is a bit more than one train ride from Woodlands to Marina Bay, and it’s also the maximum time your ears can handle at 80 percent of the maximum volume level.

If you like to enjoy your music at 90 percent, you expose yourself to 95 decibels of sound pressure. This amount of pressure is equivalent to listening to a jackhammer – something you should not do for more than 18 minutes a day.

The loudest possible volume is somewhere between standing next to a working motorcycle and going to a rock concert. Maximum exposure: five minutes. One song on your iPod at this ear-splitting volume and you are done for the day.

Now you can see why so many people should be concerned about their music listening habits. Thirty percent of experiment participants are at danger of developing irreversible Noise Reduce Hearing Loss if they continue listening to music at 80 percent or more.

What can you do? You can simply remind yourself not to go overboard with the volume when listening to music. As GenerationDeaf states, many experts suggest the 60/60 rule, listening at 60 percent of maximum volume for 60 minutes a day. So if you follow this rule, your ears will be safe. However, if you don’t trust yourself with this, you can just set the volume limit on your iPod. By listening to the experts’ advice, you may continue to hear what is playing on your iPod for years to come.