mark,
you are playing semantics, you say it is not easy to damage your hearing. What is easy? Is
it listening to loud music, say over 105 dBs 2 hours a day for 3 days a week for 5 years.
Or is it only listening to 120 or more dBs for a minute or two once every three or four
weeks. Or is it 100 dB for 45 minutes in the morning and 45 minutes in evening five days a
week with one evening at 115 for a 45 minute set four times, or is it listening to the
birds singing in the back yard. Is it seeing dozens of concerts and sitting in front of
the speakers at rock concerts at 13 years old? Ripping plywood for kitchen cabinets and
sub boxes. That was and is my life, easy, it is what I did. No strain, most of the time I
was just sitting there with my fingers on the volume.
I have severe hearing loss from all of those scenarios. I have hearing loss that prevents
me from enjoying parties and bars anymore. I have to "what?" a lot. I can't conduct bird
research anymore.
Hearing loss is a terrible thing to experience and your continual mantra of "it isn't easy
to lose your hearing" is irresponsible. It is easy to lose your hearing and to deny that
leaves many naive young people on the group with the impression that they can listen to
loud stereos with immunity. Every site I visited and talks to audiologist say that loud
sounds can and will cause hearing loss. It is progressive and irreparable. I knew that I
could loose my hearing, I am an intelligent professional working in the environmental
field but my love of music played loudly has left me with significant hearing loss. I
didn't try to lose my hearing. It happened progressively over the years. I am 43 and still
love to feel the kick drum slam my chest and the rumble of the bass lines from The Allman
Brothers' "Whipping Post". When I hear these kid's loud stereos (over top of mine mind
you) I cringe. You probably just say "crank it up, you can't loose your hearing that way".
I want people to understand that they will experience hearing lose if they listen loud
music when they drive. To say otherwise is reckless.
You sound like you would like to see these warnings removed from the audiologist's
websites. The only thing I can see is you must benefit from the sale of powerful stereo
systems and any warning that they can be dangerous would hurt your bottom line.
That is all I have to say but I hope people will not kowtow to your point of view. I have
read many of your posts and for the most part you seem knowledgeable but hear you are
disingenuous and potentially harmful.
Andy
Mark Zarella wrote:
Furthermore, it's been well-documented that there are two chief variables
with regard to noise-induced hearing loss: an intensity variable and a
time-domain variable. It's also been well-documented that the relationship
between these and the energy of the stimulus is highly nonlinear. The
values provided in the web sites he posted from are almost entirely
arbitrary and provide no worthwhile point of reference. They are nothing
more than layperson FAQs! They're written strictly for morons who actually
don't know that loud sounds can (can, not will) cause damage.
My contention is, and has been, that it's NOT EASY to cause permanent
damage. Does that mean that I said it's impossible? Of course not. But I
think it takes a complete moron to think he knows anything about the
mechanisms of hearing loss by merely reading a public service announcement.
That sort of thing leads people to spew misinformation all over the net, as
was the case in a recent thread here that I'll repost in hopes that you'll
see exactly where I'm coming from. (note in particular Christina's initial
response)
****************************
From: John Dziurlaj )
Subject: Hearing Loss in Car Audio........does it happen?
View this article only
Newsgroups: rec.audio.car
Date: 2003-05-06 17:58:38 PST
Hi There. I'm having concerns about my hearing and if my system is a
threat to it. I wouldn't say I play my system 'that' loud, maybe
pumping around 600 w (two JL 12s), but my ears have been feeling weird
as of late, and I'm just wondering if anyone in the field has noticed
any signs of hearing loss. I'm also very paranoid about things, so it
could just be that too. Any comments would be of great help! Thanks!
John Dziurlaj
***************************
Message 9 in thread
From: Mark Zarella )
Subject: Hearing Loss in Car Audio........does it happen?
View this article only
Newsgroups: rec.audio.car
Date: 2003-05-09 11:17:32 PST
I've ingnored the feeling for almost two weeks I'd say, do you think
my hearing is permently damaged?
I would go get tested. It's highly unlikely that you "lost your hearing"
with a single exposure. What you're experiencing now I'm sure SEEMS real,
but it actually may not be. Or it could be a symptom of a sinus or inner
ear issue. If I were you I'd see a doctor. You won't know otherwise.
***********************************
Message 10 in thread
From: Christina Robertson )
Subject: Hearing Loss in Car Audio........does it happen?
View this article only
Newsgroups: rec.audio.car
Date: 2003-05-09 11:25:28 PST
I'd say yes you have damage. What is probalby more important than the
two weeks you've been ignoring it is how long you've been exposed to
VERY loud music in total. The effect is cummulative. Just refraining
for a few weeks and then cranking the volume back up is not a good
idea. If you're in your 20's and have been exposed to loud music a long
time you probalby already have some mild hearing loss. (It doens't have
to be heralded by any feeling at all)
The safest thing to do would be to simply turn your music down. 
Permenantly. Not only would your ears thank you years down the road,
but drivers around you wouldn't be wincing every time you went by. (Or
heaven help us get stuck at an intersection with you.) The sorts of
noises young men (though I suppose some young women also listen to VERY
loud music) play in their cars is quite often more than enough to cause
permenant and severe hearing loss over time.
Turn your music on to what seems like a good volume to you. Get out and
shut the doors. If you can still understand the words of the music its
too loud! If you can still feel that thumping base, its too loud! Turn
it down. But that's just me and I've been called an old lady.
Chris