Hearing Loss Due to Low Frequencies

[bball09124 10+ year member]

Can anybody link me to any good articles or studys in regards to hearing loss due to loudness? If in relation to low frequencys, that would be best. Majority of my family thinks I won't be able to hear a thing in 10 years while there are guys like Steve Meade who have been into car audio for 30 years and still have their hearing. I'd like to show them some data to prove otherwise. And yes, I have searched.

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[DBBOOM 10+ year member]

The plant i work at rates all of the areas that require hearing protection strictly on the ambient db level regardless of the frequency.

 

[srorobs 10+ year member]

No, but I can give you the OSHA formula to calculate the amount of time listening to a certain decibel level will cause damage.

 

[IA2 10+ year member]

I have a hearing test done every year and so far, no loss.....I listen to mine at over 140db every day for extended periods

....not that it is that huge of a #, but gives a good reference, and not saying I won't go deaf soon, but so far so good

 

[jdawg 5,000+ posts]

everyone is going to tell you low frequencies dont effect you NEAR as much as higher ones, go get some horn tweeters a play a 15k hz tone at 145 db then tell me how your ears feel

 

[snb778 5,000+ posts]

i used my shop vac the other day in my garage for about 3-5Min.... took me longer to recover my normal hearing after that 5 min. than it does after listening to my radio for a drive...sounded like everything was on mute after the shop vac

 

[bball09124 10+ year member]

I have a hearing test done every year and so far, no loss.....I listen to mine at over 140db every day for extended periods
....not that it is that huge of a #, but gives a good reference, and not saying I won't go deaf soon, but so far so good

Yeah, I have all that first hand evidence. But it's hard for me to intelligently prove to them that bass isn't hurting my hearing any more than my mom vacuuming the house without proof to back it up.

 

[shakinghorizons]

The human hearing isn't really sensative at like 40 hz as it would be to 12k hz. Playing 40hz at 140 db is easily enjoyable, playing just 120 db of banging metal at ~15k hzwould hurt like hell.

 

[krony]

Value yer hearing.. that's all I gotta say! I've been wearing hearing aids since I was three. And the chits expensive! Right now, I got two digital hearing aids, $2,300 each. I have to take them out to enjoy the music, otherwise, too much distortion. I've noticed diff tones that bother me. And them fkn lil tweets, OUCH! When I go shooting, I don't where ear protection unless I'm shootin an ultra mag or a 41 pistol.

Everyone is different as to their tolerance. Serious high pitch will shock the ear drums, causing ringing. Continuous non stop tones or vibrations will stress the lil hairs in yer cochlea, (they send the signals to the brain), making them lazy and less responsive. This takes time to recover from. Like the shop vac incident. If you were to to high dbs when yer moderately dehydrated at the lvl you do when yer prefectly healthy, damage CAN occure.

This is not researched BS, it's just my experience. And I ain't trying to preach to no one.

Some links

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cochlea

http://www.abelard.org/hear/hear.php

Detailed info: http://www.nidcd.nih.gov/health/hearing/noise.asp

Why we set the volume lvl and then gradually increase it? The brain works overtime to block out or tone down ambient noises. It's our survival instinct. lol But still I say, "Turn that muh fugga up s'mo!"

 

[vehementSPL 10+ year member]

Well .... Here is what I have found. I have had many loud walls since 2002ish. First one was doing 145 ish on a lab daily. My explorer in 2003 was doing I think if I recall a 151 or 152 on a linx on dash. Had another one doing 150 on a lab legal and my current one is pushing mid 150's and I had a hearing test done a few months ago.... here is the kicker ........ I think that they say the average person above approx 23 cant hear over 16,000 hz. I could hear 20khz still and i am 27 so my hearing is actually ABOVE average! As far as a 30 year span.... anybody's guess . But as far as instant or moderate term damage NO. Higher Freq kill your hearing a LOT quicker. One reason probably is due to the fact even at a 12khz note your ear drum has to move 12,000 times per second to pick it up. One more interesting thing about my hearing is with all of my loud systems I have never had super loud highs. I just let the bass drown them out. A few of my friends that have had loud highs and not much bass actually have massive hearing loss . Now I will say I am positive at a certain volume level even lower freq (under 50 to 55hz) will still kill your hearing... But i am sure it is at the 152 to 155 plus level on a lab. Which 99.9 percent of daily bumpers are not at this level. Even if you are I am not even sure this level is the point at which it happens, just haven't had the mid 150's long enough to see how it affects my hearing. Who knows could be 160's.... Hell last time I talked to mckinney (2008 drag finals) his hearing didn't seem bad honestly thinking about it. And he has had a 160 plus on a lab truck for a few years now. So honestly If you want to prove it to them. Use him as an example. I am sure over time his hearing will be totally shot. But figure at 160 plus he hasn't shown signs yet. Means at 150 (1/10th of the volume) you will be fine most likely into your 60 or 70's.

 

[vehementSPL 10+ year member]

and thinking about it more he has had ridiculously loud systems now for 10 years plus

 

[audioarsonal 10+ year member]

I don't believe low tones are what produce hearing loss.I think it is in the kHz range where hearing damage occurs.

 

[S.B.C. 10+ year member]

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/bv.fcgi?rid=hstat4.section.6170

 

[Xprime4 10+ year member]

i'm tired too of all the "you gonna be deaf" shit. Last time i did hearing check, I had perfect+ ears

I'm quite surprise when i'm pushing my substage full tilt and leaving the car without any "hearing loss symptoms"

A crowed place with a lot of noise give me ear ringing tough.

I remember seeing a curve on the internet with the ear sensivity for freqs. I remember than 20hz was a lot less sensitive than 1k. Somebody know what i'm talking about?

 

[S.B.C. 10+ year member]

i'm tired too of all the "you gonna be deaf" shit. Last time i did hearing check, I had perfect+ ears
I'm quite surprise when i'm pushing my substage full tilt and leaving the car without any "hearing loss symptoms"

A crowed place with a lot of noise give me ear ringing tough.

I remember seeing a curve on the internet with the ear sensivity for freqs. I remember than 20hz was a lot less sensitive than 1k. Somebody know what i'm talking about?

Obviously your vehicle isnt in the 150+ range....

Yes you can go deaf..

Dont be a tard..

g'day