- Caring for our ears include choosing the right headphone that suits your needs. Headphones are classified into four categories depending on purpose and style.
- Earbuds
- In-ear
- Circumaural
- Supra-aural
Because of the inventions of so many latest listening devices, owning one kind of headphone becomes a necessity. We tend to buy certain type that can give us the sense to appreciate the music more. Basically, the use of headphone is to eliminate outside noise. That is ok as long as you don't exceed to the maximum volume our ears can accept which practically depends on your listening device. Otherwise, your hearing will be impaired. 80 db (decibels) is said to be the threshold of hearing damage. You can basically loss hearing immediate to 130 db. Just to give youan idea, 100 db is the sound of a hungry baby.
An ipod for example is producing 100-115 decibels. It is advisable to use at 60% volume up to 60 minutes and then rest from listening. Over-the-ear or supra-aural headphones like akg headphones at musicians friend are healthier to use than earbuds. Why? The style itself can reduce the ambient noise which will then make you use smaller amount of volume. Though it is expensive but it is definitely worth it.
Another thing, avoid using headphones when exercising because it can affect our circulation. But if you still want to reduce the noise coming from your surrounding by listening to your running music, make sure to limit the volume up to 50% for a maximum of 30 minutes.
If you have hearing problems, consult your doctor if you can use one of these headphones.