Some ear cleaning can be made at home, periodically, using a plastic syringe (without the needle of course) with water to carefully wash it. Smaller pieces of wax can be removed this way, while large pieces requires a doctor in general.

You are having some hearing loss since you was a child, as babies listen more frequencies than a 8 years old boy. But the medical exame for hearing only considers hearing loss when it reachs some levels in a chart.

Headphoes can be a bit dangerous if do not isolate well the noises of outside, forcing the user to raise the volume.

Sometimes I wish I wasn't so perfectionist, cause I don't tolerate headphones anymore, since all sound encapsulated and artificial for me, when compared to natural open sound of fine speakers.  To give a example, my brain also don't tolerate the HD broadcast digital signal of open TV in my country. I notice all digital compression artefacts and banding effect, where should be a natural gradient on image, especially on medium to dark scens, and got trully pissed off. And for digital TV iteself... no model came close of any decency for me.  I just stopped of watching TV after digital broadcast dominated everything.

I don't even go to stores anymore to test headphones, cause the seller feel probably bad with me saying the models (best they have) sound bad, and will think and just mocking hin.

I once had an earwax "seal" form (probably from in-ear monitor use) that was initially misdiagnosed as a much more serious problem. It freaked me the hell out; facing major hearing loss in my left ear. Went to a different otolaryngologist who spotted the problem immediately and let me tell you...even just a few days in, the removal of the blockage was a damn near religious experience.

I like to think I had a healthy respect beforehand, but since then I have been VERY careful with my hearing, having  realized how dramatically the loss or modification of it would effect me. If you're spending any regular time (like practice) on them, do yourself a favor a get a nice set of cans. Open ones tend to sound nicer, but sealed will help with any ambient noise, should you need it. You'll spend some money if you're doing it right, but I promise you won't regret it

As promised, here is update from my visit to ENT:

1. I had raisin sized chunks of wax removed
2. my hearing (after cleaning) is normal, except slight age-appropriate drop in the 4400 range
3. my tinnitus episode (10 hours) was likely the wax forming a seal.
4. I don't really have tinnitus any more
5. she emphatically stated that headphones, per se, are not a problem.  Only the volume is.
6. the decibels i am using in my headphones (average of 56db), for periods of about two hours nightly, are not a concern.

In sum: all is good.

Thanks for all your help, and I hope this report helps you in turn.

steve200

This may sound strange, but I think you get the best sound by using open headphones and speakers at the same time.

Actually, this is not strange at all.  What you are experiencing is a quasi-delay effect of about 10 milliseconds between your open-backed headphones and your speakers whose sound takes approximately 1 millisecond per foot distance between speakers and your ears.

In a different thread in the Pianoteq forum, I stated how I enjoy playing music through open-backed AKG K-702 headphones and powered subwoofer to much the same effect (to the dismay of my wife who is absolutely convinced I am going crazy(!)), except I am shooting to get the visceral feeling from the subwoofer instead of a quasi-delay effect from full range loudspeakers.

Cheers,

Joe

If you're the kind of person that's thinking about this at all, I wouldn't worry about headphone use. The problems are arising from vastly different usage patterns (and ignorance)...i.e. cranked earbuds 7-8 hours a day. Instead, pick up a good set of earplugs (like the 'flat' response ones etymotics and now a bunch of other companies offer) and put them on a keychain so they're with you EVERYWHERE ELSE. Busy streets, crowded restaurants or bars, work areas, and of course anywhere loud music is playing; there are a lot of places you'll find unhealthy ambient noise levels that will do much more damage to your hearing than restrained headphone use. I cannot tell you how often I've been glad to have mine

steve200 wrote:

Sorry... another update.

The android app i am using is called Sound Meter.  I like it because it captures min/avg/max, and shows a graph.

At my keyboard, with the lower volume level i'd use when really playing (exercises can be much lower), I had:
  Avg: 48  Max 78

At the highest volume I'd use, I had:
  Avg: 56 Max 78

If play against a backing track, at the higher volume, I had:
  Avg 57 Max 78

steve200

Here is a nice "quick and dirty" reference:  A household gasoline-powered lawnmower (running, of course) emits approximately 85 decibels from a distance of 5 feet from the motor.  I remember this fact from an OSHA meeting on noise pollution, when I was still employed as a Metallurgical Engineer in the steel industry -- now retired.  OSHA (the Occupational Safety & Health Act) specifies no more than 30 minutes' exposure per 8 hour work shift of this continuous sound pressure level before mandating hearing protection.

Cheers,

Joe

Right and if I remember correctly, every increase of 3 db's equates to a doubling of the sound intensity - sound energy impacting upon your eardrum - so an increase of 10 db's roughly equates to a tenfold increase in energy. But a 10 db increase is perceived (subjectively, i.e. by an average listener) as only a doubling of volume. So for example if someone listens at the critical level of 85 db's (which for most of us is way too high) but then doubles the volume by increasing it to 95 db's the tenfold increase in sound energy could result in permanent hearing damage very quickly. That is, the potential damage occurs much more rapidly than you would expect using just your own hearing as a guide. Here I'm assuming (without any clinical testing to back me up) that hearing damage is directly related to sound intensity, and that any pain you might experience that would motivate you to take steps to protect your hearing is more related to volume perception than it is to sound intensity. I may be entirely wrong about this, but am not going to be testing it out on myself! I would stay around 65db max most of the time.

Sorry... another update.

The android app i am using is called Sound Meter.  I like it because it captures min/avg/max, and shows a graph.

At my keyboard, with the lower volume level i'd use when really playing (exercises can be much lower), I had:
  Avg: 48  Max 78

At the highest volume I'd use, I had:
  Avg: 56 Max 78

If play against a backing track, at the higher volume, I had:
  Avg 57 Max 78

steve200

Here is a nice "quick and dirty" reference:  A household gasoline-powered lawnmower (running, of course) emits approximately 85 decibels from a distance of 5 feet from the motor.  I remember this fact from an OSHA meeting on noise pollution, when I was still employed as a Metallurgical Engineer in the steel industry -- now retired.  OSHA (the Occupational Safety & Health Act) specifies no more than 30 minutes' exposure per 8 hour work shift of this continuous sound pressure level before mandating hearing protection.

Cheers,

Joe

It is entirely possible that your slight tinnitus has nothing to do with how much you listen to music or are exposed to loud environments. Few humans are perfect

Personally I do have quite sensitive ears, so I always wear ear-plugs at gigs and stuff. I always encourage people to set good educational standards to those around them with regards to sound levels - I always cringe when I hear people on public transport with earbuds blaring away, byebye ears. If you grow up doing that, and going to gigs/clubs on a regular basis without ear-plugs it is inevitable you will develop tinnitus and hearing damage earlier on in life. There are next to no rules on how loud a venue can be, and very little information on how you can cause yourself hearing damage. Don't get me wrong, loud music is great! Just be wary of exposure.

The android app i am using is called Sound Meter.  I like it because it captures min/avg/max, and shows a graph.

At my keyboard, with the lower volume level i'd use when really playing (exercises can be much lower), I had:
  Avg: 48  Max 78

At the highest volume I'd use, I had:
  Avg: 56 Max 78

If play against a backing track, at the higher volume, I had:
  Avg 57 Max 78

steve200

Just did it.  Definitely louder than listening to music on my laptop.

A volume I consider at the low end of exceptable, to hear and feel what I am playing, was coming in at highs of around 65.

The volume I'd like to play at, if left to my own devices, was coming in with highs near 75.

The speakers were similar.

steve200

I have scheduled an ENT appt for a couple of weeks.  Will let you know. 

The tinnitus has definitely calmed down, and I am back to using my headphones.

Meanwhile, I loaded two different decibel meter apps into my android phone.  I did my best to confirm they were reasonably calibrated.

For listening to tunes on my laptop i have a hefty pair of sennheiser outside-the-ear headphones.

I pulled one of the two ear pieces off the head piece, so i could make a tight sandwich of the two speakers with my phone mic in between.

I played music into my headphones that i considered loud... louder than I ever listen to.  The decibels were at 60 or so.  When I reduced to my usual level of comfort, which is about 10-15% of my laptop volume, it was something like 45 or 50.  This was at normal conversation levels.

When I maxed out the volume on my laptop --way way louder than I'd ever think of using-- still the db meter was under 80.  Apparently chronic exposure to 85 is the level damage can start happening.

I plan to bring my laptop and db meter to ENT to demonstrate the levels i listen at, if they are amenable.

steve200

You are right, in that your ears have a flatter frequency response at louder levels, so things sound better louder to a certain extent (around 85db). But, I always limit my listening time at these volumes. Basically, make sure you take breaks, and periods of much lower levels. You can feel if your ears are tired. Most people get tinnitus at they grow older, though most only notice it once it gets really bad. So it's good to realise any damage early and mitigate it