Wrong to listen to music with iem everyday ?

[hamikaze]

Hello after producing music for some hours I start having ear fatigue. And in every day I became more and more sensitive to high pitched sound.

I have been listening to music on IEM (shure) long before even starting producing music, is it safer to switch back to normal earphone ? Since I have them on during long long hours every day

Thanks !

[t3toooo]

IEM are very bad for the ears, headphones too but not so much.
I think the main problem is the volume, after a while i tend to listen louder. Best what you can do, if you have to use IEM/Headphones is to discipline yourself to listen on low volume and only turn it up occasionally.

[hamikaze]

but I mean what about IEM vs regular earphone (those who just sit on the ear and those go in a little bit but not sealed like IEM)

[chk071]

IEM are very bad for the ears, headphones too but not so much.
I think the main problem is the volume, after a while i tend to listen louder.

Yeah, that's the thing. It vastly depends on the volume you listen with those. There's no correct general statement about this or that being worse. It all comes down to the volume.

[fairlyclose]

use these to control the volume when using mobile devices - they cannot be too loud
https://www.etymotic.com/consumer/earphones/ek5.html
also twist when removing to gently relieve the pressure differential, otherwise you can have a sudden pressure change which stresses the eardrum

[el-bo (formerly ebow)]

IEM are very bad for the ears, headphones too but not so much.
I think the main problem is the volume, after a while i tend to listen louder.

Yeah, that's the thing. It vastly depends on the volume you listen with those. There's no correct general statement about this or that being worse. It all comes down to the volume.

It's not just about volume. Length of exposure will also cause damage

https://audiorecovery.com/blog/do-headp ... ring-loss/

Only using for shorter intervals, at very low volume levels is the way to lessen risk

[chk071]

The thing is, i doubt any of this is limited to headphone use, or, even, more specifically, restricted to in-ears. Ask the local handyman with the jackhammer.

[el-bo (formerly ebow)]

The thing is, i doubt any of this is limited to headphone use, or, even, more specifically, restricted to in-ears. Ask the local handyman with the jackhammer.

As per the article I linked to, it's not limited to headphone use. However, it is important for the op to understand (Everyone, really) that any type of headphone/earpod/iem, even at low volumes, will result in hearing damage if used for long durations

[chk071]

However, it is important for the op to understand (Everyone, really) that any type of headphone/earpod/iem, even at low volumes, will result in hearing damage if used for long durations

I think that's nonsense, but, hey, i surely won't discuss that with you here. The problem is the volume. And, of course, the period of time you are exposed to the volume. Regardless of headphones, speakers, jackhammers, or car horns in a traffic jam. It also differs from human to human. And... life also ultimately gives you a hearing damage, most definitely more severe than anything you could "achieve" with listening to music on a moderate volume with headphones.

[DJ Warmonger]

The advantage of in-ear headphones is that you can listen at much lower levels and still hear the music clearly.

...or you just forget to tweak your levels and are suprised by the fact that loud music damages hearing?

[chk071]

The advantage of in-ear headphones is that you can listen at much lower levels and still hear the music clearly.

That, and you also have the capability of producing much bass pressure. I used in-ears which doesn't have those rubber domes before that, and, there was always the issue of the lack of "immediacy" and directness of the sound, because they just didn't stick in auditory canal, if you will.

[el-bo (formerly ebow)]

However, it is important for the op to understand (Everyone, really) that any type of headphone/earpod/iem, even at low volumes, will result in hearing damage if used for long durations

I think that's nonsense