Best headphones that protect your hearing?

[sparcly]

Which headphones do you feel are best at preventing hearing loss/protecting your hearing, while still sounding good, and not having to turn down too much? Trying to avoid post-practice ringing, but I like it loud and immersive!

I've read that open or semi-open headphones are the ones to look at, but that most people end up cranking them louder to compensate for the lack of being sealed off.

thoughts??

thank you

 

[Jim C]

If you are saying which headphones sound good without being loud, I'd say Sony 7506
But that's just me; here come 100 other opinions
You've got to listen for yourself

 

[sparcly]

thanks jim! more like, which pair will ruin your hearing the least when worn for a long period of time at a loud volume? i'm thinking a semi-open rather than closed would cause less fatigue

 

[JakobT]

The only way to be sure of protecting your hearing is turning the volume down, regardless of the type of headphones.

 

[Jim C]

thanks jim! more like, which pair will ruin your hearing the least when worn for a long period of time at a loud volume? i'm thinking a semi-open rather than closed would cause less fatigue

I would think this would be hard to measure although I would contact an audiologist.
The question is more about how close the driver is to your eardrum based on X sound pressure level IMO.

Here is a guide based on OSHA requirements; this one is easier to read thn what's posted on the OSHA site:
[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]

 

[geesharp]

+1 what JacobT said above.

Any headphone will damage your hearing if you wear it the way you described: "worn for a long period of time at loud volume"

I have AKG K240, but I limit my use to maybe once a week... when I practice at night. I don't want to use it too often and
when I use, it I don't turn up the volume high.

 

[sparcly]

+1 what JacobT said above.

Any headphone will damage your hearing if you wear it the way you described: "worn for a long period of time at loud volume"

I have AKG K240, but I limit my use to maybe once a week... when I practice at night. I don't want to use it too often and
when I use, it I don't turn up the volume high.

thanks guys... was somewhat playing dumb in hopes someone was able to defy physics but also i wonder if the type of frequencies make a difference. bass versus treble. probably not. i always wore earplugs when playing shows, so when practicing i still have a tendency to be more used to the sound of cranked headphones while wearing earplugs underneath. is that weird? i'm just used to adjusting for it.

either way, i ordered those AKG K240s a few days ago. excited to try them out in comparison to the closed back ones. even if it doesn't make a difference (i know... i'll turn down and play in shorter sessions

 

[Jim C]

Just by chance, I had my hearing tested about a year ago as I knew the audiologist from kids soccer.
As predicted I'm down a few dB at about 3-4K. I have been reasonably careful as a bass player, live soundman, and being a recoding engineer. OTOH, I just turned 61.

The chart is everything you want to know.
It all comes down to max SPL vs. time of exposure.
It is not frequency dependant.
As I recall, these measurments are made on the A scale, weighted, with average response time.

 

[geesharp]

(snipped)
either way, i ordered those AKG K240s a few days ago. excited to try them out in comparison to the closed back ones. even if it doesn't make a difference (i know... i'll turn down and play in shorter sessions

I like my AKG K240. It doesn't isolate outside noise as good as a closed model headphones since it's semi open.

However, this semi open design has, IMO, its own advantage... when I wear it, it's not as hot as a closed headphone one. I live in the tropics, so it matters to me... it may not matters to you, though

 

[sparcly]

Just by chance, I had my hearing tested about a year ago as I knew the audiologist from kids soccer.
As predicted I'm down a few dB at about 3-4K. I have been reasonably careful as a bass player, live soundman, and being a recoding engineer. OTOH, I just turned 61.

The chart is everything you want to know.
It all comes down to max SPL vs. time of exposure.
It is not frequency dependant.
As I recall, these measurments are made on the A scale, weighted, with average response time.

thanks jim, that's good to know. i have been reasonably careful since i started playing as a teenager but there have been many occasions where i'd end up in a situation with loud music, sirens going off, etc, without being able to prepare first.

i wonder if just living in the city has me f'd