Safety: In Ear Monitors vs Circumaural Headphones

[fallingreason]

My friend and I were discussing which would be safer for your ears, assuming both were being used at safe listening levels.

Does the positioning of the driver closer to the ear drum make a difference in safety??

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[Kitska]

x

 

[rEliseMe]

The driver for the ER insert earphones isn't in the earphones, though. It's in those boxy clips, if I'm not mistaken. In that case, the TDH supra-aural headphones are driving closer to the TM.

But at safe levels, I would say it didn't really matter.

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[Kitska]

rEliseMe -- I thought the same thing and responded initially that they are calibrated to give the same output level at the eardrum -- but I think this person is asking about something entirely different -- ear monitors, like musicians use, not the headphones we use to test hearing. I think this is about listening to music, not testing hearing.

I don't think it matters where the driver is, just what the sound level is at the eardrum. I would think that if one is listening to the same level it does not matter. I would think that circumaural are probably still capable of outputting a higher level (even if measured at the eardrum) because they have bigger drivers.

 

[fallingreason]

rEliseMe -- I thought the same thing and responded initially that they are calibrated to give the same output level at the eardrum -- but I think this person is asking about something entirely different -- ear monitors, like musicians use, not the headphones we use to test hearing. I think this is about listening to music, not testing hearing.

I don't think it matters where the driver is, just what the sound level is at the eardrum. I would think that if one is listening to the same level it does not matter. I would think that circumaural are probably still capable of outputting a higher level (even if measured at the eardrum) because they have bigger drivers.

Yes, sorry if I was not specific enough. I am referring to in-ear monitors used in the studio. My reason for asking is, I find in-ear monitors more comfortable than full-size over-ear headphones. One or the other must be used for hours on end at times and I am wondering what would be safest for my ears.

 

[Kitska]

Yes, sorry if I was not specific enough. I am referring to in-ear monitors used in the studio. My reason for asking is, I find in-ear monitors more comfortable than full-size over-ear headphones. One or the other must be used for hours on end at times and I am wondering what would be safest for my ears.

It is all about the output level, not the style. Check the OSHA permissible noise dose levels at: http://www.oshax.org/info/articles/decibel-levels You will see they say you can be exposed to 90 dBA for 8 hours. The NIOSH levels are more conservative -- recommend less exposure. See http://www.engineeringtoolbox.com/noise-exposure-level-duration-d_717.html

But the bottom line is, if you listen at roughly the same subjectively comfortable volume with each kind of headphone, it really shouldn't matter which ones you use.

 

[rEliseMe]

Is the in-ear monitor custom molded for your ear or is it one-size-fits-all?

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[fallingreason]

Is the in-ear monitor custom molded for your ear or is it one-size-fits-all?

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There are both types on the market. Single to 4 driver universal fit monitors go from $100 - $400 and 2 to 8 driver custom monitors go from $400 - $1300.

 

[rEliseMe]

I would say go with the custom in-ear for comfort's sake, with the caveat that I am also still a student.

Hearing aid users wear their earmolds up to 16ish hours a day, so it's not like it's unsafe. Just be careful what levels you send in there.

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[Kitska]

There are both types on the market. Single to 4 driver universal fit monitors go from $100 - $400 and 2 to 8 driver custom monitors go from $400 - $1300.

Just curious -- are you an audio engineer? Musician? I am a student too, so take my answers with that caveat. You could probably ask the audiologist who fitted you with the custom monitors the same question about safety.

One thing to watch for if you are wearing the customs all day is ear wax buildup. Since you don't give your ears a chance for the wax to come out slowly and naturally, there is the possibility for build up. It's not dangerous or dirty, but if there is too much it could start to plug your ears and interfere with hearing and sound fidelity. If you think you have wax, don't try to remove it with a Qtip -- that will just push it in further and make it harder to work its way out naturally and also that much more difficult to remove.

 

[fallingreason]

Just curious -- are you an audio engineer? Musician? I am a student too, so take my answers with that caveat. You could probably ask the audiologist who fitted you with the custom monitors the same question about safety.

One thing to watch for if you are wearing the customs all day is ear wax buildup. Since you don't give your ears a chance for the wax to come out slowly and naturally, there is the possibility for build up. It's not dangerous or dirty, but if there is too much it could start to plug your ears and interfere with hearing and sound fidelity. If you think you have wax, don't try to remove it with a Qtip -- that will just push it in further and make it harder to work its way out naturally and also that much more difficult to remove.

I am a musician but my IEM's are used during writing/mixing. I also use them for listening. I probably will try a pair of custom molded IEM's someday, but haven't been able to bite the bullet yet.

I do regularly remove the IEM's and let my ears breathe for 15-30min. This helps and I don't notice any excessive wax buildup. In fact, my IEM's rarely get that dirty... Maybe that's just the way my ears are?

For cleaning, I usually dry my ears after a warm shower with q-tips, but just by turning them between my fingers and wiping anything loose and soft out, nothing aggressive.

 

[cmc271]

The driver for the ER insert earphones isn't in the earphones, though. It's in those boxy clips, if I'm not mistaken. In that case, the TDH supra-aural headphones are driving closer to the TM.

But at safe levels, I would say it didn't really matter.

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Also off topic, but it's going to depend if you are using ER-3As with the long plastic tubes or the ER-5As with the insert attached to the driver at ear level.

 

[Kitska]

...For cleaning, I usually dry my ears after a warm shower with q-tips, but just by turning them between my fingers and wiping anything loose and soft out, nothing aggressive.

Well, it's really not recommended to actually put Qtips into your ear canal not only because you could hurt the delicate ear canal skin and eardrum (which you seem to be careful about), but because it ends up pushing the wax further in where it can't come out on its own. I have seen this happen to a person who, over time, ended up packing the wax in so tight, it was better than the best earplug on the market (same amount of hearing blockage as if they had no ear canal at all). It probably was somewhat painful having it removed by an ENT too, because there was a lot and it had hardened. So if you really, really can't resist the Q-tip, try to stick to using it only on the very outer edge of the ear canal.

 

[Dustbug10]

Well, it's really not recommended to actually put Qtips into your ear canal not only because you could hurt the delicate ear canal skin and eardrum (which you seem to be careful about), but because it ends up pushing the wax further in where it can't come out on its own. I have seen this happen to a person who, over time, ended up packing the wax in so tight, it was better than the best earplug on the market (same amount of hearing blockage as if they had no ear canal at all). It probably was somewhat painful having it removed by an ENT too, because there was a lot and it had hardened. So if you really, really can't resist the Q-tip, try to stick to using it only on the very outer edge of the ear canal.

Don't forget perilymph fistula.

The risks are inherent, but one cannot deny the eargasm. It's almost worth it.

 

[Kitska]

The risks are inherent, but one cannot deny the eargasm. It's almost worth it.

Guilty as charged!