Turn That Noise Down!
By Wes Phillips September 3, 2006 — Yes, we've reported on this before, but it bears repeating—especially if you didn't hear us because you were playing your iPod too loud: Prolonged exposure to loud music can damage your hearing.

The reason for this particular cautionary lecture? A recent article in Malaysia's New Straits Times, which quotes ENT specialist Dr. Kuljit Singh: "Constant use of earphones, especially from listening to iPods, can cause loss of hearing, especially among the young who use it for prolonged periods. . . . In five years, I will be seeing people who used maximum volumes just to listen to their music."

Quoted in the same article, Dr. Siti Zamratol Mai-Sarah Mukar, head associate professor of University of Kebangsaan Malaysia's Audiology and Speech Sciences department, cited many new developments that caused increased concern among hearing professionals, including that favorite punching bag of the audiophile community, digital technology: "Before, with analog technology, there would be distortions in the music when you turn up the volume."

Dr. Singh gave some simple guidelines to knowing when you've been listening too loud for too long, including difficulty in following a conversation, hearing what is being said over TV, or being able to detect sound quality.

We want to keep all of our readers paying attention to that last one—you might even say we're counting on it.