kevinhcraig Posted May 27, 2011 Share Posted May 27, 2011 I have been experiencing some ear pain lately after just a few minutes of listening to my setup at high volumes. I am not sure if this is due to my speakers, receiver, room setup, or something else. The speakers are low end reference series - do I need to go higher end? The room is about 12 by 15, and it opens up to the kitchen area. The floor is terracotta tile. Any ideas on what might be causing this and how it can be alleviated? I know some people will say to toss my onkyo out the door, but I am hoping to avoid this if possible Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CECAA850 Posted May 27, 2011 Share Posted May 27, 2011 Get an SPL meter and see how loud you're actuall listening before you do anything else. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Groomlakearea51 Posted May 27, 2011 Share Posted May 27, 2011 "I have been experiencing some ear pain lately after just a few minutes of listening to my setup at high volumes" I would suspect that it may be "something else"..... Please be careful with your hearing and "high volumes"; you can end up with permanent damage to your ears. Sorry if I sound like I'm "preaching", but there's a lot of folks out there who are my friends who learned the hard way. [H] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kevinhcraig Posted May 27, 2011 Author Share Posted May 27, 2011 Thanks for the advice, and I definitely appreciate the concern. I will take your's and CECAA850's advice and measure just how loud I am listening. My instinct is that it is not dangerous levels, but I could be wrong. I usually turn the volume up just enough to where I can start to really feel the bass. What is the point of having a nice sound system if you cannot feel the power? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kevinhcraig Posted May 27, 2011 Author Share Posted May 27, 2011 Do you recommend any specific model? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fini Posted May 27, 2011 Share Posted May 27, 2011 Visit an audiologist, and an ENT. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LarryC Posted May 27, 2011 Share Posted May 27, 2011 Fini, you beat me to it -- Kevin, I think you should see an ENT physician, or at least an audiologist, and soon. I'd favor an ENT doc myself. If nothing else, get a baseline audiogram for future comparisons. The pain part also concerns me. Too many lose hearing as it is who don't have pain to warn them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators dtel Posted May 27, 2011 Moderators Share Posted May 27, 2011 Do you recommend any specific model? Radio shack has a couple. I doubt it's your speakers because to me even poor sounding speakers should not cause pain, unless your at ridiculous volumes. Get DB meter and if possible see a doctor, that doesn't sound right. Decibel (Loudness) Comparison Chart Here are some interesting numbers, collected from a variety of sources, that help one to understand the volume levels of various sources and how they can affect our hearing. Environmental Noise Weakest sound heard 0dB Whisper Quiet Library 30dB Normal conversation (3-5') 60-70dB Telephone dial tone 80dB City Traffic (inside car) 85dB Train whistle at 500', Truck Traffic 90dB Subway train at 200' 95dB Level at which sustained exposure may result in hearing loss 90 - 95dB Power mower at 3' 107dB Snowmobile, Motorcycle 100dB Power saw at 3' 110dB Sandblasting, Loud Rock Concert 115dB Pain begins 125dB Pneumatic riveter at 4' 125dB Even short term exposure can cause permanent damage - Loudest recommended exposure WITH hearing protection 140dB Jet engine at 100', Gun Blast 140dB Death of hearing tissue 180dB Loudest sound possible 194dB OSHA Daily Permissible Noise Level ExposureHours per day Sound level 8 90dB 6 92dB 4 95dB 3 97dB 2 100dB 1.5 102dB 1 105dB .5 110dB .25 or less 115dB Perceptions of Increases in Decibel LevelImperceptible Change 1dB Barely Perceptible Change 3dB Clearly Noticeable Change 5dB About Twice as Loud 10dB About Four Times as Loud 20dB Sound Levels of MusicNormal piano practice 60 -70dB Fortissimo Singer, 3' 70dB Chamber music, small auditorium 75 - 85dB Piano Fortissimo 84 - 103dB Violin 82 - 92dB Cello 85 -111dB Oboe 95-112dB Flute 92 -103dB Piccolo 90 -106dB Clarinet 85 - 114dB French horn 90 - 106dB Trombone 85 - 114dB Tympani & bass drum 106dB Walkman on 5/10 94dB Symphonic music peak 120 - 137dB Amplifier rock, 4-6' 120dB Rock music peak 150dB NOTES: One-third of the total power of a 75-piece orchestra comes from the bass drum. High frequency sounds of 2-4,000 Hz are the most damaging. The uppermost octave of the piccolo is 2,048-4,096 Hz. Aging causes gradual hearing loss, mostly in the high frequencies. Speech reception is not seriously impaired until there is about 30 dB loss; by that time severe damage may have occurred. Hypertension and various psychological difficulties can be related to noise exposure. The incidence of hearing loss in classical musicians has been estimated at 4-43%, in rock musicians 13-30%. Statistics for the Decibel (Loudness) Comparison Chart were taken from a study by Marshall Chasin , M.Sc., Aud©, FAAA, Centre for Human Performance & Health, Ontario, Canada. There were some conflicting readings and, in many cases, authors did not specify at what distance the readings were taken or what the musician was actually playing. In general, when there were several readings, the higher one was chosen. http://www.gcaudio.com/resources/howtos/loudness.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ironsave Posted May 27, 2011 Share Posted May 27, 2011 Get an SPL meter and see how loud you're actuall listening before you do anything else. Yep.... DEFINITELY +1..... You might be listening louder than you think, which can lead to hearing loss or damage. I am betting this is the case....... I like my music loud also, but I have been taming it down a bit, because I want to still hear Klipsch when I am 70....... Good Luck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fini Posted May 27, 2011 Share Posted May 27, 2011 Fini, you beat me to it -- Kevin, I think you should see an ENT physician, or at least an audiologist, and soon. I'd favor an ENT doc myself. If nothing else, get a baseline audiogram for future comparisons. The pain part also concerns me. Too many lose hearing as it is who don't have pain to warn them. I knew you'd back me up, Larry! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BorderCollie Posted May 27, 2011 Share Posted May 27, 2011 Do you recommend any specific model? Radio shack sells one for $40.00... As an individual who has perm hearing loss, it's no joke... Be careful... It doesn't come back... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
djk Posted May 27, 2011 Share Posted May 27, 2011 I convinced a freind to go to an ENT. He did, and found a hair touching the eardrum. The ENT suggested an MRI to look for a growth on the inside where the hair was touching. The MRI showed a growth. Treatment is being discussed. Please go see the ENT asap. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boxx Posted May 27, 2011 Share Posted May 27, 2011 I've been having the same problem, at times... It's tough to be so interesting... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DizRotus Posted May 27, 2011 Share Posted May 27, 2011 Is the pain in both ears, and, if so, to the same degree? In any case, the ENT advice is spot on or as JB would say, "Top notch." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
colterphoto1 Posted May 27, 2011 Share Posted May 27, 2011 Studio Six Digital has an iPhone app that is a Real Time Analyzer (search for RTA on iTunes) which also does SPL, and a separate SPL meter that looks just like the old Rat Shack meter. Cost $1.99 although there is an entry level into a whole suite of audio test tools for like 9.99. I use it all the time on and around stage, it's pretty accurate. Michael Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kevinhcraig Posted May 28, 2011 Author Share Posted May 28, 2011 Wow, thanks for all of your responses! Just to elaborate, the pain is very slight and it was right after listening to about 20 minutes of the dark knight cranked up to what I thought was a reasonable level. The discomfort lasted for a few hours and then was gone. I will probably go to an ENT as many of you have suggested and will DEFINITELY be more careful in the future. Next purchase: SPL meter! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JJkizak Posted May 28, 2011 Share Posted May 28, 2011 Sometimes a gig gob of earwax breaks loose because of heavy sound with hairs doing the paining. It kind of feels like you have a small tree stuck in there. JJK Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fini Posted June 6, 2011 Share Posted June 6, 2011 Sometimes a gig gob of earwax breaks loose because of heavy sound with hairs doing the paining. It kind of feels like you have a small tree stuck in there. JJK It's astonishing (and kinda gross) how much earwax can come out with a good cleaning. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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