Guide to Safe-Listening Earphones
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%TYMOTIC%49s+IDSEARPHONESARETHEBESTCHOICEFORSAFELISTENING .ORISKOFHEARINGDAMAGE Guide to Safe-Listening Earphones %49s+IDSEARPHONES IFUSEDATMAXIMUMVOLUME ARESAFEFORUPTOFOURHOURSPERDAYLISTENING TOTHELOUDESTROCKRECORDINGSAVAILABLE7ITHMOSTMUSIC %49s+IDSARESAFEFORHOURS %TYMOTICDESIGNEDTHE%49s+IDSEARPHONESTOBESAFEFORMORETHANHOURSPERDAYUSING the current popular portable music players at MAXIMUMVOLUME This means parents don’t have to monitor sound levels or the amount of time kids listen. (IGH DElNITIONSOUNDQUALITY %49s+IDSEARPHONESHAVEANEXTREMELYSMOOTHFREQUENCYRESPONSE4HEYAREREDUCED SENSITIVITY EARPHONES NOTELECTRONIC LIMITINGEARPHONESWHICHTYPICALLYDEGRADESOUNDQUALITY 4HISMEANS KIDSCANEXPEREINCETHEIRMUSIC GAMESANDMOVIESASTHEYWEREMEANTTOBEHEARD www.etykids.com About Etymotic Research The word “Etymotic” means true-to-the-ear. With deep roots in the hearing industry, Etymotic has designed innovative products to measure, enhance and protect hearing for almost 30 years. Audio engineers, audiologists and musicians working together have generated over 100 patents issued and pending. We believe everyone deserves to hear for a lifetime. The purpose of this guide is to help parents choose safe-listening earphones for 3CANTHE%49s+IDS12CODEORVISIT http://m.magmito.com/ETY/etykids children. The fi rst step in preventing hearing damage is understanding the risks of 2010 Safe-in-Sound Award for with your mobile phone and download the Innovation in Hearing Loss Prevention &2%%%TYMOTIC%49s+IDSAPPTOLEARNMORE cluding stock earbuds that come with portable players. Awarded jointly by the National Institute for $ONTHAVEA12READER various types of earphones, in /CCUPATIONAL3AFETYAND(EALTH.)/3( ANDTHE 6ISITDIDMOCOMQRTODOWNLOADONE National Hearing Conservation Association. to your phone today. ER051510 100191 YDS Buyer Guide Proof.indd 1 12/30/11 1:57 PM Noise is everywhere 4HEIMPORTANCEOFIN EARNOISE ISOLATINGEARPHONES Rocket launch Today’s tech-connected kids live in a high-def world. The main reason listeners of all ages turn up the volume 4HEYEXPERIENCE"LU RAY SURROUND SOUND LIFE LIKECOMPUTER is to block out distracting background noise. In a research !Choose in-ear graphics and 3-D movies. They are bombarded by sound from study conducted with different types of earphones, noise-isolating Shotgun blast Time to reach daily exposure limit television, toys, game consoles, music players and in-vehicle 100 college students were instructed to set the volume earphones to prevent hearing loss entertainment systems. They play in garage bands, school Firecracker of music on a portable player to their preferred listening that seal the ears. bands and drumlines and they go to concerts and sporting without withLEVEL)NQUIET MOSTSTUDENTSCHOSESAFELEVELS BUTAS Rifle blast EVENTSWHERESOUNDOFTENEXCEEDSSAFELEVELS Jet engine earplugs background noise increased, most raised the volume level to overcome the noise. When they wore in-ear earphones Earphone Response Comparison Jackhammer Brands most popular with kids vs. ET that sealed the ears, the majority chose safe levels140 Ambulance siren Marching Band 130 7HATISIMPORTANTTOKIDS regardless of background noise level. Brand A Drumline rehearsal 120 Brand B Chain saw/Jetski Blues bar/Rock concert 110 Many kids follow trends and are influenced by their siblings, dB SPL Loud sporting event Concert band 100 Brand C friends, advertising, rock stars and popular personalities. Snowmobile Symphony orchestra 7HATCANPARENTSDO ! 90 Choose earphones Certain brands can even be a fashion statement. Motorcycle/Subway Orchestra pit 80 Power mower Parents choose gear for young children. Many parents that are designed for 70 Loud traffic 10 100 safe listening.1000 10000 Noisy restaurant understand the importance of limiting sound levels and Frequency (Hz) (OWMUCHISTOOMUCH EXPOSURETIME BUTMOSTAREUNSUREHOWTOMANAGETHEIR Sw!%Sine - 300mV Dr'e Vacuum cleaner kids’ listening. While children are young, one thing Washing machine It depends on how loud the sound is and how long you parents can influence is the kind of earphones kids +$'$% #&$ listen. The louder the sound is, the less time you can safely Normal conversation use with their portable players. Stock earbuds 130 120 LISTENTOIT3OUNDLEVELSOFD"ARECONSIDEREDSAFEFOR supplied with portable devices can produce % #&s damaging levels of sound. 110 HOURSPERDAYHOURSPERWEEK &OREVERY D"INCREASE L 100 in the sound level, the permissible listening time decreases Quiet office dB SP 90 BYHALFD"ISALLOWEDFORHOURSPERDAYHOURSPER If parents promote safe listening at an early age, there is a greater likelihood that good habits will 80 WEEK D"FORHOURSPERDAYHOURSPERWEEK AND Whisper 70 100 10001000 10000 SOON-ANYCOMMONSOUNDEXPOSURESARESOLOUDTHATSAFE be established, so that a pattern of listening at Frequency (Hz) LISTENINGTIMEISVERYSHORT$RUMLINEREHEARSALSD" loud levels does not become their norm. Sw!%Sine -300mV Dr'e are safe for less than 3 minutes per week without hearing Leaves rustling PROTECTIONLOUDSPORTINGEVENTSD" ARESAFEFORLESS THANMINUTESPERWEEKWITHOUTHEARINGPROTECTION Decibel Level 7HENEARPHONESAREUNSAFE !Choose earphones Children do not have a reference for “loud” and do not with safe sound output understand the long-term risks. Children’s ears are too and smooth frequency Type of Noise valuable to take any risks. If music only reaches high response. headphones/earphones Reduction levels occasionally, the risk of hearing damage is low. Stock earbuds "UT EARPHONESCANCAUSEHEARINGDAMAGEIFSOUND !CTIVENOISE CANCELING remains constant at high levels for long periods. If parents can hear sound from a few feet away, On-the ear HEADPHONEShave battery-powered circuitry that detects and cancels they are potentially dangerous. Earphone Response Comparison Brands most popular with kids vs. ET LOW FREQUENCYNOISEBYREVERSING 140 the phase of the signal. 130 Over-the-ear When buying safe-listening earphones, Brand A 120 look for uniform output across the sound Brand B 110 .OISE ISOLATINGEARPHONES spectrum. The drivers used in many dB SPL Brand C In-ear earphones provide various amounts of hearing stock earbuds and earphones geared 100 (non-sealing) 90 protection depending on their toward children have undesirable peaks ability to block outside sound. In-ear 80 THATDEGRADESOUNDQUALITYANDCAN In-ear noise-isolating earphones that seal the ears provide 70 PRODUCEHARMFULLEVELSATCERTAINFREQUENCIES 10 100 1000 10000 earphones twice as much noise isolation as Frequency (Hz) (seal the ears) Sw!%Sine - 300mV Dr'e active noise-canceling headphones. Claims stating that earphones are safe should be backed by science. +$'$% #&$ 130 120 % #&s 110 100191 YDS Buyer Guide Proof.indd 2 L 12/30/11 1:57 PM 100 dB SP 90 80 70 100 10001000 10000 Frequency (Hz) Sw!%Sine -300mV Dr'e Noise is everywhere 4HEIMPORTANCEOFIN EARNOISE ISOLATINGEARPHONES Rocket launch Today’s tech-connected kids live in a high-def world. The main reason listeners of all ages turn up the volume 4HEYEXPERIENCE"LU RAY SURROUND SOUND LIFE LIKECOMPUTER is to block out distracting background noise. In a research !Choose in-ear graphics and 3-D movies. They are bombarded by sound from study conducted with different types of earphones, noise-isolating Shotgun blast Time to reach daily exposure limit television, toys, game consoles, music players and in-vehicle 100 college students were instructed to set the volume earphones to prevent hearing loss entertainment systems. They play in garage bands, school Firecracker of music on a portable player to their preferred listening that seal the ears. bands and drumlines and they go to concerts and sporting without withLEVEL)NQUIET MOSTSTUDENTSCHOSESAFELEVELS BUTAS Rifle blast EVENTSWHERESOUNDOFTENEXCEEDSSAFELEVELS Jet engine earplugs background noise increased, most raised the volume level to overcome the noise. When they wore in-ear earphones Earphone Response Comparison Jackhammer Brands most popular with kids vs. ET that sealed the ears, the majority chose safe levels140 Ambulance siren Marching Band 130 7HATISIMPORTANTTOKIDS regardless of background noise level. Brand A Drumline rehearsal 120 Brand B Chain saw/Jetski Blues bar/Rock concert 110 Many kids follow trends and are influenced by their siblings, dB SPL Loud sporting event Concert band 100 Brand C friends, advertising, rock stars and popular personalities. Snowmobile Symphony orchestra 7HATCANPARENTSDO ! 90 Choose earphones Certain brands can even be a fashion statement. Motorcycle/Subway Orchestra pit 80 Power mower Parents choose gear for young children. Many parents that are designed for 70 Loud traffic 10 100 safe listening.1000 10000 Noisy restaurant understand the importance of limiting sound levels and Frequency (Hz) (OWMUCHISTOOMUCH EXPOSURETIME BUTMOSTAREUNSUREHOWTOMANAGETHEIR Sw!%Sine - 300mV Dr'e Vacuum cleaner kids’ listening. While children are young, one thing Washing machine It depends on how loud the sound is and how long you parents can influence is the kind of earphones kids +$'$% #&$ listen. The louder the sound is, the less time you can safely Normal conversation use with their portable players. Stock earbuds 130 120 LISTENTOIT3OUNDLEVELSOFD"ARECONSIDEREDSAFEFOR supplied with portable devices can produce % #&s damaging levels of sound. 110 HOURSPERDAYHOURSPERWEEK &OREVERY D"INCREASE L 100 in the sound level, the permissible listening time decreases Quiet office dB SP 90 BYHALFD"ISALLOWEDFORHOURSPERDAYHOURSPER If parents promote safe listening at an early age, there is a greater likelihood that good habits will 80 WEEK D"FORHOURSPERDAYHOURSPERWEEK