Portable Mp3 player is one of the popular trend these days. New MP3 player, with unique design and better features, come out every week. The price also become cheaper and cheaper, so there’s almost no reason not to get one for yourself. But almost is not perfect. Actually, there’s one problem with MP3 player and it’s coming from the headphone, one of the important part on portable MP3 player.

So what’s wrong with headphone?

First, according to a study published last year in the journal Ear and Hearing, Dr. Brian Flgor of Harvard Medical School, concluded that, on average, the smaller the headphone, the higher their output levels at any given volume control setting. Unlike large headphone that cover the whole ears, small headphones, such as the insertable headphones type, increased sound levels by up to nine decibels. That may not seem like much, but because decibels are measured in logarithmic units, it can mean the difference between the noise output of an alarm clock (about 80 decibels) and that of a lawnmower (about 90 decibels). Listening to loud sound in a long time like this might cause you to loss your hearing.

The other problem, from a second study, is that insertable headphones are not as efficient at blocking background noise as some larger ones that cover the ear, so there is more incentive to turn up the volume.

A study of iPod users between 18 and 54 in Australia last month by the National Acoustic Laboratory in Sydney, found that about a quarter of the people surveyed kept their iPods at volumes that could cause long-term hearing damage.

Of course, the easiest solution to avoid hearing loss is using larger headphone (since usually the headphones bundled with portable MP3 player is the small one) like this one. And if still using the small one, just reduce the volume level.

[ Source ]