Researchers Brian Fligor and Cory Portnuff have done extensive studies on this and estimate that a typical person could safely listen to an iPod for 4.6 hours a day at 70 percent of full volume using the supplied earphones without greatly increasing the risk of hearing loss. However, they found that listening to an iPod at full volume for more than 5 minutes per day could significantly increase the risk of hearing loss in a typical person. And unlike other ailments, hearing loss is permanent! Imagine living your life without the ability to hear every nuance of a musical performance by your favorite artists. Fligor and Portnuff state that these guidelines apply in general to all other music players, not just the iPod.
This validates a separate study in which researchers found that only 6% of iPod users listening in quiet environments turned their iPods up to unsafe levels. However, in noisy environments, a full 80% listened at dangerous levels. When an “in-the-ear” earphone designed to block out background noise was used, only 20 percent of those tested exceeded sound levels considered to be risky. The moral here is simple: Loud music can cause life-long hearing problems. While listening to your favorite music at high levels might get you “in the zone,” keep in mind that your ears aren’t replaceable — they have to last a lifetime.