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Just Wear Headphones

mattblodgett.com

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Re: Just Wear Headphones

#91

Post by kylec »

MetaCosm wrote: post #88
kylec wrote: post #87

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Getting to some sad points. Again, I hate open office plans, but come on -- really -- the feeling of vulnerability being caused by headphones? It is caused by an open office layout. "Just wear headphones" is a common response when people explain the issues they have with open offices. This post explains the downsides to wearing headphones in an open office, including the fact that blocking your hearing can make you…

It is a point, just a very "sad point" on top of a long series of nonsense ones. Open offices are AWFUL, but so is that article. Just because I agree with the underlying point doesn't mean I have to agree with tortured logic.

I wouldn't call it "tortured logic", all his points are valid. Of course, there are ways you can listen to headphones 8 hours a day without getting hearing loss, and there is music you can listen to that isn't distracting or imparing your cognitive function, and there are a lot of people that are perfectly fine sitting in a room with a bunch of other people that they can't see or hear, but I think these are valid issues that at least some people that wear headphones in open offices might encounter.

Re: Just Wear Headphones

#92

Post by chadgeidel »

freditup wrote: post #74
drzaiusapelord wrote: post #54

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Uh, seriously? Right now we have a huge public health issue with young people and hearing loss. It isn't some scam. Turns out the ipod/iphone revolution came with some external costs. http://learningenglish.voanews.com/content/one-billion-young... "If a person takes a subway to go from one place to the other for half an hour in the morning and a half an hour in the evening, and every day has to turn up the volume on…

Would noise-cancelling headphones help address this? I imagine you can listen to music at a safer level if background noise is eliminated.

Purely anecdotal, but in my opinion in-ear-monitors (like the Sure or Etymotics) are much better at blocking out sounds than an active noise cancelling headphone like the Bose QCs.

Re: Just Wear Headphones

#93

Post by mpdehaan2 »

MetaCosm wrote: post #81

I HATE open offices, but man is this article full of absolute nonsense. I mean that in a very literal way -- it has lots of stuff that can not be made sense of because it lacks context or any actual meaning. > I stress to my patients and the parents of my patients that if you can’t hear anything going on around you when listening to headphones, the decibel level is too high. This is just stupid. It ignores type of he…

I am a big fan of the music quality of in-ear headphones like Shures or Westones or Etys, but I'm pretty sure it's still causing some hearing damage.

My hearing is a lot better now but when I listened to them all the time, the ringing got to be pretty bad. Since working from home and not listening to them so much, it's gotten better - I'm not sure it's repairable though, so this may not be 100% accurate.

They are also a bit uncomfortable to use for long periods of time.

"Just use headphones" is a bit of a "screw you" when said to employees, because their employers were too cheap to buy or too controlling to want adequate office furniture.

My best cubes were 10 years ago and everything is getting worse (louder and smaller and privacy trending to zero) to the point where working from home is much more tolerable.

Companies should realize that investing in employees pays huge dividents, and an extra few thousand in furniture might improve their output many many times over.

Re: Just Wear Headphones

#94

Post by paublyrne »

dominotw wrote: post #56
hoggle wrote: post #29

At age 32 my hearing is apparently at the level of a 66 year old. I'm not much of a concert attender nor drug user so the only real explanation the doctor could give for my disappointing audiogram was my habit of regularly working with headphones on (I always took care of moderate volume, mind you). I wasn't expecting this result at all, I actually thought my hearing was perfect but hearing loss starts at the highest…

Thats crazy, I am sorry. Is the hearing loss irreversible ?

Hearing loss is indeed irreversible.

So take good care of your ears, don't be complacent. (I'm a drummer)

Re: Just Wear Headphones

#95

Post by joesmo »

MetaCosm wrote: post #81

I HATE open offices, but man is this article full of absolute nonsense. I mean that in a very literal way -- it has lots of stuff that can not be made sense of because it lacks context or any actual meaning. > I stress to my patients and the parents of my patients that if you can’t hear anything going on around you when listening to headphones, the decibel level is too high. This is just stupid. It ignores type of he…

Yup. You're right about all your audio points. There is no way the Etymotics are damaging your hearing. If you leave the music off, they're excellent ear plugs. Speaking of ear plugs, that might be a great solution for certain people who are bothered by noise. I know at least a couple of engineers who use them. Of course, this is no way excuses open office plans and their stupid design, consequences, and proponents.

Re: Just Wear Headphones

#98

Post by mpdehaan2 »

MetaCosm wrote: post #84
mondoshawan wrote: post #70

Earlier quoted context omitted.

How about both? Taking BART into SF for an hour every day, then wearing headphones the entire workday because of the open floor plan. I do this now -- pretty worried about my hearing...

Focus on noise isolation. Using ER-4P ( https://www.etymotic.com/consumer/earphones/er4.html ) with triple-flange tips is about the best you can get. Better even than $1000+ customs (exception made for Noble silicon customs).

I mostly have experience with Westone or Shure's, but I like Comply foam tips a lot better - more comfortable, anyway. Worth checking out.

http://www.complyfoam.com/

Re: Just Wear Headphones

#100

Post by wl »

[deleted] wrote: post #78
drzaiusapelord wrote: post #54

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Uh, seriously? Right now we have a huge public health issue with young people and hearing loss. It isn't some scam. Turns out the ipod/iphone revolution came with some external costs. http://learningenglish.voanews.com/content/one-billion-young... "If a person takes a subway to go from one place to the other for half an hour in the morning and a half an hour in the evening, and every day has to turn up the volume on…

[deleted]

Prolonged use of opioids in high doses can cause permanent damage to the inner ear. Rush Limbaugh famously abused oxycontin and that's likely why he had to get cochlear implants.
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