is there any ANC headphone that physically can't produce audio lounder than 60 db?

e22big · March 3, 2021

Hey guy, just like the question said, do you happen to know any pair of ANC headphone that can be limited to just 60 db volumne? My workspace is noisy and I often rely on my ANC and lound music to just block off my office noise, I am doing this for years and now I am starting to feel worry about my hearing condition. I am having a tinnitus, a condition where you keep hearing this ringing sound in your head and as it can be related to hearing losses, I am getting seriously scare lately (to be fair, I have always had it for almost as long as I can remember.)

I can't just not use a headphone at work - I will lost my sanity long before my hearing otherwise but as I can't know exactly how many db a particular headphone produce at what volumn and I am thinking about taking something that hard limit itself to just 60 db with a good enough ANC performance to cancel the chatty noise.

Do you happen to know anything that fit my bill? (or may be any other way to make sure that ANC headphone never produce lounder than 60 db sound?

Noah0302 · March 3, 2021

I also have tinnitus, but it is not related to hearing loss. I did a test at my local doctor and the results were very good.

Before getting scared, id advise you to also do a hearing test.

But when it comes to you question, I use my Airpod Pros at work. My iPhone will show how loud the music was and warn me if it is over a specific threshhold.

e22big · March 3, 2021

1 hour ago, Noah0302 said:

I also have tinnitus, but it is not related to hearing loss. I did a test at my local doctor and the results were very good.

Before getting scared, id advise you to also do a hearing test.

But when it comes to you question, I use my Airpod Pros at work. My iPhone will show how loud the music was and warn me if it is over a specific threshhold.

Yeah.. I guess it's also probably that - I did have my health check up a few years ago and my hearing was very good (despite having tinnitus basically none-stop.)

Thanks for the advise though, guess I'll check that out, probably have to be the Pro Max as I always have issue wearing in-ear. Sign, I am actually not a fan of Appel product but I guess that's my only option for now.

Ahoy Hoy · March 3, 2021

23 minutes ago, e22big said:

Yeah.. I guess it's also probably that - I did have my health check up a few years ago and my hearing was very good (despite having tinnitus basically none-stop.)

Id maybe get a second opinion. Good hearing and tinnitus none stop shouldn't be in the same sentence.

(dumbing this down a bit) The way your hearing works is you have a load of nerve endings which give off signals when they hear a certain frequncy. Over time these nerve endings stop working. Thats hearing loss thats why the older you get the less you hear. But they can also be damaged by loud sounds. Sometimes when they get damaged they stop working, but other times they get stuck in permeant on. Thats tinitus when you have a damaged nerve ending constantly giving off the signal that its hearing something.

What ever that frequncy that nerve ending was supposed to hear you can no longer hear. But at the same time you also hear it none stop.

As a general warning for everyone. There is no treatment for this, this is something to think about and why you should look after your ears. Wear hearing protection. Dont play loud music constantly.

Back to this point
60dB is very quite.

My recommendation is get custom in ear moulded headphones made. In UK and Europe very cheap (£300). In USA very expensive due to healthcare and audiologists being very expensive (but remember national health care is hard to do only 34 of 35 major countries figured it out).
Custom moulds provide better noise isolation greater then was ANC can do. This means you wouldn't have the volume as loud to counteract the noise from the environment.
Its just better the ANC in every way as ANC is active it is playing a noise to counteract the environment noise. So if the outside world is 60dB the headphones play a 60dB noise to counteract it. ANC is also not the best at none regular sounds, its really good for engine noises like being on a plane but its not great talking and office noise. It works a bit but nothing like a repetitive sound.

e22big · March 4, 2021

15 hours ago, Ahoy Hoy said:

Id maybe get a second opinion. Good hearing and tinnitus none stop shouldn't be in the same sentence.

(dumbing this down a bit) The way your hearing works is you have a load of nerve endings which give off signals when they hear a certain frequncy. Over time these nerve endings stop working. Thats hearing loss thats why the older you get the less you hear. But they can also be damaged by loud sounds. Sometimes when they get damaged they stop working, but other times they get stuck in permeant on. Thats tinitus when you have a damaged nerve ending constantly giving off the signal that its hearing something.

What ever that frequncy that nerve ending was supposed to hear you can no longer hear. But at the same time you also hear it none stop.

As a general warning for everyone. There is no treatment for this, this is something to think about and why you should look after your ears. Wear hearing protection. Dont play loud music constantly.

Back to this point
60dB is very quite.

My recommendation is get custom in ear moulded headphones made. In UK and Europe very cheap (£300). In USA very expensive due to healthcare and audiologists being very expensive (but remember national health care is hard to do only 34 of 35 major countries figured it out).
Custom moulds provide better noise isolation greater then was ANC can do. This means you wouldn't have the volume as loud to counteract the noise from the environment.
Its just better the ANC in every way as ANC is active it is playing a noise to counteract the environment noise. So if the outside world is 60dB the headphones play a 60dB noise to counteract it. ANC is also not the best at none regular sounds, its really good for engine noises like being on a plane but its not great talking and office noise. It works a bit but nothing like a repetitive sound.