Can Listening to High Frequencies Hurt Your Hearing?

[mr.skyrim_pc]

I was curious, so I did a frequency hearing test on youtube. I could hear the sound until around 17000hz. But I'm kind of worried now. Can listening to a frequency that high damage your hearing? Or is it just high volumes that hurt your hearing?

 

Any replies are appreciated.

[mcmad358]

I think both.

 

 

Google is you friend for this question!

[ForsakenLive]

As long as the volume is reasonable, there is no problem. But it's easy to not realize you might be a bit too loud with highs, so be careful .

[RelentlessAF]

Decibels are what will hurt your hearing not frequency.

[Arty]

all freq can burn your ears.

[mr.skyrim_pc]

all freq can burn your ears.

So its just high decibels?

[Enderman]

So its just high decibels?

yes

[Jeroen1322]

Yes it can, i read a great Reddit post that is kinda relevant about this: http://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/1dkzab/can_our_ears_be_harmed_by_sounds_we_cant_hear/

[Lays]

Apparently the most damaging frequencies are 2-4khz

[ShearMe]

High frequencies take less dB to damage hearing.

Also, don't trust that YouTube video alone - between the compression algorithms and your headphones themselves, the system as a whole might not even be producing anything above 17k. Go see a real audiologist do find out if you have worse than normal hearing loss.

[Lays]

High frequencies take less dB to damage hearing.

 

hi shermdinger

[mr.skyrim_pc]

High frequencies take less dB to damage hearing.

Also, don't trust that YouTube video alone - between the compression algorithms and your headphones themselves, the system as a whole might not even be producing anything above 17k. Go see a real audiologist do find out if you have worse than normal hearing loss.

I know youtube compression limits videos at 18khz. I have some $50 bose speakers. Could that be it? (really need to get some good headphones)

[ShearMe]

I have some $50 bose speakers. Could that be it?

It's at least a significant factor.

[BoredErica]

I would think that different frequencies damage our hearing at various levels, and that is based on the "equal loudness contour"... 80dB of a 20hz note doesn't sound as loud as 80dB of a 3khz note. So, the 3khz note would damage our ears more readily. (I think.) 

 

I am interested in the answer... because hearing loss is srs bzns.

[Stagea]

High frequencies take less dB to damage hearing.

Also, don't trust that YouTube video alone - between the compression algorithms and your headphones themselves, the system as a whole might not even be producing anything above 17k. Go see a real audiologist do find out if you have worse than normal hearing loss.

Agree. Men normally get more pronounced hearing deterioration as we grow older (presbycusis). Our sensitivity to higher frequencies suffer the most as this progresses.

Our hearing was at its finest when we were babies. It just goes downhill from there. Very few male adults can hear upto 20kHz unless you abnormally crank up the intensity. It is only when someone falls too far from the median that one's hearing is considered abnormal. Hearing aid use late in life is not abnormal, for example -- it is like the graying of the hair.

Aside from presbycusis, there is also a study that correlates interaural distance to hearing cutoff. The conclusion is that in most cases, the bigger the head, the lower the sensitivity to higher frequencies.

[BoredErica]

Agree. Men normally get more pronounced hearing deterioration as we grow older (presbycusis). Our sensitivity to higher frequencies suffer the most as this progresses. Our hearing was at its finest when we were babies. It just goes downhill from there. Very few male adults can hear upto 20kHz unless you abnormally crank up the intensity. It is only when someone falls too far from the median that one's hearing is considered abnormal. Hearing aid use late in life is not abnormal, for example -- it is like the graying of the hair. Aside from presbycusis, there is also a study that correlates interaural distance to hearing cutoff. The conclusion is that in most cases, the bigger the head, the lower the sensitivity to higher frequencies.

I wish I was a female. 

[Stagea]

I wish I was a female.

We all have our unique strengths and weaknesses. It just happens that the other gender has keener sensory perception.

[mr.skyrim_pc]

We all have our unique strengths and weaknesses. It just happens that the other gender has keener sensory perception.

Now that I think about it, I've never really seen a woman with hearing aids....

[creatip123]

I wish I was a female. 

 

Trading your hearing with sweaty days of bra wearing, and monthly 'visitor'?  :rolleyes:

 

 

Now that I think about it, I've never really seen a woman with hearing aids....

 

Awww come one, that's just plain sexist 

 

Of course there are women with hearing aids, just probably not statistically as much as men, considering what stagea said above. 

[BoredErica]

Trading your hearing with sweaty days of bra wearing, and monthly 'visitor'?  :rolleyes:

Actually, I've already lived life for two decades as a male. I kindda wish I could see what the world is like as a female anyways living a similar life.

 

...But that is totally off topic and a discussion for another day. 

[BoredErica]

Anyways: I have asked a question like this on HA. Hopefully they have an answer.

[mr.skyrim_pc]

Trading your hearing with sweaty days of bra wearing, and monthly 'visitor'? :rolleyes:

Awww come one, that's just plain sexist

Of course there are women with hearing aids, just probably not statistically as much as men, considering what stagea said above.

No I'm serious, it is really rare.

[pierrelucsav]

Youtube audio stops at 16 kHz. Find a better test somewhere else.

[mr.skyrim_pc]

Youtube audio stops at 16 kHz. Find a better test somewhere else.

I still heard a beep at 17khz tho.

[Lutkeveld]

 

Fletcher-munson curve. How lower the frequency, the more dB's you need to perceive it as equally loud. 

Our ears are meant for hearing voices in the first place, in this range (~3-4kHz) your hearing is damaged the easiest.