Noise-canceling headphonesoffer a tech bros solution to the world of sound.
The technology is generally considered good for your ears by reducing the overall noise levels youre exposed to.
Online forums are full of people complaining aboutear pain,nausea, andheadachesfrom noise-canceling headphones.
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However, thats not quite right either.
Using ANC likely means you dont have to drown out background noise by listening to music at high volumes.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says listening to loud sounds for long periods can lead tohearing impairment.
However, too much noise reduction could be problematic.
McAlpine says your brain overcompensates to ANC by turning up its internal gain.
He says this creates a listening loss, as operating at an increased sensitivity alters your neural pathways.
If you have a listening loss, its like changing your brains encryption, McAlpine said in an interview.
McAlpine describes what happens when people enter his universitys anechoic chamber, a virtually soundless environment.
He says people feel disoriented and describe a pressure in their head and ears.
The sensations are remarkably similar to when people use ANC.
Theres a disconnect between what youre experiencing and what youre hearing.
Intense sound damages your hearing, so there are situations where noise-canceling headphones benefit you, McAlpine said.
At the same time, background noisefeatures of the soundscapeare critical to orienting yourself in an environment.
A 2012studyfrom McAlpines coauthor on Hidden Hearing Loss asked 17 subjects to wear earplugs for a week.
So while ANC can be good for your ears, it could be altering your brains listening ability.
The truth is, theres a tradeoff every time you use ANC.
Youre hearing the world at a different sensitivity, what McAlpine calls an altered gain state.
Spending enough time in this state can make it difficult for your brain to listen at normal audio levels.
Their solution to the hearing problem is probably creating a listening problem.
Origins of the Myth
There are a couple of myths surrounding noise-canceling headphones.
As McAlpine says, theyre solving one problem with another, an all too familiar strategy in tech.
The second myth is that ANC is somehow bad for your ears.
ANC works by emitting a sound wave thats exactly opposite to your environments noise.
However, its understandable to believe that because something hurts your ears, its bad for your ears.
And the myth is rooted in some truth.
Cars, planes, construction, and electronics contribute to a far noisier world than our ancestors had.
The issue noise-canceling headphones attempt to address is a serious one.
Plus, other studies have found that noise-canceling headphones can helpimprove your focus.
So were left with a tradeoff.
Noise-canceling headphones may protect your ears, but non-stop use of them can alter your brains listening ability.
Ideally, you should only use noise-canceling headphones when youre being exposed to excess noise.
On trains and planes, or in a noisy city, theyre probably a good idea.
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