Do Noise-canceling Headphones Harm Your Hearing?

Have you ever heard that "wearing noisy headphones for a long time can damage your hearing"? In fact, this is an inaccurate and unobjective statement! In this high-tech era, noise-canceling headphones not only allow people to listen to wonderful music, but can even be used for video calls and meetings, and can remove excess noise so that you can enjoy the best sound quality. But please note that whether it is noise-cancelling headphones or other 3C products, they need to be used "moderately"!

According to Heho Health’s “ Will the “noise reduction” function of headphones harm your hearing? Doctor: The earmuff type is safer than the earplug type " mentioned in the article: "As long as the noise exceeds 80 decibels for 4 to 8 hours, no matter how good the music is, it will cause certain damage to hearing." Therefore, according to Experts believe that being exposed to high decibel noise for a long time is more likely to cause hearing loss than using ordinary headphones. In view of this, don’t blame your hearing loss entirely on noise-canceling headphones!

In fact, noise-canceling headphones can help reduce noisy sounds in the surrounding environment, providing a better audio experience, while also reducing the need to turn up the volume to cancel out the noise, making them more ear-friendly. Therefore, whether you are using noise-canceling headphones or open-back headphones, you still need to pay attention to your "hearing health." Let’s learn about the three common causes of hearing damage!

1. Wearing and using it for too long

Wearing headphones for a long time may cause ear fatigue, sometimes tinnitus, pain, etc., and may cause hearing loss in severe cases. Therefore, taking off the headphones every once in a while and letting the ears rest for a while can help relieve discomfort. 

2. The volume exceeds the load

Most people will face the problem of "boiling a frog in warm water" when using headphones. As you use it for a longer time, you will feel that the initial volume is too low, and then gradually increase the volume. Over a long period of time, I unknowingly strangled my "auditory nerve". It wasn't until I took off the headphones that I realized that my ears were actually very uncomfortable. Therefore, taking off your headphones regularly not only gives your ears room to rest, but also gives you the original hearing flexibility, and try not to increase the volume above 60%.

3. The sound distance is close to the ear

Since headphones usually fit the ears very well, if the sound transmission distance is too short and if you choose in-ear headphones, your ears will be forced to pay for the high volume in the headphones. The damage to the ears is also very high at this time, so some people think that over-ear headphones are less harmful to in-ear or semi-in-ear headphones, but in fact, in comparison, "open headphones" are the least harmful to hearing. Damn the headphones!

➝ Further Reading : " Hearing damage from wearing headphones for a long time? "

You need to know the 2 major principles of noise-canceling headphones.
If you understand them clearly, you won’t be afraid of getting hurt!

In order to avoid excessive ambient sound and unclear sound in headphones, most consumers are more willing to buy noise-canceling headphones. But not all noise-cancelling headphones can completely eliminate all noise. That’s because noise-cancelling headphones can also be divided into the following two types:

👉Active Noise Cancellation (ANC)

Active noise-cancelling headphones have built-in miniature microphones that can capture environmental noise, analyze it through the internal electronic processing unit, and generate sound waves that are opposite to the noise to offset or reduce the noise. Therefore, active noise-canceling headphones can provide a quieter audio experience by real-time monitoring and combating environmental noise at any time. Therefore, active noise reduction headphones are very suitable for use in noisy environments such as airplanes, trains, and buses.

👉Passive Noise Cancellation (PNC)

Passive noise-cancelling headphones mainly rely on physical isolation to reduce the incoming environmental noise. This is usually achieved by sound-isolating materials or through the design of the earphones, such as the sealing properties of earmuffs or earplugs. Although passive noise reduction can also reduce the interference of environmental noise to a certain extent, it cannot actively eliminate noise like active noise reduction. Therefore, passive noise-cancelling headphones are usually suitable for reducing the general noise that is often heard.

But if you want to get the best noise control in a very noisy environment, it is still recommended to choose active noise reduction headphones. However, noise-canceling headphones have a better cancellation effect on low-frequency noise (such as engine noise, aircraft engine sound), but their effect on high-frequency noise (such as human voices, sharp sounds) may be limited.

#Myth 1. Noise-canceling headphones have no side effects?

When using noise-canceling headphones, a small number of people have reported tinnitus, dizziness and other discomforts. According to PanSci, Pan Science once wrote in " Cover your ears and I won't listen. I won't listen, and I will start to faint?" ──Things You Want to Know About Noise-Canceling Headphones " The article explains that when we use noise-cancelling headphones in a quiet environment, the originally quiet tinnitus will be easily highlighted, causing the user to feel an increase in tinnitus; The reason for dizziness is that when active noise-cancelling headphones offset low-frequency noise, some users' brains may misjudge that there is a "change in pressure," resulting in headaches and ear tightness.

#Myth 2. Noise-canceling headphones have no size limit?

In order to ensure the wearing comfort and noise reduction effect of the earphones, it is necessary to choose the appropriate size of the earphone shape or ear cap to ensure that the earphones are not too tight or too loose. Inappropriate size may cause ear discomfort and affect the noise reduction effect. However, it is recommended to use "full-face headphones". On the one hand, it can eliminate the problem of different ear shapes of each person, and on the other hand, it can also provide excellent noise reduction effect.

#Myth 3. Noise-canceling headphones are suitable for all situations?

Noise-canceling headphones, while helping users enjoy music, may also make people ignore their surroundings. If you are walking on the side of the road, noise-canceling headphones will eliminate the sound of passing cars, which may endanger personal safety in some cases. Therefore, if you want to stay alert to the environment, it is still recommended to buy "open-back headphones"!

Magic Palm Bluetooth Glasses

If you want to know more about open-back headphones, you can refer to " What are open-back headphones? It is recommended to follow the expert’s approach to purchase, and the sound leakage problem will no longer bother you! "Now, Editor Lu would like to recommend to you what he thinks is the best new type of headset - customized Bluetooth glasses. Through exclusive grafting technology, you can have a unique pair of Bluetooth glasses.

1. Painless battery replacement, super battery life

It can solve the current power storage problem of Bluetooth headsets. It uses magnetic lithium batteries. If there is no power, you only need to replace the battery. Even if you can't store electricity in the future, you only need to buy batteries, not new headphones.

2. No ear pain

The product is not limited to various ear types. You can listen to music while wearing glasses.

3. Perfect sound quality

High fidelity, high reproduction, and sound quality performance are all above the standard.

1. Permeability

Users who use open-back headphones can hear outside sounds clearly. Therefore, when wearing this type of headphones while walking on the road, they are definitely safer than noise-canceling headphones.

2. Avoid hearing damage

As for noise-canceling headphones, over-ear headphones are more friendly to hearing than earbuds. But because over-ear headphones still cover the entire ear, open-back headphones themselves do not go deep into the ear canal, giving the ears room to breathe. Therefore, some sounds are not completely transmitted to the ears, reducing the chance of hearing damage.

3. No side effects

Currently, open-back headphones are mostly earhook or clip-on. These designs help reduce pressure on the head and ears and improve wearing comfort. Additionally, the ears have room to breathe, reducing discomfort.

Are you still worried about noise-canceling headphones damaging your hearing? VENOUS is not a single professional team, but composed of countless top teams from the industry. We continue to optimize our products and strive to make excellent products even better. All customers who purchase Bluetooth glasses are entitled to a 12-month warranty. In addition, if you perform "Product Warranty Login" after purchase, you can also extend the warranty period by another 6 months. Don’t know where to find a partner for professional optician services? Then come to the store and have a look!