My ears are pretty sensitive and the loudness of Vancouver's nightclubs bothers them quite a bit. I got worried about hearing damage when my father found out he has lost 20% of his hearing, and he used to hang out in loud establishments during his youth (he's in his 40s). Are there any types of ear plugs that will help me but still allow conversation (which already consists of yelling in people's ears at these places anyways). It's not that I like the music and dancing, but the nightclubs are the only places where I can manage to pickup women...
Pickup women?
Are they the kind that only go with guys in trucks?
Prune, have you tried the squishy foam ones that I refer as as ear tampons? I think they go by the name Deci-damps or something like that. Find them at any hardware store or free if you go to a construction site trailer. 😀
Are they too dampening? Or do you just not like the fact you look a little like Frankenstein when you wear them?
Cal
Are they the kind that only go with guys in trucks?
Prune, have you tried the squishy foam ones that I refer as as ear tampons? I think they go by the name Deci-damps or something like that. Find them at any hardware store or free if you go to a construction site trailer. 😀
Are they too dampening? Or do you just not like the fact you look a little like Frankenstein when you wear them?
Cal
Hey, if you use deci damps you're gonna have a hard time (not the other hard...) picking up women.
They are very attenuation - I use the around gensets, but I think in work safety shops they have them with various db attenuation ratings av ailable.
And - pickup women are only the ones up here in the north - beware of tehm!
They are very attenuation - I use the around gensets, but I think in work safety shops they have them with various db attenuation ratings av ailable.
And - pickup women are only the ones up here in the north - beware of tehm!
Try wearing noise-cancelling headphones. When you get a bit older (I'm older than your dad, cough, cough), you'll bless not being able to hear the stuff that women in nightclubs say.
I decided to get the ER-20 from Etymotic, as they have a fairly even frequency response (so speech should remain intelligible), yet are much cheaper than musicians' earplugs (for which you need to get a custom earmold). I'm just wondering how visible they are. I couldn't find any photos of them in use around the Web. I'll post a review when they arrive.
As for women, I'm reminded of a Slashdot post where someone listed the five qualities you can find in a woman: looks, personality, intelligence, sanity, and availability. When looking for a woman, availability has to be a given (not much chance for most guys to steal a woman unless the relationship is already in trouble). From the other four, well, pick any three... I'd rather compromise on sanity (as long as she's not a murderous psycho). Time to start checking out the babes at the local mental institution.
😛
As for women, I'm reminded of a Slashdot post where someone listed the five qualities you can find in a woman: looks, personality, intelligence, sanity, and availability. When looking for a woman, availability has to be a given (not much chance for most guys to steal a woman unless the relationship is already in trouble). From the other four, well, pick any three... I'd rather compromise on sanity (as long as she's not a murderous psycho). Time to start checking out the babes at the local mental institution.
😛
Heh, did the nightclub scene in Maple Ridge and Abbotsford. Here's my discoveries:
Important. There's reasons the tubes are on the outside of the amp - guy's don't do "look-like-everyone-else" plastic boxes!
The best way to find out a girl's "real" personality is to ask her friends what they think of her.
A must. Beware of the mindless, you'll get bored with them.
This is the MOST important quality. Avoid the insane at all cost. My first wife was insane. Literally and I never knew it. When she went on a destructive rampage, the cops said there's nothing they could legally do, because she was certified.
I have *never* met a girl at nightclubs in the above mentioned towns that *weren't* cheating on their husband's or boyfriend's. Mind you, I was interested in the 30+ crowd.....
Prune said:
Important. There's reasons the tubes are on the outside of the amp - guy's don't do "look-like-everyone-else" plastic boxes!
The best way to find out a girl's "real" personality is to ask her friends what they think of her.
A must. Beware of the mindless, you'll get bored with them.
This is the MOST important quality. Avoid the insane at all cost. My first wife was insane. Literally and I never knew it. When she went on a destructive rampage, the cops said there's nothing they could legally do, because she was certified.
I have *never* met a girl at nightclubs in the above mentioned towns that *weren't* cheating on their husband's or boyfriend's. Mind you, I was interested in the 30+ crowd.....
Too bad girls don't wear their tubes on the outside. 😀
Should have sent her to me. 😀
I'm afraid you misunderstood me. When I was talking about qualities, I was talking about long term relationships; when I was talking about nightclubs, I was talking about one night stands. I wouldn't be looking for a wife at a nightclub. Indeed, I probably won't be looking for a wife on this continent...
The Yale on Granville here has that type of crowd. Of course, I go there because I prefer R&B to the rock/pop of the other clubs (though some of these older women can give one a pretty good time).
The ER-20 work as advertised. The curve does dip in the highs, but above what's necessary for conversation. They do look kind of funny, with parts sticking out of your ear canal, but on the other hand it can make for a conversation subject. The only problem is that I'm not too happy with the comfort level, but I tend to have the same problem with other earplugs and canalphones, so they probably feel better for most people.
I was just reading another thread where posters were comparing the power of their reggae music speakers. Wondering about bass damage to hearing, I found this older thread. But I have raised various questions - some relevant to the content here - in the loudspeaker:subwoofer forum.
http://www.diyaudio.com/forums/subwoofers/219105-damage-loud-bass.html
Thanks.
Ben
http://www.diyaudio.com/forums/subwoofers/219105-damage-loud-bass.html
Thanks.
Ben
Last edited:
ER-20s are very effective for what you are looking for...they knock the dBs down to a fairly safe level & leave reasonably listenable frequency response. I find them to be pretty comfortable to wear but they are pretty visible.
20dB may be sufficient but depends on the SPL of the club. 95dBspl would be reduced to 75dBspl, which is loud. OSHA limits are 85dBspl for 8 hrs per day.
Most if not all hearing loss is due to high frequency high level noise, or impulse noise which contains high frequency content at high level.
Predominant hearing loss is a notch in the 2KHz - 4KHz range. This is classic impulse loss (Jack Hammer). It can also be caused by high frequency high intensity sound (jet engine).
One sure way to know if the loud noise is causing damage is ringing in the ears when you leave the establishment.
Most if not all hearing loss is due to high frequency high level noise, or impulse noise which contains high frequency content at high level.
Predominant hearing loss is a notch in the 2KHz - 4KHz range. This is classic impulse loss (Jack Hammer). It can also be caused by high frequency high intensity sound (jet engine).
One sure way to know if the loud noise is causing damage is ringing in the ears when you leave the establishment.
I have measured levels in clubs that even with plugs, exceed the 1 hour safe OSHA limit. The only defense is to just not go there.
Do you have evidence that they work as sound blocks down to sub-woofer frequencies?
Is there hearing damage from sounds conducted by bones?
B.
Last edited:
Thanks. Your post has the "ring" of authority so please don't think I am disrespectful to ask some questions.
How well established it is that temporary threshold shift and ringing are reliable indicators of damage starting?
What would low freq "ringing" sound like?
Would loud low freq sound result in mid freq hearing loss or mid frequency?
Ben
I dont know about the USA but the UK has legal limits on sound levels at venues.
I went to a Status Quo concert in 1977 and couldnt hear for three days afterwards !
Things have changed since and concerts are much more bearable now.
I went to a Status Quo concert in 1977 and couldnt hear for three days afterwards !
Things have changed since and concerts are much more bearable now.
I know when I used to work in the venues back home we had a limit of 100dB "at the desk" so in the larger venues the SPL was greater at the front. Usually the desk was 15-25m from the stage. Sound engineers would always drive a little harder on the tracks that they liked, to be expected!
Depending on the equipment being used there was different perceptions of how "loud" the concert was, even though reedings would suggest otherwise.
During the "Rugby World Cup 2011" we had a limit of 70dB "at the boundary", which was 100m from the source, some events even further away!
It is all about perception when people complain!
- Status
- Not open for further replies.