But *everything* in New York is loud...
August 31, 2016 7:46 PM Subscribe
The New York subway exposes riders to noise as loud as a jet engine. (SLGuardian)
Yup, Doubling the distance between listener and the sound source will reduce the decibel level by just over 6 dB.
On the other hand, sound coming from all around you in a sealed metal tube seems different than sound coming from a point in the distance.
It's really tough to talk carefully about loud sounds and what is safe/acceptable, you need to get pretty technical. For a hint of how complex this gets, check out OSHA rules about how loud of sounds you are allowed to expose workers to. It's not pretty.
posted by SaltySalticid at 8:04 PM on August 31, 2016 [5 favorites]
On the other hand, sound coming from all around you in a sealed metal tube seems different than sound coming from a point in the distance.
It's really tough to talk carefully about loud sounds and what is safe/acceptable, you need to get pretty technical. For a hint of how complex this gets, check out OSHA rules about how loud of sounds you are allowed to expose workers to. It's not pretty.
posted by SaltySalticid at 8:04 PM on August 31, 2016 [5 favorites]
"we walked around NY with a piece of test equipment we might not know how to use, and are going to read you the numbers it said"
Trying to communicate how loud things are just by referencing dB and not explaining how the scale works is piss-poor writing. Log scales aren't intuitive, and unless you actually explain that every 2 dB change is a doubling or a halving of the intensity you are short changing your audience.
posted by Dr. Twist at 8:31 PM on August 31, 2016 [15 favorites]
Trying to communicate how loud things are just by referencing dB and not explaining how the scale works is piss-poor writing. Log scales aren't intuitive, and unless you actually explain that every 2 dB change is a doubling or a halving of the intensity you are short changing your audience.
posted by Dr. Twist at 8:31 PM on August 31, 2016 [15 favorites]
So why is the jet engine the canonical loud thing that other loud things get compared to? It's like the "to the moon and back" of noises.
posted by nebulawindphone at 8:34 PM on August 31, 2016 [6 favorites]
posted by nebulawindphone at 8:34 PM on August 31, 2016 [6 favorites]
WHAT?
posted by mochapickle at 8:38 PM on August 31, 2016 [5 favorites]
posted by mochapickle at 8:38 PM on August 31, 2016 [5 favorites]
explain that every 2 dB change is a doubling or a halving of the intensity you are short changing your audience.
3dB for power measurements and 6dB for amplitude, no? But yeah, A few silly comparisons were stated here.
posted by atoxyl at 8:40 PM on August 31, 2016 [4 favorites]
3dB for power measurements and 6dB for amplitude, no? But yeah, A few silly comparisons were stated here.
posted by atoxyl at 8:40 PM on August 31, 2016 [4 favorites]
You want quiet? Go back to Poughkeepsie!
posted by Capt. Renault at 8:46 PM on August 31, 2016 [6 favorites]
posted by Capt. Renault at 8:46 PM on August 31, 2016 [6 favorites]
3dB for power measurements and 6dB for amplitude, no?
Yeah, I fat fingered
posted by Dr. Twist at 8:55 PM on August 31, 2016
Yeah, I fat fingered
posted by Dr. Twist at 8:55 PM on August 31, 2016
Can confirm, the subway is super loud when an express train passes by. I plug my ears.
posted by grumpybear69 at 8:57 PM on August 31, 2016 [1 favorite]
posted by grumpybear69 at 8:57 PM on August 31, 2016 [1 favorite]
The New York subway exposes riders to noise as loud as a jet engine.
Yeah, and it's usually a guy chewing. Why does that guy have to always sit by me?
posted by escabeche at 9:03 PM on August 31, 2016 [13 favorites]
Yeah, and it's usually a guy chewing. Why does that guy have to always sit by me?
posted by escabeche at 9:03 PM on August 31, 2016 [13 favorites]
Are you perhaps made of gum?
posted by zippy at 9:05 PM on August 31, 2016 [8 favorites]
posted by zippy at 9:05 PM on August 31, 2016 [8 favorites]
A jet engine at 300 meters. Not trivial, but using that trick, I can fart louder than a jet engine ... at 2000 meters or so. (To pull a number from my fundament to go with the fart)
I'm guessing they mean behind a jet engine? The noise varies quite a bit depending on what side is facing you.
posted by indubitable at 9:22 PM on August 31, 2016
I'm guessing they mean behind a jet engine? The noise varies quite a bit depending on what side is facing you.
posted by indubitable at 9:22 PM on August 31, 2016
And over here on the left coast, BART cars in SF are regularly over 90 dB in the cars - and it sounds like nails screeching on a blackboard.
posted by asphericalcow at 9:28 PM on August 31, 2016 [8 favorites]
posted by asphericalcow at 9:28 PM on August 31, 2016 [8 favorites]
I'd say that sounds just about right, but I can't hear anything so maybe I'm wrong. Still love the NYC transit system anyway though. Then again, I mostly ride the ultra slow M79 bus... so whatever.
posted by blaneyphoto at 9:32 PM on August 31, 2016
posted by blaneyphoto at 9:32 PM on August 31, 2016
i recently had a (weird, gross) thing removed from my left ear which was causing all sorts of hearing and balance and pressure problems and the unfortunate result of this removal is that i now i can hEAR EVERYTHING AND I DON'T WANT TO WHY IS THE SUBWAY SO LOUD WHY ARE BABIES PERMITTED IS THAT A SIREN OH IT'S 30 BLOCKS AWAY BUT IT MIGHT AS WELL BE INSIDE MY ACTUAL LIVING ROOM
im so upset
posted by poffin boffin at 10:19 PM on August 31, 2016 [11 favorites]
im so upset
posted by poffin boffin at 10:19 PM on August 31, 2016 [11 favorites]
Yeah, I have super crazy sensitive hearing and it sucks sometimes. Public transit hurts the ears. Trains and buses are loud. As pointed out in a comment above, BART is pretty loud too - but I don't think it's as loud as the NYC subway or the CTA in Chicago. I used to be in quite a lot of pain riding the blue line in the tunnels around the Grand and Chicago stops.
posted by teponaztli at 11:42 PM on August 31, 2016 [1 favorite]
posted by teponaztli at 11:42 PM on August 31, 2016 [1 favorite]
And over here on the left coast, BART cars in SF are regularly over 90 dB in the cars - and it sounds like nails screeching on a blackboard.
Literally every subway in the world, except those with rubber wheels (like Montreal), makes the same noise. And according to the article, the NYC subway also regularly reaches over 90 dB.
posted by clorox at 3:01 AM on September 1, 2016
Literally every subway in the world, except those with rubber wheels (like Montreal), makes the same noise. And according to the article, the NYC subway also regularly reaches over 90 dB.
posted by clorox at 3:01 AM on September 1, 2016
I haven't ridden the NYC subway in many years and don't remember the noise as much as the beggars, but many of the subways and light rail systems that I have been on have been loud to the point of being painful, so this doesn't surprise me.
posted by Dip Flash at 4:38 AM on September 1, 2016
posted by Dip Flash at 4:38 AM on September 1, 2016
Loud noises really bother me, so I wear a pair of low-profile industrial ear muffs on the subway. They look decidedly unfashionable, but I don't care.
posted by Multicellular Exothermic at 5:19 AM on September 1, 2016 [1 favorite]
posted by Multicellular Exothermic at 5:19 AM on September 1, 2016 [1 favorite]
Trying to communicate how loud things are just by referencing dB and not explaining how the scale works is piss-poor writing. Log scales aren't intuitive, and unless you actually explain that every 2 dB change is a doubling or a halving of the intensity you are short changing your audience.
Yes but by how much?
posted by srboisvert at 5:26 AM on September 1, 2016 [3 favorites]
Yes but by how much?
posted by srboisvert at 5:26 AM on September 1, 2016 [3 favorites]
Maybe the point of the article is to showcase how much quieter modern jet engines are?
posted by chavenet at 5:32 AM on September 1, 2016 [4 favorites]
posted by chavenet at 5:32 AM on September 1, 2016 [4 favorites]
They missed an opportunity to measure dB in a really loud restaurant, but maybe they've never been in a packed Dim Sum joint.
posted by Kirth Gerson at 5:49 AM on September 1, 2016
posted by Kirth Gerson at 5:49 AM on September 1, 2016
Trying to communicate how loud things are just by referencing dB and not explaining how the scale works is piss-poor writing. Log scales aren't intuitive, and unless you actually explain that every 2 dB change is a doubling or a halving of the intensity you are short changing your audience.Yes but by how much?
3 deciTrumps.
posted by Mayor West at 6:31 AM on September 1, 2016 [1 favorite]
Also, if they are providing a single dB number for a noise (with no frequency information), they are using a weighted scale, most likely an A-weighted scale, which is bad at measuring loud noises, particularly in the screeching ranges of jet engines and subway wheels.
posted by cardboard at 6:44 AM on September 1, 2016
posted by cardboard at 6:44 AM on September 1, 2016
WHY ARE BABIES PERMITTED
Why is babby permitted?
posted by The Bellman at 6:44 AM on September 1, 2016 [3 favorites]
Why is babby permitted?
posted by The Bellman at 6:44 AM on September 1, 2016 [3 favorites]
There's been a lot more discussion of public noise lately and the future hearing loss we are all destined for. A friend is working on mapping quiet spaces in New York City to try to bring more awareness. It's pretty interesting and occasionally saddening to watch the meter during dinner or drinks.
posted by loolie at 6:56 AM on September 1, 2016 [2 favorites]
posted by loolie at 6:56 AM on September 1, 2016 [2 favorites]
This has become something of a pet topic of mine, as I spend a lot of time giving talks to various groups about noise exposure. Trying to get some sort of laws passed where at least public spaces must post decibel warnings is my current long, uphill slog.
- I think the NIDCD probably underestimates the percent of the population with noise-induced hearing loss, for the simple reason that many "age-related" hearing losses aren't counted. There is increasing evidence that the common old-person hearing loss is not as much a function of aging per se but a lifetime of noise exposure, with small bits of excitotoxicity over many years leading to permanent damage. Many isolated peoples who spend their lives with no noise exposure, for example, do not experience the age-related hearing loss that we see in more or less everyone in the industrialized world.
- The article mentions OSHA a lot. The OSHA regulations are under-conservative, and are the result of years of just random policy-making and not good science. For example, OSHA uses a 5 dB exchange range instead of a 3-dB exchange rate (i.e. 5 dB increase in noise = safe exposure time cut in half) simply because the math was easier for facility managers, even though the science makes no sense and this small change leads to huge differences in what is considered safe exposure.
Use the NIOSH guidelines from the CDC. 85 dBA is safe for eight-hours. For every 3 dB increase your safe exposure time is cut in half. That means that once you get up to 94 dB, your exposure time is under an hour. This is over the course of a day. Noise is like salt; some is fine, but you have a daily intake that if you exceed you have problems. You ride the subway for a couple hours a day? You go to a restaurant or bar for a couple hours a day? You go to a movie? You listen to your headphones a bit too loudly? Your daily intake adds up quickly.
I really get on my soapbox about this, but seriously noise is a huge public health problem that is completely ignored. Hearing loss sucks and no one talks about it until you're old and need hearing aids and then everyone chalks it up to like a funny thing that happens to old people. No, it really really sucks. I'm a musician and love concerts and playing in bands. I used to not wear hearing protection. The hearing test you get at the audiologist says my hearing is fine, but if you look at some other specialized tests, you can see the damage I've done to my hair cells. It will show up on my audiogram in twenty years.
As the article mentions, people like waiters and bartenders are among the biggest victims. Technically bars and such should be abiding by OSHA guidelines, and they are subject to inspection, but OSHA doesn't have the resources. Factories are better, and generally have to follow the guidelines, but the smaller ones slip through.
And now for Lutoslawski's Practical Guide for Not Being a Dumbass About Loudness.
1. Know when things are too loud.
How? Get a sound level meter for your phone. They aren't perfect. Don't use them for research but they work perfectly fine to give you an idea. A recent study from the Acoustical Society reviewed them and found they are fairly accurate. I recommend one called SPLnFFT. It's like $4. Use the "A" weighting measurement. It gives you safe exposure times.
Barring that a good rule is this: if you have to raise your voice above your normal speaking level to be heard by someone an arm's length away from you, it's too loud. Think about how often this is the case in a bar.
You can purchase Noise Dosimeters which you wear all day and they'll tell you what your percent dose is. They're expensive. If you're in the Iowa City area I can rent one to you for a week for free.
2. If it's too loud, leave or distance yourself.
The easiest way to prevent noise damage is to get away from the noise. Turn it down, walk away, whatever.
3. Get yourself some good hearing protection.
SERIOUSLY. My audiologist friends and I wear our earplugs everywhere. Restaurants, bars, airplanes, busses. If you use the foam ones, know how to properly use them (roll, pull, hold). A nice pair of comfortable, custom ear plugs will cost you $100 or so and last forever. You know how much hearing aids cost? 50 times that much and they last for 5 years.
4. Give your ears a break.
If you do go to a loud bar or whatever, or practice your instrument, spend the rest of the day in quiet.
This is a huge public health issue that deserves all the exposure it can get. Thanks for posting.
posted by Lutoslawski at 7:31 AM on September 1, 2016 [26 favorites]
- I think the NIDCD probably underestimates the percent of the population with noise-induced hearing loss, for the simple reason that many "age-related" hearing losses aren't counted. There is increasing evidence that the common old-person hearing loss is not as much a function of aging per se but a lifetime of noise exposure, with small bits of excitotoxicity over many years leading to permanent damage. Many isolated peoples who spend their lives with no noise exposure, for example, do not experience the age-related hearing loss that we see in more or less everyone in the industrialized world.
- The article mentions OSHA a lot. The OSHA regulations are under-conservative, and are the result of years of just random policy-making and not good science. For example, OSHA uses a 5 dB exchange range instead of a 3-dB exchange rate (i.e. 5 dB increase in noise = safe exposure time cut in half) simply because the math was easier for facility managers, even though the science makes no sense and this small change leads to huge differences in what is considered safe exposure.
Use the NIOSH guidelines from the CDC. 85 dBA is safe for eight-hours. For every 3 dB increase your safe exposure time is cut in half. That means that once you get up to 94 dB, your exposure time is under an hour. This is over the course of a day. Noise is like salt; some is fine, but you have a daily intake that if you exceed you have problems. You ride the subway for a couple hours a day? You go to a restaurant or bar for a couple hours a day? You go to a movie? You listen to your headphones a bit too loudly? Your daily intake adds up quickly.
I really get on my soapbox about this, but seriously noise is a huge public health problem that is completely ignored. Hearing loss sucks and no one talks about it until you're old and need hearing aids and then everyone chalks it up to like a funny thing that happens to old people. No, it really really sucks. I'm a musician and love concerts and playing in bands. I used to not wear hearing protection. The hearing test you get at the audiologist says my hearing is fine, but if you look at some other specialized tests, you can see the damage I've done to my hair cells. It will show up on my audiogram in twenty years.
As the article mentions, people like waiters and bartenders are among the biggest victims. Technically bars and such should be abiding by OSHA guidelines, and they are subject to inspection, but OSHA doesn't have the resources. Factories are better, and generally have to follow the guidelines, but the smaller ones slip through.
And now for Lutoslawski's Practical Guide for Not Being a Dumbass About Loudness.
1. Know when things are too loud.
How? Get a sound level meter for your phone. They aren't perfect. Don't use them for research but they work perfectly fine to give you an idea. A recent study from the Acoustical Society reviewed them and found they are fairly accurate. I recommend one called SPLnFFT. It's like $4. Use the "A" weighting measurement. It gives you safe exposure times.
Barring that a good rule is this: if you have to raise your voice above your normal speaking level to be heard by someone an arm's length away from you, it's too loud. Think about how often this is the case in a bar.
You can purchase Noise Dosimeters which you wear all day and they'll tell you what your percent dose is. They're expensive. If you're in the Iowa City area I can rent one to you for a week for free.
2. If it's too loud, leave or distance yourself.
The easiest way to prevent noise damage is to get away from the noise. Turn it down, walk away, whatever.
3. Get yourself some good hearing protection.
SERIOUSLY. My audiologist friends and I wear our earplugs everywhere. Restaurants, bars, airplanes, busses. If you use the foam ones, know how to properly use them (roll, pull, hold). A nice pair of comfortable, custom ear plugs will cost you $100 or so and last forever. You know how much hearing aids cost? 50 times that much and they last for 5 years.
4. Give your ears a break.
If you do go to a loud bar or whatever, or practice your instrument, spend the rest of the day in quiet.
This is a huge public health issue that deserves all the exposure it can get. Thanks for posting.
posted by Lutoslawski at 7:31 AM on September 1, 2016 [26 favorites]
the unfortunate result of this removal is that i now i can hEAR EVERYTHING AND I DON'T WANT TO
This is what happened when I quit smoking and got my sense of smell back.
This city really benefits from deadened senses.
posted by griphus at 7:31 AM on September 1, 2016 [4 favorites]
This is what happened when I quit smoking and got my sense of smell back.
This city really benefits from deadened senses.
posted by griphus at 7:31 AM on September 1, 2016 [4 favorites]
Exposure to high levels of noise is definitely bad for you. I didn't realize how much harm it was doing to me until I actually got somewhere quiet for a while. In the US there really doesn't really seem to be an upper limit to how loud you can be if you're doing construction or something.
posted by mike_bling at 7:57 AM on September 1, 2016
posted by mike_bling at 7:57 AM on September 1, 2016
Yeah, I wear earplugs when I'm out on the street or in the subway in NYC, no exceptions. On the occasions I forget, I put my fingers in my ears and people snicker or look at me like I'm some sort of wacko, or both. Don't even get me started on how people look at me when I wear hearing protection to concerts. Yeah, laugh while you can, monkey boy -- I'm not going to suffer severe hearing loss by the time I'm 35. (Ok, I'm way way older than 35, but you know what I mean.)
posted by holborne at 8:02 AM on September 1, 2016 [2 favorites]
posted by holborne at 8:02 AM on September 1, 2016 [2 favorites]
The problem with BART is the noise inside the cars is 90 dB. That makes for prolonged exposure, not just a briefly loud noise in the station when a train is pulling in. According to the fine article in New York "the noise inside a subway car is only 75-85 decibels", which is still loud, but not as bad.
I don't mean to have some "our pain is worse than yours!" conversation; New York has plenty of other discomforts to be proud of. But the prolonged noise exposure in BART is really bad.
posted by Nelson at 8:08 AM on September 1, 2016 [1 favorite]
I don't mean to have some "our pain is worse than yours!" conversation; New York has plenty of other discomforts to be proud of. But the prolonged noise exposure in BART is really bad.
posted by Nelson at 8:08 AM on September 1, 2016 [1 favorite]
I started wearing earplugs to shows sometime in my early 30s, mostly because I noticed a constant low level ringing in my ears. I also wear earplugs at spin class because the music is cranked up to loud levels. Do I look like a dork? Probably. But I am also keen to preserve what hearing I have! (I also keep the volume lowered when I wear my earbuds while running too.)
posted by Kitteh at 8:13 AM on September 1, 2016 [1 favorite]
posted by Kitteh at 8:13 AM on September 1, 2016 [1 favorite]
According to the fine article in New York "the noise inside a subway car is only 75-85 decibels", which is still loud, but not as bad.
This definitely depends on the train. I used to ride the N train to and from work every day. The wheels would shriek extremely loudly for at least ten seconds every time it went around the corner approaching 57th Street. It was absurdly loud in the train. I would usually plug my ears, but it was a rare occurrence to see anyone else doing this.
posted by wondermouse at 9:27 AM on September 1, 2016
This definitely depends on the train. I used to ride the N train to and from work every day. The wheels would shriek extremely loudly for at least ten seconds every time it went around the corner approaching 57th Street. It was absurdly loud in the train. I would usually plug my ears, but it was a rare occurrence to see anyone else doing this.
posted by wondermouse at 9:27 AM on September 1, 2016
Yeah, similarly, the 1 train between Borough Hall and Chambers Street is deafening inside the train on that whole stretch. I don't know why, but the wheels squeak far more loudly there than on any other place on that line.
posted by holborne at 9:42 AM on September 1, 2016
posted by holborne at 9:42 AM on September 1, 2016
I appreciate the recommendation of SPLnFFT, Lutoslawski. Much better than other ones I've played with.
posted by sfred at 9:50 AM on September 1, 2016
posted by sfred at 9:50 AM on September 1, 2016
I have SPLnFFT and it's great, but what I want is a way to measure how much noise I'm putting through my headphones. I ride BART every day and it super loud and screechy - I turn off my music because I'd have to really blast it to be able to hear it, but I also worry about listening to music on the street. What level am I pushing the volume to in order to hear over my other environments?
posted by teponaztli at 12:56 PM on September 1, 2016
posted by teponaztli at 12:56 PM on September 1, 2016
Also, because I'm really obsessive about my hearing, I did some research on SPL apps (I was motivated by a very loud evening at a karaoke bar). I found a paper by (I think) the CDC that said only SoundMeter ($20) consistently fell within 3dB of their $4000 reference equipment when using the A weighting. But the tests were all run on the iPhone 5, so I don't know if the microphones in newer phones (or Androids) are calibrated the same.
posted by teponaztli at 1:01 PM on September 1, 2016
posted by teponaztli at 1:01 PM on September 1, 2016
And over here on the left coast, BART cars in SF are regularly over 90 dB in the cars - and it sounds like nails screeching on a blackboard.
Yup, and I took to wearing earplugs every time I took BART. Some of the nice, fitted ones. It helped that I was usually headed to a gig or band practice so I needed to have them anyway.
posted by Existential Dread at 1:28 PM on September 1, 2016
Yup, and I took to wearing earplugs every time I took BART. Some of the nice, fitted ones. It helped that I was usually headed to a gig or band practice so I needed to have them anyway.
posted by Existential Dread at 1:28 PM on September 1, 2016
Get yourself some good hearing protection.
SERIOUSLY. My audiologist friends and I wear our earplugs everywhere. Restaurants, bars, airplanes, busses. If you use the foam ones, know how to properly use them (roll, pull, hold). A nice pair of comfortable, custom ear plugs will cost you $100 or so and last forever. You know how much hearing aids cost? 50 times that much and they last for 5 years.
Any tips on who to get in contact with for a good custom pair? An audiologist? One of the online places that pops up from a quick web search?
posted by indubitable at 1:57 PM on September 1, 2016
SERIOUSLY. My audiologist friends and I wear our earplugs everywhere. Restaurants, bars, airplanes, busses. If you use the foam ones, know how to properly use them (roll, pull, hold). A nice pair of comfortable, custom ear plugs will cost you $100 or so and last forever. You know how much hearing aids cost? 50 times that much and they last for 5 years.
Any tips on who to get in contact with for a good custom pair? An audiologist? One of the online places that pops up from a quick web search?
posted by indubitable at 1:57 PM on September 1, 2016
That's my subway station that they mention- 86th on the 1 line. Happy to be validated that it is indeed as unpleasant as it seems to be. I gotta get out of this town.
posted by kimdog at 2:57 PM on September 1, 2016
posted by kimdog at 2:57 PM on September 1, 2016
I have SPLnFFT and it's great, but what I want is a way to measure how much noise I'm putting through my headphones. I ride BART every day and it super loud and screechy - I turn off my music because I'd have to really blast it to be able to hear it, but I also worry about listening to music on the street. What level am I pushing the volume to in order to hear over my other environments?
I was actually just trying to do this with SPLnFFT - obviously pressing the mic up against one side isn't actually the same as measuring the level going into your ear from a sealed cup though. The reading I'm seeing is lower than I expected from how loud my music *feels* but it could just be the psychoacoustics of semi-isolating 'phones and acclimatization to low levels? I do keep the volume on my computer pretty damn low on the scale these days.
I started noticing a mild but fairly persistent tinnitus earlier this year and I'm not even really sure what caused it. I've been wearing (cheap) earplugs at shows for some time and again I don't turn stuff up that loud compared to what it seems a lot of people do. My guess was it might have to do with working on musical projects on headphones for extended periods of time without a break, even if the volume was moderate?
posted by atoxyl at 3:42 PM on September 1, 2016
I was actually just trying to do this with SPLnFFT - obviously pressing the mic up against one side isn't actually the same as measuring the level going into your ear from a sealed cup though. The reading I'm seeing is lower than I expected from how loud my music *feels* but it could just be the psychoacoustics of semi-isolating 'phones and acclimatization to low levels? I do keep the volume on my computer pretty damn low on the scale these days.
I started noticing a mild but fairly persistent tinnitus earlier this year and I'm not even really sure what caused it. I've been wearing (cheap) earplugs at shows for some time and again I don't turn stuff up that loud compared to what it seems a lot of people do. My guess was it might have to do with working on musical projects on headphones for extended periods of time without a break, even if the volume was moderate?
posted by atoxyl at 3:42 PM on September 1, 2016
indubitable: "Any tips on who to get in contact with for a good custom pair?"
The process is pretty fool proof for silicone plugs; pretty well any local company that makes them will get you as much quality as there is them.
posted by Mitheral at 4:52 PM on September 1, 2016
The process is pretty fool proof for silicone plugs; pretty well any local company that makes them will get you as much quality as there is them.
posted by Mitheral at 4:52 PM on September 1, 2016
Question: do noise cancelling headphones help with noise, or is the black magic they use to reduce noise equally bad for the ears? I use them pretty much constantly on Bart...
posted by kaibutsu at 6:20 PM on September 1, 2016
posted by kaibutsu at 6:20 PM on September 1, 2016
I wear earplugs when I'm out on the street or in the subway in NYC, no exceptions
I think I'm going to start with the earplugs a bit more. I'm now 60 with pretty bad hearing (misspent youth, playing bass in rock bands, tinnitus...) but NY is so freakin' loud.
What with having to shout to hear your partner in a restaurant *and* use the light on your phone to read the menu... I must be getting old (Jacob's Pickles, I'm looking at you)
(And having to wear earplugs in church, ffs, is a new one on me...)
posted by 43rdAnd9th at 6:31 PM on September 1, 2016 [1 favorite]
I think I'm going to start with the earplugs a bit more. I'm now 60 with pretty bad hearing (misspent youth, playing bass in rock bands, tinnitus...) but NY is so freakin' loud.
What with having to shout to hear your partner in a restaurant *and* use the light on your phone to read the menu... I must be getting old (Jacob's Pickles, I'm looking at you)
(And having to wear earplugs in church, ffs, is a new one on me...)
posted by 43rdAnd9th at 6:31 PM on September 1, 2016 [1 favorite]
I think the 14th street, 4/5/6 is the screechiest. It's unbearable. I always block my ears and it's painful to even look at people who don't.
posted by rainy at 10:28 PM on September 3, 2016
posted by rainy at 10:28 PM on September 3, 2016
Question: do noise cancelling headphones help with noise, or is the black magic they use to reduce noise equally bad for the ears? I use them pretty much constantly on Bart...
Late answer but if they're working right they should actually reduce the noise getting to your ears. Consumer-grade stuff isn't usually super effective - not compared to e.g. in-ear/isolating earbuds - but I believe the really fancy headsets used by, say, helicopter pilots incorporate active noise cancellation on top of isolating designs.
posted by atoxyl at 12:39 AM on September 4, 2016
Late answer but if they're working right they should actually reduce the noise getting to your ears. Consumer-grade stuff isn't usually super effective - not compared to e.g. in-ear/isolating earbuds - but I believe the really fancy headsets used by, say, helicopter pilots incorporate active noise cancellation on top of isolating designs.
posted by atoxyl at 12:39 AM on September 4, 2016
I'm guessing in aviation they work well because you're trying to counter a certain expected frequency band? I might be making that up though.
posted by atoxyl at 12:41 AM on September 4, 2016
posted by atoxyl at 12:41 AM on September 4, 2016
3. Get yourself some good hearing protection.
SERIOUSLY. My audiologist friends and I wear our earplugs everywhere. Restaurants, bars, airplanes, busses. If you use the foam ones, know how to properly use them (roll, pull, hold). A nice pair of comfortable, custom ear plugs will cost you $100 or so and last forever. You know how much hearing aids cost? 50 times that much and they last for 5 years.
I'm the guy with earplugs at concerts.
You know what is weird? The music is often better with earplugs in. I hear more detail. I hear different detail. I can also hear what my friends are saying. Without the earplugs? It's mostly just a wall of noise.
The real benefit though is that my ears don't ring for hours after concerts.
posted by srboisvert at 7:00 AM on September 5, 2016 [1 favorite]
SERIOUSLY. My audiologist friends and I wear our earplugs everywhere. Restaurants, bars, airplanes, busses. If you use the foam ones, know how to properly use them (roll, pull, hold). A nice pair of comfortable, custom ear plugs will cost you $100 or so and last forever. You know how much hearing aids cost? 50 times that much and they last for 5 years.
I'm the guy with earplugs at concerts.
You know what is weird? The music is often better with earplugs in. I hear more detail. I hear different detail. I can also hear what my friends are saying. Without the earplugs? It's mostly just a wall of noise.
The real benefit though is that my ears don't ring for hours after concerts.
posted by srboisvert at 7:00 AM on September 5, 2016 [1 favorite]
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