How loud is too loud: safe headphone volume
Why volume matters
Hearing tires from loud sounds, and repeated fatigue, day after day, can become permanent. Hearing loss from noise comes slowly and does not hurt, so many people notice it late. Headphones put sound straight into the ear, so the volume you listen at matters more than with a speaker in the room.
The good news: you do not have to give up headphones. You just need to know how loud and for how long.
What the World Health Organization says
The safe listening standard of the World Health Organization and the International Telecommunication Union, from 2019, uses a weekly sound "dose". For adults, the limit is the equivalent of 80 dB for 40 hours a week; for children and more sensitive people, 75 dB for 40 hours.
The dose drops quickly as volume rises: with every 3 dB more, the safe time halves. At very high volumes, the weekly dose can be used up in a few hours.
How to check your volume
On iPhone, the Health app shows how loud your headphone listening has been, by day and week, and Control Centre can show the level in real time. Under Settings, Sounds and Haptics, Headphone Safety, you can turn on "Reduce Loud Audio" and choose a limit in decibels.
Many Android phones have a media volume limiter in the sound settings. In Europe, phones show a warning when you go past a certain level in headphones; take it seriously.
The 60/60 rule
A popular rule that is easy to remember is 60/60: at most 60% of maximum volume, at most 60 minutes at a time, then a break. It is not an official rule and does not account for your particular earbuds, but it is a good starting point if you do not want to look at decibels.
Another simple sign: if someone next to you can hear your music from the buds, or you have to raise your voice to talk to someone, the volume is too high.
How noise cancelling helps
In noisy places such as the metro, a plane or a busy street, the tendency is to turn the volume up to drown out the noise. Earbuds with active noise cancelling reduce the noise around you, so you can listen at a lower volume and hear just as well.
The Ultra have adaptive ANC up to 50 dB, the Pro2 hybrid ANC up to 42 dB, and the Pods M6 over-ear headphones hybrid ANC up to 32 dB. All help you keep the volume down in noise.
Breaks and fit
Breaks give hearing time to recover. After a concert or a long day in headphones, a few hours of quiet help. A well-fitting bud helps too: a tip that seals well blocks outside noise, so you do not need high volume.
If the tip is too small, the bass is lost and you tend to turn the volume up. Try every size in the box.
Signs of hearing fatigue
Ringing or buzzing in the ears after loud listening, a feeling of "blocked" ears, or speech sounding more muffled than usual are signs that hearing is tired. They usually pass after a few hours of quiet.
If they happen often, do not go away, or you notice you hear less well in conversations, see an ENT doctor. This guide does not replace medical advice.
Every model is in the shop, under noise cancelling earbuds.