Is it Bad to Have the Volume Loud on Your iPod?

Reasons

• People enjoy listening to loud music for many reasons. If it's music you like, there's something innately appealing about turning up the volume. Many people wear iPods while working out, taking public transportation or walking. At the gym, for example, there may already be music blaring from the gym's sound system. If you'd rather hear your own music, you will likely turn up your iPod's volume even more to drown out the other music.
  
  

Prolonged Use

• Although you may encounter several examples of noise on a daily basis that could lead to hearing loss, the problem with loud music on your iPod is that it's consistent. For example, while you may walk through a construction zone on the way to work, those loud noises are only temporary. If you listen to your iPod for the entire trip, however, your ears are constantly dealing with the high level of volume.
  
  

Volume

• A 2006 study at the University of Colorado found that you can safely listen to your iPod at 70 percent of its maximum volume for roughly 4.5 hours per day. If you listen to the music louder for a longer period of time, you're at risk of eventual damage to your ears. Listening at 100 percent volume for only 5 minutes drastically increases your risk of hearing loss, the study found. This study is based on the iPod's stock earbuds.
  
  

Approach

• To decrease your chance of suffering hearing damage from listening to loud music on your iPod, give yourself prolonged breaks after listening for a period of time. Remember to keep the volume low and if using the iPod touch, don't opt for volume-boosting applications. At home, use your iPod in a docking station/stereo so that you can still enjoy the music without it feeding directly into your ears.