Review of literature on hearing damage by personal stereo

Beskrivelse

In the 1980s and 1990s there was a general concern for the high levels that personal stereo systems were capable of producing. At that time no standardized method for the determination of exposure levels existed, which could have contributed to overly conservative conclusions. With the publication of ISO 11904-1:2002 and 11904-2:2004, previous studies can be viewed in a different light, and the results point, in our opinion, at levels and listening habits that are of hazard to the hearing. The present paper will review previous studies that may shed light over the levels and habits of contemporary personal stereo systems, which can produce even higher levels and are of even wider use.