Not an expert, but I know and have heard some things. I’m going to speculate that yes, they can hurt, but not necessarily the same earbuds or headphones will hurt everyone equally, nor for the same reasons.
-the physical fit of an earbud or headphones may cause discomfort or pain. Even prolonged use of a comfortable device can become painful
-the frequency response may be poor. Human ears tend to be sensitive to around the 3khz range, too much sounds “harsh” and could hurt
-some high frequencies (like the “mosquito noise” around 20khz) can give you a headache within seconds of exposure.
-it’s possible they were exaggerating and are being an audiophile/snob
-it’s possible they have some extent of tinnitus and are more sensitive to certain frequencies (speculating a lot here, based on someone I’ve talked to who has it) that those cheap earbuds have a lot of. (similar to the 3khz thing, but specific to their ears due to damage).
Not to mention that everyone’s ears are different sizes and hearing varies from person to person.
Edit: I think it’s unlikely that “being cheap” is the only factor in determining if the device is bad for your hearing. Loud volume for prolonged periods will do more damage than anything else I mentioned.
Not an expert, but I know and have heard some things. I’m going to speculate that yes, they can hurt, but not necessarily the same earbuds or headphones will hurt everyone equally, nor for the same reasons.
-the physical fit of an earbud or headphones may cause discomfort or pain. Even prolonged use of a comfortable device can become painful
-the frequency response may be poor. Human ears tend to be sensitive to around the 3khz range, too much sounds “harsh” and could hurt
-some high frequencies (like the “mosquito noise” around 20khz) can give you a headache within seconds of exposure.
-it’s possible they were exaggerating and are being an audiophile/snob
-it’s possible they have some extent of tinnitus and are more sensitive to certain frequencies (speculating a lot here, based on someone I’ve talked to who has it) that those cheap earbuds have a lot of. (similar to the 3khz thing, but specific to their ears due to damage).
Not to mention that everyone’s ears are different sizes and hearing varies from person to person.
Edit: I think it’s unlikely that “being cheap” is the only factor in determining if the device is bad for your hearing. Loud volume for prolonged periods will do more damage than anything else I mentioned.
Removed by mod