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Safety Headphones

Headphones that preserve your hearing
 
(+3, -3)
  [vote for,
against]

Headphones with a miniature microphone attached to each speaker. The microphones monitor the sound level and automatically adjust the volume to where you can hear it without being loud enough to damage your ears.
Bukkakinator, Jun 03 2008

Electronic earmuff http://www.arlandsa...ctronic-earmuff.htm
First ones I could google up... [lurch, Jun 03 2008]

Dolby Volume http://www.dolby.co...y-volume-works.aspx
Recently announced relevant technology [csea, Jun 03 2008]

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       Will they amplify quiet sounds? That could get annoying.
Texticle, Jun 03 2008
  

       the circuit is called a "limiter" or "compressor/limiter" and doesn't require microphones. Never heard of them for earphones; most people would just turn the volume down :) but sure, why not. gate/expander is thing that Texticle is trying to avoid.
FlyingToaster, Jun 03 2008
  

       [marked-for-delegeration] baked, widely known to exist.   

       <edit - unmarked-for-whatever 'cause it ain't what I thought - end-edit>   

       They are available in both limiting-only (for use with things like jackhammers & whatnot, intermittent loud sounds) and in limiting / amplifying (for use while hunting - gives you "bionic ears", but doesn't eject your eardrums when you fire your gun).
lurch, Jun 03 2008
  

       ohhhhhhhhhh.... i thought it was regular headphones where the mic helped limit the music volume....   

       ok, that makes a tad more sense. You mean noise-cancellation headphones, yeah, pre-baked and available at a McDonald's near you... heavy equipment operators, demolitions, pilots (never heard of both an expander and a compressor on the same though)
FlyingToaster, Jun 03 2008
  

       //i thought it was regular headphones where the mic helped limit the music volume //   

       I think it is. Music headphones that either increase the volume a touch when you're in a loud place so you can still hear the music or turn the volume down in quiet places so as not to annoy people nearby. As long as they have a maximum so they don't blow your eardrums when you walk past a pneumatic drill, it's not a bad idea...   

       (And not baked or widely known to exist).
theleopard, Jun 03 2008
  

       The headphones correct the level AFTER the first explosion of sound once the song starts. Is there a "reset" for quiet songs? Do the headphones gradually go back to full volume, waiting for another loud sound?   

       And the "microphones" are bound to pick up external noise, which would also tend to lower the music level. A rustling of the headset cord may be enough to set off the system.   

       The circuit should be in the player, not the headset. I'd like to use my own headphones, and let the player do the audio adjustments.
Amos Kito, Jun 03 2008
  

       for any given media playing, there's a bandwidth limit, ie: how loud it can physically be made, most notably digital music which "crashes and burns" if you overdrive the recording. For commercial radio, TV, there's also a mandated limit, to avoid having commercials that blare out (and of course the commercial producers are right up on the line using the previously mentioned technology)   

       The volume control is the most obvious, most widely used one that people use. But it won't protect you from spikes or idiots at the main volume control.   

       Having a basic gate/ expander/ compressor/ limiter on a pair of headphones sounds like a good idea. Note that even best ones will introduce a small amount of noise, so I'd suggest a cut-out for when you're absolutely sure of the source.   

       [+] for the idea
FlyingToaster, Jun 03 2008
  

       what's that burning smell?
WcW, Jun 03 2008
  

       //i thought it was regular headphones where the mic helped limit the music volume //   

       I didn't think of that. So I'm holding my [mfd] off for the moment until mr[B] comes back and clarifies. It might still get it, but at least I want to be able to do it for the right reason. :)
lurch, Jun 04 2008
  

       //i thought it was regular headphones where the mic helped limit the music volume//   

       Yes, that's the idea. Automatic regulation of the volume level to keep it in a safe range.
Bukkakinator, Jun 05 2008
  


 

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