Do you protect your hearing?

Has your interest in audio caused you to be more aware of hearing protection or am I the only anal one here?

Yes, absolutely! I've been driving motorcycles for some 15 years now, and I never considered wearing hearing protection till I got into high-end audio about three years ago. The wind noise at highway speeds can really cause havoc on the hearing. About 10-12 months ago I started wearing ear plugs, but they suck and often blow out at high speeds. So I had custom ear plugs made about four months ago. They cost me $50, which is way overpriced for what they are, but they are wonderful. They inject silicon into your ears and you sit there for ten minutes while it cures, then they trim them up a bit. They actually cork screw into the ear so they can't fall out or blow out. I don't ride without them now. Well worth $50.
My only regret is not doing it years ago. I usually use a walkman at the gym while doing cardiovascular, but I recently stopped using it 'cause I am trying to preserve my hearing for the love of high-end audio.

Be especially careful of car stereos. The spl is daunting , it can cause fast permanent damage.

As a graduate student I worked in a psychoacoustic lab with the charter of research related to noise induced hearing loss, so I became aware of the problem in my early 20s. My masters and doctoral research dealt with auditory processing.

Long-term hearing loss occurs mostly from repeated exposure to high level of sound, but even single gun shots can be damaging. It has been reported that sound levels in rock concerts can cause damage. Avoid unprotected esposure to noise that is loud enough that communication is difficult. Provided a Walkman is not blasting, it probably will not harm your hearing. I find classical guitar music soothing when I undergo dental procedures.

db

Only when I am talking with my wife.

Huh? love the wife line!!!!!!!!!!!!!!