Hearing Protection For The Critical Listener

Abstract

Hearing is one of our most important senses; the one, it can be argued, without which our lives are most impacted (Gasaway, 1996). For critical listeners and acoustic ecologists, hearing has special significance. Since relatively modest changes may effect our aural perceptions and the enjoyment we derive from the aesthetic and professional aspects of audition we should exercise special care in the protection of our ears. It is truly regrettable that about 10 million Americans, and countless others worldwide, experience hearing loss that is at least partially attributable to noise exposure, since hearing loss due to noise (with the exception of unexpected explosive sounds) is virtually entirely preventable through the use of hearing protection devices (HPDs).