Sound Immission Levels and Listening Characteristics in Music Player Users

Many young people experience hearing problems, such as hearing loss, and research indicates that this problem is increasing. The abusive use of personal music players (PMP) at high intensities is among the possible reasons for this increase. The objective of the research was to determine the levels of sound immission and the listening characteristics of PMP users in Córdoba. Twenty-six young people between 18 and 30 years of age, frequent users of PMP, were evaluated. A survey was applied to inquire about the listening characteristics of PMP users. PMP sound immission levels were measured. The results showed that most users perceive listening to music at an intense level. This intense listening perception corresponds to the objective measurements regarding the sound immission level, represented with mean values between 77.08 dB to 85.64 dB. This correspondence also occurs in the very intense category with values between 86.68 dB to 89.89 dB. Based on the results obtained in this work, it is considered necessary to continue investigating hearing damage from listening to music at high intensity, to prevent future hearing loss and improve people's quality of life.