Almost everyone likes to listen to their music loud, that's a given. The louder music is, the more subtleties can be heard over the different ranges of sound, and the louder the low end spectrum of sound goes, the more that it can actually physically move you. While sometimes the common thought is that only people who listen to heavy metal will damage their hearing, the truth is that everyone's at risk.

Studies have proven that sound over 85 dB for extended periods of time can damage hearing, but what most people don't know is how little that actually is (the noise level of city traffic). One of the major damagers of hearing in the past couple years has been the popularity of personal stereos (cassette walkmans, portable CD, and minidisc players with headphones). Not only have many of these players been measured at well over 110 dB, but often times they are played at an even more excessive volume to help drown out other noise.

If you're a person who likes seeing music in live venues and doesn't wear earplugs, you may want to consider some of the facts. Although it's considered 'uncool' to show up to see a band with earplugs on, many times club sound systems aren't tuned to the correct settings for the size of the venue. Within a confined space that has no sound dampening material, noise levels can easily push the 120 dB mark.

It's not just rock shows that cause hearing problems, though. Studies show that while 37% of rock musicians have a measurable hearing loss, 52% of classical musicans have one as well. In fact, the sound created from seeing a full symphony can often times top that of a rock concert.

The easiest way to save your hearing when listening to music is to make sure you have some sort of hearing protection along when attending a musical performance (just in case it's too loud) and to play your own stereo equipment at levels that don't distort the music or make your ears ring. Protecting your hearing is a lifetime investment.

  Video 6: Jello Biafra sometimes wears ear plugs