When it comes to ANC earbuds, there is a common misconception that they can double up as a hearing protection device. However, experts are quick to debunk this myth.
“Nobody should ever think of them as, in my opinion, pure hearing protection. They’re not,” says ENT Dr. Joe Donzelli. While noise-canceling earbuds may provide some passive protection against external sounds, they do little to prevent inner ear trauma, the main cause of hearing loss.
According to Dr. Donzelli, the real danger lies in the volume at which you listen to music through your headphones. Even with the best noise cancellation technology, if you crank up the volume to high levels for extended periods, you are putting yourself at risk of inner ear damage.
That being said, ANC earbuds can provide some secondary benefits in terms of hearing protection. “If someone is using ANC earbuds to eliminate background noise, they may not need to turn up the volume as much to hear the music clearly,” explains Dr. Donzelli.
Essentially, ANC earbuds work by canceling out external distractions, allowing you to enjoy your music at a lower volume. This reduces your exposure to damaging decibel levels and, in turn, lowers the risk of inner ear trauma.
However, Dr. Donzelli warns against the dangers of listening at excessively high volumes, with or without noise cancellation. “The tighter you put something in your ear and the louder you make it, the more damage you’re likely to cause,” he cautions.