I've noticed some discussions about the harmful effects of using headphones, but there's little mention of in-ear monitors (IEMs). I've been using IEMs for the past 4 years, and surprisingly, my tinnitus has actually decreased when using them at moderate levels. However, when I recently used over-ear headphones at low volumes, my tinnitus worsened. Switching back to IEMs improved my tinnitus again.
I have a theory about this. I think that hearing isn't just about what happens inside the ear; it also involves the physical ear's reaction to vibrations. I believe that my tinnitus spike during a period of over-ear headphone use may have been caused by stimulation of the outer ear. Somehow, stimulating the inner ear without stimulating the outer ear reduces tinnitus, while stimulating both makes it worse.
I also want to mention that I use custom-molded IEMs, the A12t from 64Audio, which have a very "dark" sound signature. The over-ear headphones I used recently were the HD800S and ZMF Atrium Closed. The HD800S are significantly brighter than the A12t, and the Atrium headphones are much warmer. I believe that the stimulation of the outer ear may be the main cause of the tinnitus spikes, but the sound signature may also be a contributing factor.
Has anyone else with tinnitus tried using IEMs?
I have a theory about this. I think that hearing isn't just about what happens inside the ear; it also involves the physical ear's reaction to vibrations. I believe that my tinnitus spike during a period of over-ear headphone use may have been caused by stimulation of the outer ear. Somehow, stimulating the inner ear without stimulating the outer ear reduces tinnitus, while stimulating both makes it worse.
I also want to mention that I use custom-molded IEMs, the A12t from 64Audio, which have a very "dark" sound signature. The over-ear headphones I used recently were the HD800S and ZMF Atrium Closed. The HD800S are significantly brighter than the A12t, and the Atrium headphones are much warmer. I believe that the stimulation of the outer ear may be the main cause of the tinnitus spikes, but the sound signature may also be a contributing factor.
Has anyone else with tinnitus tried using IEMs?