new monitors low volume ears ringing- wtf ???

Hey- I know this may sound like a virgin adolescent kind of question... but seriously, I've been using a small 8w 2.1 creative monitors for the past decade or so; I like to keep earbud volume low; I wear earplugs in noisy environments (work and concerts- not so many these days) - basically,  I've made an effort to not have my hearing damaged most of my life because I really love music.
So, today I bought a pair of powered yamaha 8in monitors- I bought them to get a fuller range of sound than I was getting- and I hooked them up, and listened perhaps an hour of some beats at what I felt was a fairly reasonable volume, perhaps just beyond normal conversational level, nothing uncomfortable for my sensitivity - but when I turned them off and left the room I noticed my ears were ringing a bit- not good. Can anyone explain to me why my ears would be ringing ? Were my senses fooled into believing the sound was not as loud as it was, or, the lower lows and higher ranges can be more damaging than mid-range at a "normal" volume ?
 
TIA  

I noticed the ringing was fairly slight, so I wasn't so worried about long term- but as I use my daw about every day, this exposure will have to be reconciled. I was wise enough to set everything at min volume and slowly brought things up to listen.
 
Thanks again

Great question, got me thinking...
 
I'd always assumed it was high frequencies that did the damage, based on the ideas that a) those are what are most likely to be physically painful at a loud concert, and b) that it's the high end you lose first as hearing degrades from long-term damage.
 
But sharke's comment got me thinking. Low frequencies represent far more energy than highs, perhaps 10,000 times more sound pressure at the lowest end of the spectrum. When the OP upgraded his speakers, what was  he now hearing that he couldn't hear before? The sub-100 Hz range.
 
I recently joined a band and have begun using musicians' earplugs, something I'd never done before. They definitely help, but since they're off-the-shelf rather than custom-molded they do little to attenuate low frequencies. Now I'm wondering if they're protecting me as well as I'd hoped they would.
 
I do agree with the assessment that minimal damage is probably being done, as the OP is monitoring at sensible volume. But the fact remains that, statistically, audio professionals lose their hearing faster than the general population. I'm sure George Martin was not in the habit of listening to loud music, but even he had to retire due to hearing loss.

One possibility is there is a lot of mid in the sound. I have left-ear tinnitus of the "humming" variety as the result of a viral infection a few years ago. Most of the time my brain switches it out, but exposure to a lot of mid-range sound pressure can trigger it even at relatively low volume levels (sub 85dB). A hum in my left ear is a sure sign I need to take a look at the eq.

I never get problems from concerts by the way, Not even after seeing Phil Cambell's All Stars and Hawkwind immediately after each other. Neither being what you'd call quiet.

Sorry to be obvious, but I played a gig last night, and my perceptive hearing is WAY off today. I need to let my ears rest after having being exposed to heavy / loud noise / sound. It might take me a day or two...
All the best.

I noticed the exact same thing when I stop using my consumer stereo system and powered computer speakers as monitors and finally invested in some proper reference monitors (Mackie MKII's). I got mild ringing/ear fatigue at much lower levels.
 
I also noticed the same thing when switching from consumer grade headphones to pro grade headphones (Sennheiser HD280's... which aren't totally top shelf but the best I could afford).
 
I personally would say the theory that my ears had never previously been exposed to the entire frequency spectrum before is what were making them get cranky. This despite nearly two decades of insanely high volume band practices and gigs with little to no ear protection.
 
Although my ears seem to have adjusted and it's not quite as painful/fatiguing when I spend extended periods of time using those sources (usually the cans due to noise issues in my apartment) I still take FREQUENT breaks when using those cans and monitors. Like I never go for more than an hour before stopping for at least a half hour and don't do more than 4-5 hours of critical listening in a day... despite my frequent breaks. After that point (and usually much sooner) I simply am not able to do anything useful to a mix and generally just make things worse.
 
Even then I've learned to give myself at least one night before making any further mix decisions but more recently I've started waiting an entire week or more once I think I've got things nailed after a long session. Then when I go back (after maybe doing some other stuff but usually just not doing anything) I can hammer down the last few details that I would not have noticed if I hadn't taken a break. And then I'll give it another night, few days, week and try again. Kind of like sanding a sculpture or piece of woodwork. It's been really helpful.
 
Based on the types of things I manage to pick out of mixes after all the high volume insanity I exposed myself to over the years I am extremely fortunate that my ears are still so sensitive. I think I may have even recovered some of my hearing since I stopped playing live and blasting myself out in tiny little bandrooms or at least learned to work around any lost frequencies.
 
My biggest problem is being able to dial in exactly what I WANT to hear... but that comes with experience and experimentation I guess.
 
I am, as always, not a pro... but trying to be.
 
tl;dr...
 
You are using pro gear now. Take frequent breaks to avoid burnout/ear fatigue but your ears will adjust.
 
Cheers.

Hi,
 
Weird ... I have never been one for "loud" ... going way back to the 70's. I doubt that there is any more quality in a recording if played louder, specially if you did it, when you know what you put in there at any given time. 
 
Going back to Sgt Peppers, for example, you played it loud because there were little things in the background that were cool that you barely heard ... DSOTM is the same thing ... but in general, on a clear recording, this is not necessary at all ... as I said before, the English version of the LP, you did not have to bust out the volume to hear the little things in the background.
 
Just weird ... for my tastes, but ear damage, is no fun at all ... if that is what it is, which all these postings, really suggest. The question is, can you train your ear to hear at a lower level, and still catch every thing?

bitflipper
In 1970, while listening to Black Sabbath on acid at high volume, I started hearing demonic voices.
 
Turned out it was just the downstairs neighbors.

Mooch4056
Well yeah that  -- and death will cause a retirement to happen. 

I'd have to check to be sure, but I think the sequence of events was 1) hearing loss, 2) retirement, and 3) death.
 
Only the first two are related, AFAIK.

Thanks to all for your responses. I've met more than a few older co-workers over the years who told me they were glad to see I wore earplugs and wish they had been more cautious in their youth. I used to work in a tool and die machine shop and wearing earplugs and mask was seen somewhat along the lines of wearing a pink tutu with my same-aged compatriots- (who's laughing now ? ). I am making a point to enjoy my new monitors at a lower volume without having to worry about hearing damage.
thanks again

bitflipper

Mooch4056
Well yeah that  -- and death will cause a retirement to happen. 

I'd have to check to be sure, but I think the sequence of events was 1) hearing loss, 2) retirement, and 3) death.
 
Only the first two are related, AFAIK.

 
Yes -- he probably loss hearing then retired - Hopefully George Martin and the Beatles will be in music history books and just as relevant as a study as Beethoven and Mozart at music schools. 
 
I was trying to make a tongue in check joke and failed