Action on Hearing Loss Sound heads
Our Protecting your hearing campaign raises awareness about the risks of listening to music at damaging levels. One way we do this is through our sound head, which tests the volume of MP3 or portable music players. It's portable and, as it's bright pink, certainly eye catching too. So it's great for events such as freshers' fairs, music festivals or even party conferences.
How does it work?
Just stick your headphones on the sound head and 30 seconds later you'll get a result:
Green: It's fine – enjoy the music!
Amber: Could be a little too loud – reduce the volume to be on the safe side.
Red: Definitely too loud – you could be damaging your ears.
Why 30 seconds?
How many times have you listened to a piece of music that starts off quietly but ends with a loud crescendo? The volume levels on a typical music track vary considerably. So that a short burst of loud music doesn't give a false result, the head takes an average measurement over 30 seconds.
For more information about how you can protect you hearing, see our Campaigns section.