Avenue de l’armée, 3900-Kigali Rwanda, Website: www.kist.ac.

rw

FACULTY OF ENGINEERING

DEPARTMENT OF ELECTRICAL AND ELECTRONICS ENGINEERING

(EEE)

YEAR 5 ETE

COURSE: ENGLISH FOR ACADEMIC PURPOSES

Research Paper On

THE CASE FOR PRECAUTION IN THE USE OF

HEADPHONES

Done by
BAZIRAMWABO Gabriel
GS20050506
&
NSENGIMANA Benjamin
GS20050652

Supervised by:
Mr. MUCIKA Constant

i
6 April 2009

ii
ABSTRACT

An increasing panic that the use of headphones would be dangerous in different ways
urged us to carry out this study in order to make clarifications, and give warnings when
needed. Leaning on the knowledge collected along the age about electronic gadgets, we
reached related views of different people using questionnaire and internet. Fortunately
none of the risks was found to be out of control. Were attention paid on advice provided
in this study the use of headphones would not be a threat anymore.

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

We are thankful to Mr. Mucika Constant who taught us how to put a pen on a paper.

TABLES OF CONTENTS

ABSTRACT i
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT ii

iv
TABLES OF CONTENTS iii
CHAPTER I: INTRODUCTION 1
I.1 Problem statement: Public panic about using headphones 1
I.2 Aim of the study 2
I.3 Methodology 2
CHAPTER II: LITERATURE REVIEW 3
II.1 Working principle of headphones 3
II.1.1 Defining headphones 3
II.1.2 History of headphones 3
II.1.3 Technology 3
II.1.4 Types of headphones 4
II.2 Anatomy of auditory canal 5
CHAPTER III: HOW MISUSING HEADPHONES IS DANGEROUS TO EARS 6
III.1 Hearing problems to headphone addicts 6
III.2 Other risks 7
III.2.1 Car accidents 7
III.2.2 Hazards at workplace 7
III.2.3 Theft 7
III.2.4 Anti-social behaviour 7
III.2.5 Interference with heart devices 7
III.2.6 Risks to runners 8
CHAPTER IV: CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION 9
IV.1 Conclusion 9
IV.2 Recommendation 9
BIBLIOGRAPHIES 10
APPENDICES 11

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CHAPTER I: INTRODUCTION

I.1 Problem statement: Public panic about using headphones

Currently there is an increasing public panic concerning the risks that are thought to be
caused by headphones. While some (and we are so many) see how its advantageous to
listen to music or news without disturbing other people beside us, thanks to the
technology of headphones; there are different opinions provided by people from different
places of the world who see a downside of headphones:

On January 24th, 2009 Ameeta sent a comment to the Priyank’s (personal) website: “By
wearing earphones we shut out any human conversation, which was once considered a
very normal thing to do… Technology sure is changing us”.

Dr. Richard Seewald who holds a Canada Research Chair in Childhood Hearing at the
National Centre for Audiology in London, Ontario, Canada showed his concern on the
website for Audiology Online: “There are potentially some audiometric and fitting-related
disadvantages to using insert earphones if certain factors are not appropriately accounted
for”.

On the website for Engadget, Nilay Patel posted on November 9th, 2008 the following
comment: “A new study says that headphones can interfere with heart devices like
pacemakers and defibrillators when held within an inch of the device. The interference can
be so disruptive that a defibrillator can fail to fire live-saving electric charges, so we would
say that anyone counting on technology to keep their ticker ticking should be extra-careful
with where they stow their phones”.

Headphone using has gained ground in life of many of us. Etienne a friend of mine
observed, “There is a kind of addiction to earphones. The more you use them, the more
you feel you cannot live without them”.

The fact that these enjoyable electronic gadgets are labeled dangerous, arises an
important question: Is truly using headphones harmful?

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I.2 Aim of the study

The aim of the current study is to alert people, especially the youth, that there are not only
advantages in using headphones, but also that the disadvantages are lurking. The study is
not trying to stop the use of headphones. We are only telling headphones’ users that it is
very important to take a great care about the volume of the sound if they wish to live to
hear their grandchildren’s sweet poems. The study also deals with the types of headphones
showing how these differ in quality. In fact poor quality means cheapness, and blinded by
the cheapness we purchase headphones that are not suitable for volume control; and the
consequence is the irreversible ear damage. Thus, with this study it is easy to make a good
choice about headphones. We did not forget the social part. Indeed we want to use this
study to warn headphones’ users that social relationship can be broken due to headphones.
Warnings go as far as the accidents that can occur in the road or at work due to the
misuse of headphones.

I.3 Methodology

To discover the truth behind the use of earphones we have used several methods.

I.3.1 Observation: Since we live in a place where the use of headphones is high we
observe day after day their effects.

I.3.2 The Internet: Online information has been helpful to us. Through the internet we
have been able to learn what other people think of the use of earphones

I.3.3 Questionnaire: We used this method to collect ideas from a sample of. We used the
opportunity that Kigali Health Institute is our neighbor to get useful information from its
students. The questionnaire was simple and focused. Its form makes appendix B at the end
of this paper.

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CHAPTER II: LITERATURE REVIEW

II.1 Working principle of headphones

II.1.1 Defining headphones

Headphones are a pair of small loudspeakers, or less commonly a single speaker, with a
way of holding them close to a user's ears and a means of connecting them to a signal
source such as an audio amplifier, radio or CD player.

II.1.2 History of headphones

The telephone earpiece was common around the turn of the 20th century. From the
earpiece developed the headphones. Sensitive headphones were the only way to listen to
audio signals before amplifiers were developed.
When used with early powered radios, the headphone was normally connected to the
positive high voltage battery terminal, and the other battery terminal was securely earthed.
The use of bare electrical connections meant that users could be shocked if they touched
the bare headphone connections while adjusting an uncomfortable headset.

II.1.3 Technology
How a sound is produced in headphones The
operating principle consists of a stationary magnetic element affixed to the frame of the
headphone which sets up a static magnetic field. The magnetic element in headphones is
typically composed of ferrite or neodymium. The diaphragm, typically fabricated from
lightweight, high stiffness to mass ratio cellulose, polymer, carbon material, or the like, is
attached to a coil of wire (voice coil) which is immersed in the static magnetic field of the
stationary magnet. The diaphragm is actuated by the attached voice coil, when an audio
current is passed through the coil. The alternating magnetic field produced by the current
through the coil reacts against the static magnetic field in turn, causing the coil and
attached diaphragm to move the air, thus producing sound.

Figure2: Parts of headphones

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II.1.4 Types of headphones

Figure1: (a) Earcup (b) Circumaural (c) supra-aural (d) Earbuds (e) Canalphones

There are
many different types of headphone designs, with the listening situation and the needs of
the listener determining what type of headphone will be used. Generally, headphone form
factors can be divided into five separate categories: circumaural, supra-aural, earbud,
and in-ear.
1. Earcup headphones
Earcup or on-ear headphones rest on the exterior of the ear and were the earliest
headphone form designed. The housing, or earcup, of an earcup headphone will be either
open or closed. Open headphones, sometimes marketed as “open air” headphones, have an
open grille on the back of the earcup, exposing the driver to the outside and allowing
sound waves to propagate away from the ear freely. Closed headphones have a sealed
backing, which attenuates sound waves propagating away from the ear.

2. Circumaural headphones

Circumaural headphones (sometimes called full-sized headphones) have circular or

ellipsoid ear pads that completely surround around the ears. This type of headphone is
commonly used in recording studios and among audio enthusiasts.

3. Supra-aural

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 Supra-aural headphones have pads that sit on top of the ears, rather than around them.
They were commonly bundled with personal stereos during the 1980s.

4. Earbuds

Earbuds or earphones are headphones of a smaller size that are placed directly outside
of the ear canal, but without fully enveloping it. They are generally inexpensive and are
favored for their portability and convenience. However, they are unable to provide
isolation. As a result, they are often used at higher volumes in order to drown out
noise from the user's surroundings, which increases the risk of hearing-loss.

5. Canalphones

Canalphones (Also known as in-ear monitors or IEMs) are earbuds that are inserted
directly into the ear canal. Canalphones offer portability similar to earbuds, and also act as
earplugs to block out environmental noise.

II.2 Anatomy of auditory canal

The simplified view of the human ear in

figure identifies the basic mechanisms of
human hearing. Sound travels down the ear
canal and causes the eardrum to vibrate.
Inside the middle ear, a bone attached to the
eardrum vibrates with the eardrum and
propagates sound waves through the middle
ear by way of two other ear bones, which
amplify the sound. The third ear bone
of a human ear vibrates against the cochlea of the inner ear.
The cochlea is filled with fluid and is lined with frequency-sensitive hair cells that convert
vibrations into electrical signals going to the brain. The cells that respond to high
frequencies are located in the outer cochlea, and those for the low frequencies follow
behind.

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CHAPTER III: HOW MISUSING HEADPHONES IS DANGEROUS TO EARS

Using headphones at a sufficiently high volume level can cause temporary or permanent
hearing impairment or deafness due to an effect called "masking." The headphone volume
has to compete with the background noise, especially in excessively loud places such as
subway stations, airplanes, and large crowds. This leads to the disappearance of the
normal pain associated with higher levels of volumes. Extended periods of the excessively
loud volume may be damaging.

III.1 Hearing problems to headphone addicts

Online New York Times has this report published by Steve Lohr on July 17th, 1982:

“Little research has been done on the use of headphone stereos and hearing. Most of the
investigation has been done in Japan, largely surveys by doctors examining high-school
students. In 1980, Dr. Satoshi Koizumi, an ear, eye, nose and throat specialist at Hokushin
General Hospital, about 125 miles northwest of Tokyo, conducted a survey of the hearing
ability of 4,500 students at six nearby high schools. Dr. Koizumi found 29 students had
hearing difficulties for ‘unspecified' reasons. Of those 29, Dr. Koizumi said that 21 were
'headphone addicts.’ These 21 students told Dr. Koizumi that they listened to stereo
headphones more than 24 hours a week at volumes that averaged 87.9 decibels (See more
details about decibel in Appendix A).

For the most part, the students affected had difficulty hearing sounds in certain
high-frequency ranges, which Dr. Koizumi described as a hearing problem typically caused
by too much exposure to loud noises (…).

A similar study was done by Dr. Kunishige Kambe, who is an ear, eye, nose and throat
specialist in Tachikawa City, a Tokyo suburb, and serves as a school doctor at Tachikawa
High School.

Dr. Kambe surveyed 700 high-school students and found 150 frequent headphone listeners
among them. Of those 150, eight students had hearing difficulties. These hearing-impaired
students listened to their stereo headphones an average of six hours a day. With a
follow-up survey, Dr. Kambe found that in most cases the damage was reversible. Once
they stopped using headphones or reduced their listening considerably, they gradually
regained normal hearing ability”.

III.2 Other risks

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III.2.1 Car accidents

The complete isolation from outside noise can be a hazard in itself, as a user could miss
the sound of a car horn and walk into traffic with fatal consequences.

III.2.2 Hazards at workplace

Wearing headphones on a construction or industrial site can be dangerous if it prevents

workers from hearing warning signals, mobile equipment backup alarms, and safety
instructions. Walking around while talking on the phone or wearing a headset distracts
your attention from safety and could result in a slip or fall or cause you to run into or be
struck by something or someone.

III.2.3 Theft

Losing situational awareness can also lead to theft, particularly in busy environments
where bumping into another person would be ignored, e.g., subway stations.

III.2.4 Anti-social behaviour

Wearing headphones can build a wall between us and other people in the way they may
feel we are not paying attention to what they say. I (Gabriel, one of the authors of this
paper) am a witness of what has happened to me, even me: In 2005, I was developing my
listening skills through frequently listening to BBC, VOA and Deutsche Welle. I was so
addicted to my walkman with its headphones that it happened to me to use them while in
the class. But a worse scenario occurred when I failed to catch what a friend was telling
me just because I did not remove my headphones. Indeed I was a very important lesson
was on and I did not want to miss it. My friend became and said goodbye.

III.2.5 Interference with heart devices

MSNBC is a 24-hour cable news channel based in the United States and available in both
the US and Canada. On its website are published the results of research conducted by a
team of doctors whose representative was Dr. William Maisel, a cardiologist at Beth Israel
Deaconess Medical Center in Boston and a heart device consultant to the federal Food
and Drug Administration:

“Maisel and other doctors (…) tested eight models — earbuds and those that hook over
the ear — in 60 people with heart devices.

When headphones were about an inch from the device, interference was detected nearly
one-fourth of the time — in four of the 27 pacemaker patients and 10 of the 33 with
defibrillators. A pacemaker reset itself in one patient.

Patients having such interference might not feel anything, or may have heart palpitations.
But the interference could temporarily deactivate a defibrillator, keeping it from delivering
a lifesaving shock if one were needed.

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The magnet's effect falls off rapidly with distance from the device, and heart device
function returns to normal as soon as the headphone is out of range.

The study did not test larger or noise-canceling headphones. The size of the headphone
doesn't necessarily relate to magnetic strength; small, portable ones typically use
neodymium, which is one of the most powerful and concentrated magnetic substances,
Maisel said.

Dr. Kenneth Ellenbogen, a heart device expert at Virginia Commonwealth University and
a spokesman for the heart association, said the solution is simple: ‘Keep your headphones
on your ears and when they're not on your ears, you shouldn't put them over your chest or
your pacemaker.’”

III.2.6 Risks to runners

Runner's World is a globally circulated monthly magazine for recreational runners,
published by Rodale Press in Emmaus, Pennsylvania, in the United States. On 09/19/2006
it warned that when you run while wearing headphones, you are less aware of what is
going on around you, which makes you more prone to injuries and accidents, and more
vulnerable to attacks. It advised that if you choose to tune in, you should keep the
following safety tips in mind:
· Limit yourself to listening to music only while on the treadmill or during races
(although some do not allow it).
· Consider open-air, or supra-aural, headphones, which do not seal off your ear
canal, allowing more ambient noise (like car horns and cycling pelotons) to remain audible.

· As for volume, keep it just loud enough to hear the music but low enough that you
can hear the sounds around you.
· Finally, do not assume that the one-ear-only method is any safer. Using
headphones in just one ear can confuse your brain-perhaps more dangerous than listening
with both sides of your head.

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CHAPTER IV: CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION

IV.1 Conclusion
“Minds are like parachutes: they only function when they are open” (BBC World Service,
London 2002). That is what this paper has been trying to do: To alert people who are
unaware of how loudness can damage ears permanently. We know it has been interesting
to learn how a number of thefts and accidents in roads and workplaces can be avoided just
by adjusting properly headphone volume. Another tip is that apart from being a threat to
auditory conduct, headphones contain strong magnets that can jeopardize heart devices.
We do not doubt, precautions provided to people living with this case is worth gold.
Finally, our hope is that minds are open till to realize how a friendship can be broken due
to headphone addiction.

IV.2 Recommendation

We recommend whoever who comes across this paper to pass the information it contains
to others, thus helping us achieve our goal of stopping risks related to the use of
headphones.

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BIBLIOGRAPHIES

Print Source

1. BBC World Service, The Wisdom of Africa, A unique collection of listeners’

proverbs: London UK, 2002. P130.

Electronic Sources

2. Priyank Thatte, Final Transit journal , available at

http://priyank.com/weblog/2009/01/22/earphones/

3. Richard Seewald, PhD, Audiology Online, lastly viewed on 06/04/2009 at

http://www.audiologyonline.com/askexpert/display_question.asp?question_id=317

4. Nilay Patel, Headphones can interfere with defibrillators and pacemakers, Engadget
available at
http://www.engadget.com/2008/11/09/headphones-can-interfere-with-defibrillators-a
nd-pacemakers/

5. Steve Lohr, pasted on July 17, 1982 in New York Times, Consumer Saturday;
Headsets and Ear Damage, lastly viewed on 06/04/2009 at
http://www.nytimes.com/1982/07/17/style/consumer-saturday-headsets-and-ear-dam
age.html?sec=health

6. MSNBC, Headphones can interfere with heart devices available at

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/27629579/ updated 10:57 a.m. PT, Sun., Nov. 9,
2008

7. Runner's World, Running With Music Safely ,Tune in, not out accessible at
http://www.runnersworld.com/article/0,7120,s6-240-321--10353-0,00.html

Encyclopedia

8. Wikipedia, free online encyclopedia available at

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Main_Page

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APPENDICES

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 Appendix A
Decibel (Loudness) Comparison Chart (Galen Carol, 2007)
Here are some interesting numbers, collected from a variety of sources that help one to
understand the volume levels of various sources and how they can affect our hearing.

Environmental Noise Notes

High frequency sounds of 2-4,000

Hz are the most damaging. The
uppermost octave of the piccolo is
2,048-4,096 Hz.

Aging causes gradual hearing loss,

mostly in the high frequencies.

Hypertension and various

psychological difficulties can be
related to noise exposure.

The incidence of hearing loss in

classical musicians has been
estimated at 4-43%, in rock
musicians 13-30%.
Statistics for the Decibel
(Loudness) Comparison Chart were
taken from a study by Marshall
Chasin , M.Sc., Aud(C), FAAA,
Centre for Human Performance &
Health, Ontario, Canada.

Weakest sound heard 0dB

Whisper Quiet Library 30dB
Normal conversation (3-5') 60-70dB
Telephone dial tone 80dB
City Traffic (inside car) 85dB
Train whistle at 500', Truck Traffic 90dB
Subway train at 200' 95dB
 Level at which sustained exposure may
90 - 95dB
result in hearing loss
Power mower at 3' 107dB
Snowmobile, Motorcycle 100dB
Power saw at 3' 110dB
Sandblasting, Loud Rock Concert 115dB
Pain begins 125dB
Pneumatic riveter at 4' 125dB
Even short term exposure can cause
permanent damage - Loudest recommended 140dB
exposure WITH hearing protection
Jet engine at 100', Gun Blast 140dB
Death of hearing tissue 180dB
Loudest sound possible 194dB
 Appendix B:

Questionnaire form
 Appendix C

Abbreviations

BBC : British Broadcast Corporation

CD : Compact Disk

MSNBC: A combination of MSN and NBC.

MSN standing for Microsoft Network, and

NBC standing for National Broadcast Company.

VOA : Voice of America