I remember as a child walking around with my walkman (yes, I’m that old and yes, I’m talking about the ones that use a cassette) with my headphones in, dancing around to the music. I remember cranking the sound up so loud that I wasn’t able to hear anyone or anything around me and yet no one seemed alarmed by this. Luckily, I didn’t damage my hearing all those years ago.
In today’s world, my boys seem to always have some form of device in hand. They love watching movies on their Kindles because they can never agree on the same one, and the love listening to music on their iPods. With all the portable electronics available to them, I do worry about their listening levels and how it could have an effect on their hearing. I generally monitor it pretty well, but kids will be kids and without a doubt when my back is turned..they feel the need to crank up the volume.
Recently I had the opportunity to let my seven year old test out the ETY Kids Safe-Listening Earphones from Etymotic Research.
He has been really pleased with them. He thought it was pretty awesome that they came with their own zipper pouch, a shirt clip and an assortment of ear tips. With the variety of ear tips, I was able to find the best fit for him, which in turn allowed him to get the best sound possible without cranking up the volume. The ETY·Kids come in black, yellow and pink.
So Why ETY·Kids
Headphones and earbuds that don’t properly seal the ear canal can leak sound and cause listeners to increase levels in order to overcome outside noise. Prolonged exposure to loud music and sounds transmitted directly into the ear canal can create a hazard to hearing health. If sound from a child’s portable device or computer can be heard by others, it’s likely that it’s too loud and potentially damaging to their hearing.
The ETY·Kids seal the ear canal allowing for a higher fidelity at lower levels, and limit maximum sound output delivered to the eardrum. By controlling the earphones themselves, it isn’t necessary to restrict the volume setting on the player.
If anyone is looking for earbuds for themselves of their children, these are an awesome investment. Like all earbuds, they may require some time getting used to but they deliver a great sound. The max volume on these is just a tad lower than a typical earbud, but when considering these are originally designed for kids then that’s perfect! They do an awesome job!
The ETY·Kids Safe-Listening Earphones are available with a SRP of $39. To learn more about these an other Etymotic products, check out their site.
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