Research by the National Acoustic Laboratories in Sydney, Austrailia, one in four iPod users are damaging their hearing by playing the music too loud.

They found that 25% of people who regularly used MP3 players were listening to them at the same volume as a small power tool. This leads the team to belive that thae surge in saled of various MP3 players, as well as personal casettes and personal CD players could lead to an increase in Tinnitus.

The researchers stopped people at random in Melbourne and Sydney and used an artificial ear to record the volume levels on their personal stereo.

A recent study by the Royal National Institute for Deaf People (RNID) found 39% of 18 to 24-year-olds listened to personal music players for at least an hour every day and 42% admitted they thought they had the volume too high.

The RNID regards 80 decibels as the level at which hearing is threatened - 20 less than a pneumatic drill.

Some MP3 playes can emit sound as loud as 105 decibels.

According to the RNID, the first sign of damage to the ears is a ringing or buzzing noise in the ears, if the same level of noise is repeated, it could lead to permanent damage.

But but...

Some songs are just So much better when they're LOUD !

nothing irrritates me more when someone on tube has their music so loud even I can clearly hear it.

I never put my music too loud. I prefer it when its softer and not deafening me.

Yeah HowlinMadMurdoc, I found people like that real annoying too. Sometimes there would be four or five different people all with their music way up loud

Always consider your fellow passengers.

go loud or go home man!

Lol, breaking news! Loud music damages your hearing. Well I never!

omw what a little smart ass you are.. well done