SOUND LEVELS, HEARING HABITS AND HAZARDS OF USING PORTABLE CASSETTE PLAYERS

The maximum output sound pressure level (SPL) from different types of portable cassette players (PCPs) and different headphones was analyzed by using KEMAR in one-third octave bands. The equivalent free-field db(A) level (EqA-FFSL) was computed from the one-third octave bands corrected by the free-field to the eardrum transfer function. The cassette tapes used in this study were recorded with music, white noise, narrowband noise and pure tones. The equivalent and maximum SPL was measured in the ear canal (1 mm from eardrum) with the use of mini-microphones in 15 young subjects listening to pop music from PCPs at the highest level they considered comfortable. In order to acquire information about listening habits among youngsters using PCPs, 154 seventh and eight graders (age 14-15) were interviewed. They used PCPs much less than expected during most of the year, but an increase was reported during the summer holidays.