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Nope. This is a real problem. I own the AirPods Pro, older version and the newer Max. Immediate onset of tinnitus when using pro. Went away after I stopped. Ext

Nope. This is a real problem. I own the AirPods Pro, older version and the newer Max. Immediate onset of tinnitus when using pro. Went away after I stopped. Extensive use of the Max and regular AirPods don’t produce the same. Never had tinnitus. I also use AKG studio headphones, and I’ve had ultimate ears custom moulded for me by an audiologist for on stage use. I’ve also used a hell of a lot of other audio gear for on stage performance, production, phone calls and casual listening with no tinnitus or other effects. Trust me when I tell you that this is the tip of the iceberg and may result in a massive lawsuit over permanent hearing damage. I avoid AirPods Pro like the plague now. I posted this 3 months ago: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=24805366 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=24805366

jiofih 6y ago
Well, half of the reports in the forum thread are for other models, not only the AirPods Pro, including the original AirPods causing tinnitus..
croutonwagon 6y ago
Correct me if im wrong. But tinnitus doesnt come and go. Its something you have or you dont, and once you have it, its there and will only get worse as more damage accumulates. https://www.nidcd.nih.gov/health/tinnitus https://www.nidcd.nih.gov/health/tinnitus I have it, mostly from hunting without ear pro. I dont always notice it, but its always there. Its usually mostly noticeable when im going to bed at night,when scuba diving, or when on a plane and I havent cleared by ears. OR if/when i have headphones that create a seal in my ear, like the silicon earbuds that create, which is why you can hear yourself chewing/swallowing. Its a main reason i don't wear those types of earphones. Tinnitus is always there, its permanent. But it just may be noticeable under certain conditions or circumstances.
- ryanmarsh 6y ago
  This. Temporary ringing in the ears is not tinnitus. I think people without tinnitus are having the normal symptoms associated with use of noise cancelling headphones. Those symptoms admittedly can be pretty nasty including sinus headaches and ringing in the ears.
  - DanBC 6y ago
    https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/tinnitus/ https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/tinnitus/ > You may hear these sounds in 1 or both ears, or in your head. They may come and go, or you might hear them all the time.
- furyofantares 6y ago
  > Tinnitus is always there, its permanent. But it just may be noticeable under certain conditions or circumstances. I don't get this. Tinnitus is a ringing in my ears. When I don't notice it, it's not there. Maybe you're saying that if it's being caused by some physical damage in the ear then that damage is still there. Sure, but it doesn't seem like that's always a component. From your link: > Although we hear tinnitus in our ears, its source is really in the networks of brain cells (what scientists call neural circuits) that make sense of the sounds our ears hear. A way to think about tinnitus is that it often begins in the ear, but it continues in the brain. Personally, I develop tinnitus any time I take a vacation, or if I'm consistent with meditation practice. But when my brain is instead constantly active, it's totally absent.
  - croutonwagon 6y ago
    You are describing scenarios where it’s noticeable. It’s like saying if a tree falls in the woods and no one is there. However my point is, just because some may become aware of their tinnitus when wearing say...AirPods Pro, that doesn’t mean they are the cause. I would notice it with those just as I would with the silicon earbuds that come with Roku remotes. But don’t notice it with my regular AirPods. There are times it’s worse for me. Like when I’m stressed and times it’s suppressed, like when my adrenaline is pumping. And there are times when it’s more noticeable, like when it’s dark and quiet and my primary senses are dampened. But regardless I would be part of that % of the population that has tinnitus. And just because it’s noticeable with x device doesn’t mean that’s the cause.
    - furyofantares 6y ago
      > You are describing scenarios where it’s noticeable. It’s like saying if a tree falls in the woods and no one is there. OK, but I believe in this situation, there is no physical sound, unlike if a tree falls in the woods. It's an auditory hallucination. A visual hallucination isn't there if I don't see it, and neither is an auditory hallucination. FWIW I think we're largely in agreement. I described that I can gain tinnitus at-will by meditating, but I wouldn't say meditation causes tinnitus. And I can certainly see the AirPod/tinnitus connection being of the same nature - nothing with the physical hearing systems at all and instead a consequence of a change in the mind - even though I wouldn't say tinnitus is "always there".
- PragmaticPulp 6y ago
  Tinnitus is simply the perception of sound when no actual sound is present. There are many different sub-categories of tinnitus, including the type you describe that results from permanent hearing damage. However, there are other causes of tinnitus that can come and go, or be worsened by different conditions. Some people have tinnitus that changes volume by clenching their jaw, for example. Classic subjective tinnitus is thought to be similar to phantom limb syndrome, where the patient experiences sensory inputs that are not actually present. There is even a category called Objective Tinnitus, which is tinnitus that an external observer can hear (with the right tools). This is usually caused by strange blood flow patterns or muscle spasms.
  - cko 6y ago
    Wow I have chronic tinnitus and just clenched my jaw a few times. The pitch just got higher. Never noticed that before.
    - bredren 6y ago
      Me either. I know my normal hz but now I want to go figure out the clenched jaw one.
    - ysavir 6y ago
      I used to get the same. I was able to help it by getting in the habit of stretching my jaw often, and shifting my neutral jaw "posture". The neutral state used to be me keeping my jaw closed, meaning bringing my teeth together (not tight enough to clench, but just enough for contact), but I retrained myself to let my jaw "hang" when in a neutral state. It's helped a lot with tinnitus, ear pressure, jaw pain, etc.
      - karpour 6y ago
        May I ask how you managed to retrain yourself? I have tinnitus for a year now, plus issues with clenching my jaw, but I have yet to find a good way to stop doing it.
- heavyset_go 6y ago
  Tinnitus is a symptom whose cause may or may not be permanent. It comes and goes for me.
- wtvanhest 6y ago
  Mine comes and goes. I find that if I drink from a water bottle with a straw, I’ll get it periodically for about 24 hours after.
- vcxy 6y ago
  This seems odd to me. I guess tinnitus symptoms can be intermittent, but it isn't tinnitus unless it is constant? What label is appropriate for someone like me with intermittent symptoms? Edit: sorry, I see about a million people are saying similar thing and have a lot of discussion under them.
  - berryjerry 6y ago
    Tinnitus can be persistent, intermittent, or change sounds, tone or pitch. It is all in the same category.
Maxburn 6y ago
As someone with tinnitus and just got Airpods Pro two days ago this news disturbs me. I don't want it to get worse. I'm wondering if this is caused by ultrasonics? Someone must have measured these somewhere...
- pfranz 6y ago
  The original thread is about AirPods (non-Pro). There was a conspiracy theory (that's the best word I can think of but may not be the correct one) a year or two ago because a bunch of updates to Bose, Apple, and other noise canceling headphones seemed to make the noise canceling worse and the rumored reason was they internally might have found hearing damage. AFAIK there's no direct or scientifically vetted information that this was the reason for the change. Headphones and earbuds can cause hearing problems for quite a few unrelated reasons. People tend to increase the volume with headphones (I check the average audio level in Apple Health. I keep the volume quite a bit lower when using the Pro vs the original). Earbuds can compact earwax inside the ear causing pain, tinnitus, or hearing problems for some people.
illustriousbear 6y ago
This is not necessarily evidence. Your tinnitus might have just become noticeable with the Airpods or perhaps something completely unrelated impacted it. I had tinnitus flare ups during lockdown so went to both an audiologist and an ent specialist (had a mri too). I'm a heavy user of ANC devices as a means to relax/cope with my environment so I suspected the devices. Professionals told me that there was no hearing damage and that my flare ups were likely connected to clenching my jaw and stress. I mentioned my devices/usage to my health professionals and they said there is no reason for concern. After some physio I'm much better off. If people are working from home in quieter environments where they're not exercising while using ear pieces / headphones more often, it shouldn't be surprising that tinnitus is becoming more noticeable. This is also during a pretty stressful time too, which doesn't help with tinnitus.
- 74d-fe6-2c6 6y ago
  Greetings from another heavy user of ANC for the purpose of coping with a noisy environment.
thefz 6y ago
That's a whole lotta new pricing strategy from Apple to push you into buying the premium item: the middle one now makes you sick.

jiofih 6y ago

Well, half of the reports in the forum thread are for other models, not only the AirPods Pro, including the original AirPods causing tinnitus..

croutonwagon 6y ago

Correct me if im wrong. But tinnitus doesnt come and go. Its something you have or you dont, and once you have it, its there and will only get worse as more damage accumulates. https://www.nidcd.nih.gov/health/tinnitus https://www.nidcd.nih.gov/health/tinnitus I have it, mostly from hunting without ear pro. I dont always notice it, but its always there. Its usually mostly noticeable when im going to bed at night,when scuba diving, or when on a plane and I havent cleared by ears. OR if/when i have headphones that create a seal in my ear, like the silicon earbuds that create, which is why you can hear yourself chewing/swallowing. Its a main reason i don't wear those types of earphones. Tinnitus is always there, its permanent. But it just may be noticeable under certain conditions or circumstances.

ryanmarsh 6y ago
This. Temporary ringing in the ears is not tinnitus. I think people without tinnitus are having the normal symptoms associated with use of noise cancelling headphones. Those symptoms admittedly can be pretty nasty including sinus headaches and ringing in the ears.
- DanBC 6y ago
  https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/tinnitus/ https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/tinnitus/ > You may hear these sounds in 1 or both ears, or in your head. They may come and go, or you might hear them all the time.
furyofantares 6y ago
> Tinnitus is always there, its permanent. But it just may be noticeable under certain conditions or circumstances. I don't get this. Tinnitus is a ringing in my ears. When I don't notice it, it's not there. Maybe you're saying that if it's being caused by some physical damage in the ear then that damage is still there. Sure, but it doesn't seem like that's always a component. From your link: > Although we hear tinnitus in our ears, its source is really in the networks of brain cells (what scientists call neural circuits) that make sense of the sounds our ears hear. A way to think about tinnitus is that it often begins in the ear, but it continues in the brain. Personally, I develop tinnitus any time I take a vacation, or if I'm consistent with meditation practice. But when my brain is instead constantly active, it's totally absent.
- croutonwagon 6y ago
  You are describing scenarios where it’s noticeable. It’s like saying if a tree falls in the woods and no one is there. However my point is, just because some may become aware of their tinnitus when wearing say...AirPods Pro, that doesn’t mean they are the cause. I would notice it with those just as I would with the silicon earbuds that come with Roku remotes. But don’t notice it with my regular AirPods. There are times it’s worse for me. Like when I’m stressed and times it’s suppressed, like when my adrenaline is pumping. And there are times when it’s more noticeable, like when it’s dark and quiet and my primary senses are dampened. But regardless I would be part of that % of the population that has tinnitus. And just because it’s noticeable with x device doesn’t mean that’s the cause.
  - furyofantares 6y ago
    > You are describing scenarios where it’s noticeable. It’s like saying if a tree falls in the woods and no one is there. OK, but I believe in this situation, there is no physical sound, unlike if a tree falls in the woods. It's an auditory hallucination. A visual hallucination isn't there if I don't see it, and neither is an auditory hallucination. FWIW I think we're largely in agreement. I described that I can gain tinnitus at-will by meditating, but I wouldn't say meditation causes tinnitus. And I can certainly see the AirPod/tinnitus connection being of the same nature - nothing with the physical hearing systems at all and instead a consequence of a change in the mind - even though I wouldn't say tinnitus is "always there".
PragmaticPulp 6y ago
Tinnitus is simply the perception of sound when no actual sound is present. There are many different sub-categories of tinnitus, including the type you describe that results from permanent hearing damage. However, there are other causes of tinnitus that can come and go, or be worsened by different conditions. Some people have tinnitus that changes volume by clenching their jaw, for example. Classic subjective tinnitus is thought to be similar to phantom limb syndrome, where the patient experiences sensory inputs that are not actually present. There is even a category called Objective Tinnitus, which is tinnitus that an external observer can hear (with the right tools). This is usually caused by strange blood flow patterns or muscle spasms.
- cko 6y ago
  Wow I have chronic tinnitus and just clenched my jaw a few times. The pitch just got higher. Never noticed that before.
  - bredren 6y ago
    Me either. I know my normal hz but now I want to go figure out the clenched jaw one.
  - ysavir 6y ago
    I used to get the same. I was able to help it by getting in the habit of stretching my jaw often, and shifting my neutral jaw "posture". The neutral state used to be me keeping my jaw closed, meaning bringing my teeth together (not tight enough to clench, but just enough for contact), but I retrained myself to let my jaw "hang" when in a neutral state. It's helped a lot with tinnitus, ear pressure, jaw pain, etc.
    - karpour 6y ago
      May I ask how you managed to retrain yourself? I have tinnitus for a year now, plus issues with clenching my jaw, but I have yet to find a good way to stop doing it.
heavyset_go 6y ago
Tinnitus is a symptom whose cause may or may not be permanent. It comes and goes for me.
wtvanhest 6y ago
Mine comes and goes. I find that if I drink from a water bottle with a straw, I’ll get it periodically for about 24 hours after.
vcxy 6y ago
This seems odd to me. I guess tinnitus symptoms can be intermittent, but it isn't tinnitus unless it is constant? What label is appropriate for someone like me with intermittent symptoms? Edit: sorry, I see about a million people are saying similar thing and have a lot of discussion under them.
- berryjerry 6y ago
  Tinnitus can be persistent, intermittent, or change sounds, tone or pitch. It is all in the same category.

Maxburn 6y ago

As someone with tinnitus and just got Airpods Pro two days ago this news disturbs me. I don't want it to get worse. I'm wondering if this is caused by ultrasonics? Someone must have measured these somewhere...

pfranz 6y ago
The original thread is about AirPods (non-Pro). There was a conspiracy theory (that's the best word I can think of but may not be the correct one) a year or two ago because a bunch of updates to Bose, Apple, and other noise canceling headphones seemed to make the noise canceling worse and the rumored reason was they internally might have found hearing damage. AFAIK there's no direct or scientifically vetted information that this was the reason for the change. Headphones and earbuds can cause hearing problems for quite a few unrelated reasons. People tend to increase the volume with headphones (I check the average audio level in Apple Health. I keep the volume quite a bit lower when using the Pro vs the original). Earbuds can compact earwax inside the ear causing pain, tinnitus, or hearing problems for some people.

illustriousbear 6y ago

This is not necessarily evidence. Your tinnitus might have just become noticeable with the Airpods or perhaps something completely unrelated impacted it. I had tinnitus flare ups during lockdown so went to both an audiologist and an ent specialist (had a mri too). I'm a heavy user of ANC devices as a means to relax/cope with my environment so I suspected the devices. Professionals told me that there was no hearing damage and that my flare ups were likely connected to clenching my jaw and stress. I mentioned my devices/usage to my health professionals and they said there is no reason for concern. After some physio I'm much better off. If people are working from home in quieter environments where they're not exercising while using ear pieces / headphones more often, it shouldn't be surprising that tinnitus is becoming more noticeable. This is also during a pretty stressful time too, which doesn't help with tinnitus.

74d-fe6-2c6 6y ago
Greetings from another heavy user of ANC for the purpose of coping with a noisy environment.

thefz 6y ago

That's a whole lotta new pricing strategy from Apple to push you into buying the premium item: the middle one now makes you sick.