Of course high decibel sound damages ears, but that's only 1/2 of the story. Earphones in general, can cause earginal tearing, most especially the noise-issolation ones, that go deep into the cervi--i mean ear canal. Along with vibrations, this can affect the clit--ear bones and cause more damage. So, simply put, if you gotta go earphones, go without noise issolation (unless you like it rough).

i like the original one a lot better :)

the giz guys shoulda photoshopped the ear in a glass

I've heard of runny noses... but runny ears? Nyuck nyuck...

Wow, what a hack job!

Grues\Domo-Kun FTW!

It's no laughing matter people; Tintinitous is for real. I used to listen to my raido all night with over - the - ear headphones, and when I started hearing high pitched noises in my ears all the time, i went and got my hearing tested. The doctor said i had some major scarring and a micro tear in my eardrum. Now I have 80% hearing and it will not get any better. Please be careful when you use headphones or headsets of ANY type.

So why is an iPod earphone more damaging than any other music player? Why aren't old school players such as Walkmen not just as bad?

This is just a lot of bullshit hype. Of course listening to any kind of music to loud is bad for you! Headphones are probably a tad bit worse, but it doesn't deserve this coverage at all, except giz making fun of it of course.

Okay, didn't RTFA, hmmm... loud headphones cause ear damage??? The hell you say. In all seriousness though, folks, take care of your ears. I go zapped by lightning in the early 1980s and haven't had silence since...even after I divorced my ex-wife! The ringing sucks...It'll keep you up at night and there's not a cure for it--I put my iPod on at night to mask the noise...

What? :)

us domo kun lovers do not appreciate the photoshop job.

Oh no poor domo kun, apple mutated him into an ipod....but hey, not bad photoshopping this time...except the ear.

Well, I don't know about Tintinitous, but my grandfather's tinnitus is no laughing matter, that's for sure. But he didn't get it from iPods. He got it from a lifetime of factory work, before OSHA stepped in. Fact is, any prolonged loud noise will damage your ears; iPods aren't alone in this regard. But I can't say I don't enjoy the scapegoating.

William Shatner got tinnitus from a Star Trek special FX gone wrong, IIRC. I don't think they had iPods then, or even in their simulated future.

Of course, it was walkmans and CD players a few years ago. Though, iPods tend to be louder than most other DAPs out there (partly because Jobs is slightly deaf). Hence why the Euro iPods often are reflashed with US firmware (EU has limits on how loud a portable player can be). So besides being the popular player of the day (and what everyone associates with "DAP" - iPod is almost certain to become a generic term...), there is a legitimate reason for it as well. That, and well, it's possible to listen for up to 24 hours at that level.

So the Zune has an advantage - the battery doesn't last as long so you won't blast your ears as much as an iPod!

Quite simple then; use speakers when possible, and always keep your music at a comfortable volume. Oh, and please, photoshop responsibly.