Hi Mark,

No question I've abused my hearing lots of times, especially when I was younger. I did start to wear ear plugs on subways (and at Axiom parties!) years ago; I'm not sure how much damage can be attributed to loud playback levels or the usual effects of aging. Certainly by my mid-to-late 50s I began to hate noisy restaurants, bars, and parties (unless I was so stoned I didn't notice) and I now search out quiet restaurants where I can converse in a normal tone of voice, or I make early reservations when restaurants aren't crowded.

On the plus side, I stopped going to loud rock concerts by the time I was in my early 30s, and I always preferred acoustic music of all kinds to over-amplified rock.

--Alan

Alan Lofft,
Axiom Resident Expert (Retired)