Answer
Verdict
Not enough evidence
Earbud hearing damage comes from sustained high volume, and 80 dB is the safe cap.
No counted mention yet.
By Arun AgrahriLast reviewed
Short answer
They can, through volume. The device isn't the problem; sustained high volume is. Cap audio at 80 dB (safe about 40 hours a week). At 90 dB the safe window falls to four hours, and earbuds hitting 100 dB can cause permanent damage in about 15 minutes. The stakes compound: mild hearing loss is tied to about 90% higher dementia risk, and severe loss to about 400%.
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Earbud hearing damage comes from sustained high volume, and 80 dB is the safe cap.
No counted mention yet.
Researchers say
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Earbud hearing damage comes from sustained high volume, and a volume cap is the fix. The device isn't the problem; volume and duration are.
Bryan Johnson lays it out. At 80 decibels you can listen safely for about 40 hours a week. Push to 90 dB and that safe window falls to about four hours. Earbuds can easily reach 100 dB at max volume, where as little as 15 minutes can cause permanent hearing damage. The warning sign, he notes, is a ringing in your ear that won't go away.
Jennifer Groh, an auditory neuroscientist and guest on Andrew Huberman's show, ties chronic high-volume headphone use to permanent hearing loss and to higher dementia risk. Konstantina Stankovic, another Huberman guest, describes mounting evidence for a strong link between hearing loss and dementia, though not everyone with hearing loss develops it. Peter Attia puts numbers on the stakes: mild hearing loss is tied to roughly a 90% relative increase in dementia risk, and severe hearing loss to about 400%.
Protecting your hearing is protecting your brain.
Set an 80 dB volume cap in your phone settings. Use noise cancellation so you don't crank the volume over background noise, the most common reason people drift into the danger zone. This hearing risk is separate from the debunked AirPods-radiation fear.
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