Hearing damage is irreversible. This is how we handle it.
95–105 dB
An acoustic drum kit produces 95 to 105 decibels, comparable to a chainsaw at close range. Hearing damage begins to accumulate at just 85 dB.
Silent and irreversible
Hearing damage happens without warning. You don't feel it, you don't hear it, until you notice a constant ringing in your ears, or start struggling to follow conversations. By then, it can't be repaired.
Tinnitus is not rare
Many drummers who played for years without protection develop tinnitus: a persistent ringing or buzzing in the ears. It doesn't go away. We see it happen, and we want to prevent it for our students.
All students always wear closed-back headphones during lessons on an acoustic drum kit. No exceptions.
Those headphones reduce the drum sound to safe levels, while still letting you hear music, metronome and instructions clearly. You play fully, but protected.
We also notice that students play better with headphones on. They hear themselves clearly, and distractions are reduced. Protection and quality go hand in hand.
We keep the Behringer DH100 in stock ourselves, ready to pick up at the studio. The Vic Firth SIH3 is available at Thomann. These are the models we know and trust:
Excellent noise reduction, solid build, lasts for years. Standard with our teachers. Includes audio input for music and metronome.
Comfortable closed-back headphones that reduce ambient sound effectively. In stock with us and ready to pick up at the studio, so there's nothing to wait for.
You pick up the DH100 with us at the studio. The SIH3 link goes to Thomann; we earn nothing on it, we simply refer to what we know and trust.
Want to see how we do this in practice? Plan a trial lesson and discover how we make drumming sound great, safely.