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The Psychology Behind Headphones

Posted by CmdrTaco on from the thinking-about-it-way-to-hard dept.

pvt_medic writes "The BBC has an interesting article today about portable music players and personal space. The article is on the research that Dr Michael Bull has done on portable music players. He analyzes them as a "tool whereby users manage space, time and the boundaries around the self." This article goes on to analyze the social and psychological aspects related to listening to music in public with headphones. A good quick read for those who do this."

6 of 395 comments (clear)

  1. Written up in Wired magazine, too. by The+I+Shing · · Score: 4, Informative

    Dr. Michael Bull was written up in Wired magazine, too, and Slashdot carried that story last month. Here it is.

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  2. Headphones rocks, but... by Lord+Graga · · Score: 5, Informative

    I got tinitus (constant ringing for my ears) from too much heavy metal with headphones. So, be warned, it's not really worth it when you are home (I'm talking about people who use headphones in front of the computer).

    1. Re:Headphones rocks, but... by junkymailbox · · Score: 4, Informative

      That's why I use professional earphones that are isolated. Some rate at -20 to -30db. http://www.shure.com. I can hear my own heartbeat when i put these on and I cant hear anything else. Instead of turning the music up and damaging my ear I can block everyone out and enjoy music at lower decibels.

    2. Re:Headphones rocks, but... by junkymailbox · · Score: 5, Informative

      You can try sony ex 51 or sony ex 71. (Sony MDREX71SL) The 71s are with softer / more comfortable seal but essentially the same. Head Fi or Ipod Lounge for more info. You can buy them at some apple stores or amazon.com or buy.com

    3. Re:Headphones rocks, but... by Radius9 · · Score: 4, Informative

      I DJ as well as tend to work in noisy cubicle environments during the day, and I swear by the Sony MDR-7506 and MDR-7509 headphones. The MDR-7506 is a bit cheaper price-wise and more compact than the 7509s, but both do an excellent job of blocking out noise as well as having excellent audio quality. You won't find these headphones at a regular Best Buy, etc., I always have to go to Guitar Center to buy them, and even then they are stored in back and aren't usually out on display. They'll run you about $100 for a pair of 7506s, a bit more for the 7509s.

  3. Re:original walkman by CrazyTalk · · Score: 4, Informative

    I remember when the walkman first came out (yes, I'm that old) around 1980 or so. The big thrill at the time was not that you could be shielded from outside sound, it was quite the opposite - unliked the big bulky headphones of the day, you could actually hear the outside world/carry on a conversation with someone AND listen to music at the same time. That and, of course, portability were some of the selling points for the "early adopters".