BACKGROUND: The problem of the potential impact of personal music players on the auditory system remains an open question. The purpose of the present study was to investigate, by means of otoacoustic emissions (OAEs), whether listening to music on a personal player affected auditory function.

MATERIAL AND METHODS: A group of 20 normally hearing adults was exposed to music played on a personal player. Transient evoked OAEs (TEOAEs) and distortion product OAEs (DPOAEs), as well as pure tone audiometry (PTA) thresholds, were tested at 3 stages: before, immediately after, and the next day following 30 min of exposure to music at 86.6 dBA.

RESULTS: We found no statistically significant changes in OAE parameters or PTA thresholds due to listening to the music.

CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that exposure to music at levels similar to those used in our study does not disturb cochlear function in a way that can be detected by means of PTA, TEOAE, or DPOAE tests.

Keywords: Audiometry, Pure-Tone, Acoustic Stimulation - adverse effects, MP3-Player, Music, Otoacoustic Emissions, Spontaneous - physiology