WSJ.com - Behind the Music: IPods and Hearing Loss

WSJ.com - Behind the Music: IPods and Hearing Loss: "Similar concerns were raised when the first generation of portable music players, including Sony Corp.'s Walkman, hit the market in the 1980s. But the latest portable stereos -- including Apple Computer Inc.'s iPod, and other players by iRiver, Sony and SanDisk -- can hold thousands of songs and have longer-lasting batteries than older players. As a result, people are listening to the devices for much longer periods of time. Because hearing damage is directly related to the duration of exposure -- not just the volume -- one concern is that the steady, long-term exposure to even moderately loud music could contribute to premature hearing loss."