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Pros & Cons of Personal Listening Devices

There are many different types of personal listening devices, including earphones for music or media enthusiasts, hearing aids for the elderly, and listening devices for spies. These devices are high tech and can help people with their everyday lives. While each kind of device has its own purpose, depending on the user, people should consider the pros and cons of each device before using them.

  1. Mp3 Players

    • Portable personal listening devices such as mp3 players are extremely convenient if you want to listen to your favorite music wherever you go. You can listen to music while working out, doing chores or simply while strolling in the park. Unfortunately, you have to be careful when listening to an mp3 player because high listening volumes can lead to hearing problems. Additionally, be cautious about letting friends borrow your mp3 player, because sharing headphones can result in ear infections.

    Hearing Aids

    • As people age, some of them lose their hearing. To rectify the situation, hearing aids are available to enhance a person's hearing. Hearing aids are accessible to most who have hearing loss because they are priced to fit most budgets. The downsides of hearing aids include acoustic feedback and lack of comfort when a person wears them, and depending on the design, they can also be obtrusive.

    Audio Surveillance Devices

    • Audio surveillance devices are useful for people who are trying to find out secret information. Because they are oftentimes inconspicuous, they allow people to record conversations to learn what's really going on. These conversations can confirm suspicions or be used as hard evidence. The big con of audio surveillance devices is that their use is illegal in some places. That's why users of surveillance equipment have to be vigilant and shrewd, making sure that everything they are doing with the device is legal.

    FM Systems

    • FM Systems or Personal Listening Systems allow users to increase the volume of sound sources such as a public speakers, entertainers, televisions or radios without also increasing the amount of background noise no matter the distance between the speaker and listener. FM Systems improve the signal-to-noise ratio, which means that the level of speech or desired sound source is louder than the level of noise in the room or environment. Since people usually wear FM Systems as they would regular headphones, the negatives are the same and include hearing loss and an increase in harmful bacteria in the ear canal.

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