How Does Sound Quality Affect Our Hearing Health?

The World Health Organization predicts that by 2050, more than 700 million people globally will have serious hearing problems. Many young people —around 1.1 billion— are especially at risk of permanent hearing loss because they're exposed to loud noise regularly. These numbers highlight the need to spread awareness about how the quality of sound affects our hearing health.

The detrimental effects of poor-quality sound on our well-being

This is not a new topic. Many health and hearing experts have long been exploring the correlation between sound quality and our health. The intensive use of headphones throughout the day increases the strain on our ears. Beyond intensive use, often at excessively high sound levels, sound quality plays a major role. An Austrian study has shown that the fatigue caused by repeated video conferencing is accentuated by poor sound quality, termed "VCF" (VideoConference Fatigue). The technology alters voices, background noises and silences, deteriorating the acoustic experience.

Lack of sound education: a gap to be filled

The reality is teaching about sound quality is not common. Many of us don't understand terms like decibel or how to judge sound quality, including which sounds can harm our ears. Considering the high exposure to noise, isn't it important to introduce sound education to inform people about the serious effects of "bad" sounds? This is the goal of researchers and acousticians working with the French association La Semaine du Son. They aim to create an international "sound quality" label, to help listeners evaluate the quality of the music they listen to.

Qobuz, committed to sound quality 

A study we have led revealed that 66% of young French adults (aged 18-34) recognize the link between sound quality and hearing health, exceeding the national average of 54%. Ph.D. Paul Avan, Director of the CERIAH, Institut Pasteur and the Audition Institut, is delighted by this "growing awareness among young people of their hearing health, even though this population does not yet present any major hearing problems". 

At Qobuz, this commitment to sound quality is deeply rooted. "Music in good sound quality, i.e. uncompressed, reveals musical nuances, gives clear and distinct voices to instruments, creating a rich and comfortable soundstage for the ear," emphasizes David Craff, Product Manager Player at Qobuz. 

By offering uncompressed quality via lossless formats —CD/lossless and high-resolution— our platform offers a rich, authentic musical experience that respects our hearing. And what's more, it allows us to fully appreciate the creative work of our artists.