Hi Laszlo and others,acoustic torture and self-torture is not restricted to the rock world. Conductors of symphony orchestras are quite happy with the pain that they cause among their musicians. They are fully aware of it, and they like it.
Excessive loudness is not restricted to music, and excessive sensory input is not restricted to acoustics.
If one wants to keep the damage under control, there is no other way than legislation and policing. Mankind learned that this was unavoidable in road traffic, and it will learn that it is also unavoidable in noise traffic.
Martin --------------------------------------------------------------------- Martin Braun Neuroscience of Music S-671 95 Klässbol Sweden email: nombraun@xxxxxxxxx web site: http://www.neuroscience-of-music.se/index.htm
Do you know the answer to the opposite: why is rock music more enjoyable loud? I think that it would be important to understand. Laszlo Toth Hungarian Academy of Sciences * Research Group on Artificial Intelligence * "Failure only begins e-mail: tothl@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx * when you stop trying" http://www.inf.u-szeged.hu/~tothl *