Uploaded October 2025 | Updated September 2026, 1 week ago
Can a rock show be TOO LOUD? A 1977 Paul Stanley interview claimed KISS hit 136 dB onstage. Robert John Hadfield sits down with Dr. Ryan Whitaker (audiologist) to decode what that means for your ears—temporary threshold shifts, tinnitus, hair-cell damage—and how Paul’s microtia made his path as a frontman even more remarkable.
We cover:
Conductive vs. sensorineural hearing loss (in real-world terms)
Why tinnitus is a “phantom sound” your brain invents
70s stage sound (floor wedges) vs. today’s in-ear monitors
The simple rule: how loud × how long
Practical tips to protect “the one good ear” if you’ve only got one to spare
Question of the Day: What’s the loudest concert you’ve ever attended—and did you notice a temporary threshold shift afterward?
Visiting Guest Dr. Ryan Whitaker
Hearing & Balance Doctors (Southern Utah + Las Vegas area) Visit their Youtube Channel - youtube.com/@UC1ZIlssQUV7Y9by86mxbxhw
⏱ Timestamps
00:00 Hook
00:31 Hosts
01:02 Paul’s microtia
02:45 Hearing loss types
04:56 KISS & loudness culture
05:50 136 dB explained
06:58 Temporary threshold shift
08:30 Tinnitus 101
10:20 Anechoic “hallucinations”
11:55 Aging & cumulative damage
13:10 Microtia as “earplug?”
14:05 Wedges vs. IEMs
15:38 How loud × how long
16:50 Pride in volume
18:45 Protect the good ear
20:10 Are AirPods kids doomed?
22:05 Clinics & channel plug
23:15 Viewer Q
—
🔗 Follow: @Audiomover @DrRyanWhitaker @HearingAndBalanceDoctors
#KISS #PaulStanley #GeneSimmons #AceFrehley #HearingLoss #Tinnitus #Microtia #Audiology #Decibels #ConcertSafety #RockHistory #VintagePress #FaceTheMusic #ArenaRock #HearingProtection
Can a rock show be TOO LOUD? A 1977 Paul Stanley interview claimed KISS hit 136 dB onstage. Robert John Hadfield sits down with Dr. Ryan Whitaker (audiologist) to decode what that means for your ears—temporary threshold shifts, tinnitus, hair-cell damage—and how Paul’s microtia made his path as a frontman even more remarkable.
We cover:
Conductive vs. sensorineural hearing loss (in real-world terms)
Why tinnitus is a “phantom sound” your brain invents
70s stage sound (floor wedges) vs. today’s in-ear monitors
The simple rule: how loud × how long
Practical tips to protect “the one good ear” if you’ve only got one to spare
Question of the Day: What’s the loudest concert you’ve ever attended—and did you notice a temporary threshold shift afterward?
Visiting Guest Dr. Ryan Whitaker
Hearing & Balance Doctors (Southern Utah + Las Vegas area) Visit their Youtube Channel - youtube.com/@UC1ZIlssQUV7Y9by86mxbxhw
⏱ Timestamps
00:00 Hook
00:31 Hosts
01:02 Paul’s microtia
02:45 Hearing loss types
04:56 KISS & loudness culture
05:50 136 dB explained
06:58 Temporary threshold shift
08:30 Tinnitus 101
10:20 Anechoic “hallucinations”
11:55 Aging & cumulative damage
13:10 Microtia as “earplug?”
14:05 Wedges vs. IEMs
15:38 How loud × how long
16:50 Pride in volume
18:45 Protect the good ear
20:10 Are AirPods kids doomed?
22:05 Clinics & channel plug
23:15 Viewer Q
—
🔗 Follow: @Audiomover @DrRyanWhitaker @HearingAndBalanceDoctors
#KISS #PaulStanley #GeneSimmons #AceFrehley #HearingLoss #Tinnitus #Microtia #Audiology #Decibels #ConcertSafety #RockHistory #VintagePress #FaceTheMusic #ArenaRock #HearingProtection
