Alpine Hearing Protection can exclusively reveal that on average, listening to K-Pop is the genre most likely to cause hearing fatigue, with the sample tracks scoring 8.10 out of 10. The songs spend an average of 28 seconds at high RMS levels and have the highest average treble-to-bass ratio of any genre analysed. This combination creates brighter, sharper sounds that can place greater demand on a listener’s ears over extended listening sessions. Following closely behind in second is the disco genre with a hearing fatigue score of 7.95/10. Disco tracks combine high perceived loudness with an average of 47.46 seconds at high RMS levels, one of the longest sustained periods of intense audio across all the genres analysed. This suggests listeners are exposed to louder passages for longer, giving the ears less opportunity to recover between peaks. Metal ranks third overall, also scoring 7.95/10 for hearing fatigue. While many people would expect metal to top the list, the genre actually spends considerably less time at high RMS levels than disco or EDM, averaging 19.59 seconds. However, its compressed dynamic range means songs maintain a consistently intense sound throughout, while its strong treble presence can make extended listening feel more demanding on the ears. Interestingly, country ranks as the genre least likely to contribute to hearing fatigue, scoring just 5.40 out of 10.
K-Pop tops ranking of music genres most likely to cause hearing fatigue
Published on: July 13, 2026 4:11 PM