1+ elliottbnewcombjr.
Your central nervous system accommodates to the environment in many ways. Attached to one of your little ear conduction bones (ossicles) is the smallest muscle in the body called the stapedius. As the ear is exposed to louder sounds the stapedius tightens damping the ossicles to protect the inner ear. This also changes the frequency response of the ears slightly. This is auditory accommodation and the reason why you always want to warm up your ears before listening at higher volumes. I will start at 85 dB and increase 5 dB every five minutes or so up to my usual listening level for jazz and rock around 95 dB. This protects your ears from the damage of higher levels. Going above 95 db is fun but you do not want to do that on a routine basis if you like your hearing.
