{"id":230780,"date":"2025-06-21T09:00:00","date_gmt":"2025-06-21T07:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.horendgoed.nl\/geen-onderdeel-van-een-categorie\/dj-daphne-refused-hearing-protection-now-she-wears-a-hearing-aid\/"},"modified":"2025-07-01T22:01:06","modified_gmt":"2025-07-01T20:01:06","slug":"dj-daphne-refused-hearing-protection-now-she-wears-a-hearing-aid","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.horendgoed.nl\/en\/news\/dj-daphne-refused-hearing-protection-now-she-wears-a-hearing-aid\/","title":{"rendered":"DJ Daphne refused hearing protection. Now she wears a hearing aid."},"content":{"rendered":"\n

She was on the biggest stages in Europe, spinning the night away with thunderous beats and feeling untouchable. DJ Daphne had totally made it. Until her ears stopped cooperating. No dramatic moment, no explosion or accident. Just … gradually. And then it was too late. She had never thought of hearing protection.<\/p>\n\n

Meanwhile, she is still running, but with a hearing aid. And with a mission: to warn others before they experience the same thing. If only she had known then what she knows now, she would never have laughed at those earplugs. <\/p>\n\n

This is her story, and the story of many more musicians than you think.<\/p>\n\n

Hearing protection? I just didn’t think about that. <\/h2>\n\n

Daphne (now 36) started spinning at age 17. First at small parties, then in clubs, festivals and eventually abroad. Techno, house, trance – as long as it was hard. And it was. On average between 95 and 110 decibels. Sometimes even louder. And for hours on end, several times a week. <\/p>\n\n

Hearing protection? \u201cI just didn’t think about that,\u201d she says. \u201cI just thought it was inconvenient. Earplugs weren’t comfortable, the sound sounded dull and I wanted to hear everything exactly as I mixed it myself. Besides: no one was wearing them. And when you’re young, you feel invincible.\u201d <\/p>\n\n

The first signals<\/h2>\n\n

It started innocently. After a long set, Daphne heard a squeak in her ear. That usually went away after a night’s sleep. But at some point that squeak lingered longer. She became more sensitive to sound, had a harder time concentrating and suffered from a kind of pressure in her head after spinning. <\/p>\n\n

Still, she carried on. Because yes, you have bookings, fans, and life on the road doesn’t just stop. And somewhere she also thought: it’s part of the deal. \u201cI knew other DJs with tinnitus<\/a>. We joked about it. In retrospect, that’s really bizarre. You wouldn’t laugh at someone slowly going blind, would you?\u201d <\/p>\n\n

The blow comes later<\/h2>\n\n

The moment her ears really protested came at a festival in Spain. She was standing behind the turntable, ready for her hour and a half set, when she suddenly became dizzy. A shrill tone filled her head, she could barely hear her own voice and completely panicked. <\/p>\n\n

\u201cI thought I fainted. Everything was spinning and I could hear the audience like a muffled hum. My engineer pulled me off the stage. That was the first time I couldn’t spin. And that was immediately the beginning of a long break.\u201d<\/p>\n\n

Diagnosis: permanent hearing damage<\/h2>\n\n

After examination by an audiologist, it was clear: permanent hearing damage in both ears, with a hefty dose of tinnitus. Her hearing had deteriorated to the point where a hearing aid was the only way to follow conversations normally. Especially in noisy environments – the very places where she always worked – she had no chance without an aid. <\/p>\n\n

\u201cI was really devastated. I had totally underestimated this. You think: hearing damage, that’s what you get when you’re 70. But I was only in my 30s. And this was my job. My passion. My life.\u201d<\/p>\n\n

Hearing aid in the DJ booth<\/h2>\n\n

Daphne decided to keep going, but differently. She took a four-month break, talked intensively with an audiologist and tried out different hearing aids. She now wears a custom-made device that allows her to play music as well as hold conversations backstage. <\/p>\n\n

\u201cIt takes getting used to, absolutely. But I can spin again, and fortunately I can hear my music just fine. And: I always wear hearing protection now. \u00d3even with hearing aids. No discussion.\u201d<\/p>\n\n

Why hearing protection is not a luxury<\/h2>\n\n

Daphne’s story is no exception. More and more young people – musicians, festival-goers, DJs, concertgoers – are struggling with hearing damage. It’s a creeping problem that often isn’t noticed until it’s too late. And while we protect ourselves from the sun<\/a>, we wear no protection against noise. <\/p>\n\n

In fact, why not?<\/p>\n\n

Hearing protection has long since ceased to be that old-fashioned gag that dulls everything. There are high-end earplugs<\/a> specifically for musicians that dampen the volume without distorting the music. There are custom-made plugs<\/a> that you can barely see, filters for specific frequencies, and even smart earplugs with adjustable levels. <\/p>\n\n

In short: you don’t have to miss anything. You only need to add something: take care of your ears. <\/p>\n\n

Tips from DJ Daphne<\/h2>\n\n

Daphne likes to share what she does all the time now – and recommends to everyone:<\/p>\n\n