Earbud Popping Sound: Causes & When to Worry

Question
hi dr. thai,
 i was listening to music the other day and really jammed my earbuds in for a louder sound, and then i heard a popping noise akin to popping a wine cork.  i'm not in pain nor have i experienced any noticeable hearing loss.  should i be worried?  thanks!

Answer
Hi Gary,

The popping sound is due to the manufacturing dysfunction of the earbuds. If there's an imbalanced and large electrical current, the electrical forces snaps and causes a very loud sound. It's like having two cars crashing into each other head to head. In this scenario, it's two electrical currents.

Investing in better earbuds will be appropriate as it is now a defective earbud you have.

Please do get a hearing examination.