The 60-60 rule says to keep the volume at no more than 60% of maximum and to listen for no more than 60 minutes at a time before taking a break. It’s a rule of thumb for protecting your hearing, not a medical standard, and 60% on one pair can be much louder than 60% on another.
The idea behind it holds up, though. Hearing damage depends on how loud the sound is and how long you listen, so a lower volume and regular breaks both cut the risk. Noise cancelling makes the rule easier to follow. On a train or plane, ANC removes the background rumble, so you don’t crank the volume to hear over it. Most phones have a headphone volume warning or a listening-level report too, and I’d turn those on.
