Abstract: Aspects described herein provide an apparatus that allows the user or a third party to easily monitor the volume levels of a set of headphones before and during use so as to prevent damage to the anatomy of the user's ears as a result of exposure to excessive noise volume. An analogue meter indicative of the signal level being input to or reproduced by the transducer within one or both of the headphone cans is provided, built into the outer surface of the headphone can so that it is easily visible to a user who is about to put on the headphones, or to a third party viewing the user wearing the headphones. The analogue meter is preferably indicative of sound pressure being generated by the transducer in the headphone can in which the meter is co-located, and may, for example, be a VU meter, or a PPM meter.

Abstract: The invention provides an apparatus that allows the user or a third party to easily monitor the volume levels of a set of headphones before and during use so as to prevent damage to the anatomy of the user's ears as a result of exposure to excessive noise volume. An analogue meter indicative of the signal level being input to or reproduced by the transducer within one or both of the headphone cans is provided, built into the outer surface of the headphone can so that it is easily visible to a user who is about to put on the headphones, or to a third party viewing the user wearing the headphones. The analogue meter is preferably indicative of sound pressure being generated by the transducer in the headphone can in which the meter is co-located, and may, for example, be a VU meter, or a PPM meter.

Abstract: A stringed instrument, such as a guitar, has a finger-board, a headstock located at one end of the finger-board, and a plurality of machine-heads mounted on the finger-board for adjusting the tension of the strings. Each machine-head has a rotatable winding peg for winding a respective string to be adjusted, and a rotatable adjusting handle coupled to the winding peg for rotating the peg. The axis of rotation of the adjusting handle is inclined rearwardly relative to the plane of the finger-board and is non-parallel to the axis of rotation of the winding peg. In addition, the axis of rotation of the adjusting handle is inclined at an acute angle relative to a perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the instrument and generally toward the opposite end of the instrument, in order to facilitate the ability of a person playing the instrument to locate and adjust each machine-head.