I have tinnitus and hearing loss in my left ear as a result of Meniere's syndrome. As was said earlier, I don't know what silence is. I don't tend to notice it during riding because it is covered by the wind noise in my ears. I never wear earplugs or headphone while biking or running because I want to hear what's going on around me. I wear plugs while swimming to keep out the water. I have trouble hearing conversations when there's a lot of background noise, like at a restaurant or party. I've very recently gotten a hearing aid that is helping quite a bit.