Thanks for bringing up this topic, Andrew. Personally, I stopped using earphones when I started SS. Lifts required too much concentration for me. Also, I often wonder if earphones can eventually be a mental complication that holds people back (ie, cancel workouts if EarPods run out of charge, can’t get motivated without just the right song, etc). Additionally, the lack of situational awareness some people show when wearing earphones in the weight area of many gyms is really something. Often rude, sometimes dangerous. A heavy set of squats or pulls commands 100% of mental focus. There are few activities in life now that don’t involve multitasking or at least a whole bunch of background stuff you can’t get away from. SS gives one the chance to focus entirely on a single task for a short period of time. I think people are losing some of that benefit if they add earphones.