Skill Shot: There are many great players out there that listen to headphones. Did you see Julie Gray’s epic game on Fish Tales at the Ballard Tournament? She was wearing headphones and she won 2nd place!
Julie Gray: Thanks for the mention. I listen to music with noise canceling headphones. 
I find that it really relaxes me being able to tune out what people are saying around me. Themachines are usually too loud when they are together, and you often can’t even hear your own game. So, I have gotten used to not listening to the audio cues of the game. And, if a game has sound issues, it doesn’t affect me. I do have to look up at the display more, so I try not to do that as the ball nears the flippers. ; )
Cheeseboat: I started wearing headphones at Shorty’s mainly to help me ignore people 
trying to talk to me (usually guys trying to hit on me). I quickly realized it helped me to block out the noise of the other people and games around me, so I can conce…ntrate on the game in front of me & not get distracted as easily. It also helps me relax & not get nervous while_playing in tournaments. I try to choose music that ‘goes with’ the type of game I’m playing: fast music (rock n’ roll) for fast games and slower music (rockabilly) for slower games like EM’s.
Sometimes it does hinder my playing on games that give verbal clues, like Junkyard telling you which junk you need next, but the benefits of listening to music far outweigh the negatives for me.
Ivy Eads: I slam the machines so much, IF I wore headphones, they’d be falling off during each ball!
Nosebleed Larson: Pinball machines should have a headphone jack so you can listen to what it’s saying. This is Sweet Chris Bell’s idea, not mine. Something he wants to incorporate into his future game.