Classical musicians have a higher rate of hearing loss than rock musicians because of differences in how sound is projected and experienced at their performances. In an orchestra, instrumentalists are located near the center of the sound source and experience very high sound intensity directly. However, rock musicians are positioned behind speakers, so the intensity of sound reaching their ears is much lower as they only hear a fraction of what is projected from the speakers away from them. The setup of orchestras concentrates sound in all directions equally, subjecting performers to greater exposure than rock musicians who are shielded from the full intensity by equipment.