tinnitus is experienced differently by everyone. it can be occasional or constant, can come as different sounds and can be loud or soft. how loud it is (the sensation level) compared to other noise in the environment is an important factor when setting the sound generator. the level of noise produced by a sound generator depends on the sensation level of tinnitus experienced and can be close to this level of this noise or even louder. the purpose of this is to cover up the tinnitus sounds by having a constant noise playing in the background. noise produced by a tinnitus masker, which is called white noise, is designed to be calming and less irritating than tinnitus sounds. tinnitus maskers are not actually eliminating tinnitus or reducing it but provide a distraction to cover it up for those experiencing it.