How loud is too loud?

[Condorsat]

I stopped attending concerts in my early twenties that required ear plugs. Kinda counter productive for my objective!

I didn't attend any concerts (large venues) until my very early 20's ... having come from a small town in Ohio.

By that time I had joined the USAF ... long story short is that I was a signals analyst in general .. so my hearing was key to my chosen career field. That's why I always used hearing protection. I still enjoyed live concerts (even w/ plugs) but I always preferred listening at home for sound quality.

 

[JoeESP9]

Around 85dB at my chair is the level I've found to be most comfortable for me. This level has been consistent through hardware speaker and room changes since I started measuring SPL's in the late 1970's.

 

[Morgan D]

I stopped attending concerts in my early twenties that required ear plugs. Kinda counter productive for my objective!

What live music is quiet enough to enjoy without ear protection?

 

[Morgan D]

My wife's ex worked for Zappa as a conductor and he stepped in the wrong place on stage and instantly damaged his hearing.

 

[heyraz]

If you can't carry on a conversation without raising your voice.... it's too loud.

 

[ducati_EL34]

If you can't carry on a conversation without raising your voice.... it's too loud.

No, someone is talking out of turn.

 

[JoeESP9]

What live music is quiet enough to enjoy without ear protection?

Unamplified classical, opera and jazz. The same applies to pipe organ. Classical may have peaks of 105dB at the conductor's rostrum it's never that high in the audience. While unamplified jazz may be somewhat loud very close to the stage, it's never louder than an acoustic piano.

 

[spicer]

you can still hear her so not loud enough?

Probably leaves room for maybe. As long as there's headroom you're showing restraint.

 

[Morgan D]

Unamplified classical, opera and jazz. The same applies to pipe organ. Classical may have peaks of 105dB at the conductor's rostrum it's never that high in the audience. While unamplified jazz may be somewhat loud very close to the stage, it's never louder than an acoustic piano.

When my wife played the piano it was 90db peak [for the pianist].

 

[E-Stat]

What live music is quiet enough to enjoy without ear protection?

A wide range of unamplified events. And it's always a joy to hear wifey play the piano.

The concert experience for me is about hearing music in its most beautiful, natural form. Not that of dreadful sound reinforcement systems cranked at ear bleeding levels.

 

[UncleAng]

The concert experience for me is about hearing music in its most beautiful, natural form. Not that of dreadful sound reinforcement systems cranked at ear bleeding levels.

+1

 

[Quadman2]

Well, I thought I knew what "Loudness" was...but I was wrong! "Loudness" is not "volume". I always thought it was, but it is not.

"Volume" is a scientific measure of the quantity or power of sound "Loudness" is a lot more difficult concept, based on the subjective personal perspective. Therein, frequency, duration, and volume comes into play on how we perceive sound in terms of this concept.

I could go into the description of what I read, but, instead will share wherein Brad Pack's contribution, where he delves into this aspect of listening, explaining in incremental steps how these two sound descriptors differ, and how they are arrived at in the ways of measurement.

So, if you go to "What is Loudness" Sonar Works Blog-Brad Pack in Tips and Tricks" or follow up on, "www.sonarworks.com/blog/learn/what-is-loudness"...he breaks down the required scientific terms and shares a practical comprehensive understanding of this aspect of listening, both analog and digital.


Q

 

[TSmith8605]

What will cause hearing damage? Above 85db?

It's an area-under-the-curve thing.

E.g. from https://www.audiologyassociates.com/hearing-loss-articles/what-sound-level-is-safe-for-listening/

"Generally, here’s a rough outline of when loud becomes too loud:

30 dB: Everyday conversation would be at this volume level. You should be perfectly fine at this volume for an indefinite length of time.

80 – 85 dB: An air conditioner, heavy traffic, and a lawnmower are at this level of sound. This level of sound will normally become damaging after two hours of exposure.

90 – 95 dB: A motorcycle is a good illustration of this sound level. 50 minutes is enough to be unsafe at this level of sound.

100 dB: An approaching subway train or a mid-sized sports event are at this sound level (of course, this depends on the city). 15 minutes of exposure will be enough to be harmful at this sound level.

110 dB: Do you ever turn the volume on your earpods up to max? That’s usually around this sound level on most smartphones. 5 minutes will be enough to be dangerous at this level.

120 dB and over: Anything over 120 dB (think loud rock show or exceptionally large sports events) can produce instant injury and pain in your ears."

 

[elitopus]

Between 85-95dbc at the listening chair. The chair is about 14’ from the speakers.

I’ve only been to a couple concerts that were loud enough to make my ears ring. One of those was The Rolling Stones in ‘94. My first concert. I was 10.

 

[Danathepill]

It's an area-under-the-curve thing.

E.g. from https://www.audiologyassociates.com/hearing-loss-articles/what-sound-level-is-safe-for-listening/

"Generally, here’s a rough outline of when loud becomes too loud:

30 dB: Everyday conversation would be at this volume level. You should be perfectly fine at this volume for an indefinite length of time.

80 – 85 dB: An air conditioner, heavy traffic, and a lawnmower are at this level of sound. This level of sound will normally become damaging after two hours of exposure.

90 – 95 dB: A motorcycle is a good illustration of this sound level. 50 minutes is enough to be unsafe at this level of sound.

100 dB: An approaching subway train or a mid-sized sports event are at this sound level (of course, this depends on the city). 15 minutes of exposure will be enough to be harmful at this sound level.

110 dB: Do you ever turn the volume on your earpods up to max? That’s usually around this sound level on most smartphones. 5 minutes will be enough to be dangerous at this level.

120 dB and over: Anything over 120 dB (think loud rock show or exceptionally large sports events) can produce instant injury and pain in your ears."

Wonder how loud a Harrier jump jet landing is? All I remember was it being the loudest thing I’ve ever heard for any length of duration

 

[ducati_EL34]

Wonder how loud a Harrier jump jet landing is? All I remember was it being the loudest thing I’ve ever heard for any length of duration

I can say with first ear experience that an F-15 is very loud on approach. I was standing outside at a motorcycle dealer that is situated very close to the runway approach.

This was soon after 9/11 and there were several of these fighters coming in for a landing.

 

[Doug G.]

85 dB? Hell, that's not any louder than riding in a car. Turn it up!

I'm seventy, went to the concerts of many of the real loud bands (Zeppelin, Queen, Steppenwolf, The Litter, etc.) and still have good hearing to 15K.

Doug

 

[RunOutGroove]

Though I'll occasionally push the limit and crank my stereo for song or two, generally I try to protect my ears and not expose myself to anything too loud. I realize that for a lot of us, myself included that we can start to damage our hearing at a point that's still well below what's uncomfortable to us. I play drums in a rock band and though our style isn't super-heavy loud, I still wear my earplugs at every rehearsal. I hate the fact that the awareness of the damage we can do to our ears hasn't crept into the rock club circuit as I've seen far too much live music that was deafening, and not only that it was mixed terribly (though those two things are definitely related!). I want to hear in hi-fi for as long as possible, so I take steps to protect the hearing that I've still got!

 

[RVT1K]

One of the loudest things a person can encounter is an NHRA Top Fuel dragster or funny car up close and personal.
The noise defies description and is as much a visceral as an audible experience. Your body shakes from the inside out.

 

[twiiii]

According to Federal standards anything over 85 DB A Weighted for an 8 hour period is to loud. Because of a weighting the A curve that would be similar to 90 to 93 db flat with no weighting has been my observation. If you are you in the fast impulse setting for readings it might be as high as 100 db . When I was younger those levels never even concerned me. But now that I am older depending on the source material quality then I still can tolerate 100 db instantaneous peaks. But if there is any distortion do to the instruments played or mistake in the recording techniques and production steps I just have to back off the levels. Most the time I listen with 25 to 30 watt peak levels so thats about 97 peak levels unweighted for average loud passages of around 87 to 89 db. But if I am casually listening as I am now while using the computer in an adjacent room the levels are around or less the 75 db un weighted. Or about 68 db A weighted or less in the slow mode according to an app on my iPhone.

Because analog recordings have a more natural roll off in the high frequencies ( than digital where instruments and voices are miked to closely) I can tolerate louder levels because the energy of the analog recording is concentrated where the ear is less sensitive. Thats in general, but not always the case. Thats why I am so particular as to which label I choose as well as to which individual or group is performing. Its like picking and enjoying a fine wine. We each have our favorites and ones we detest. DGG (ADD) digital reissues are my favorite to detest.