How loud is too loud?

[Spiceman50]

I'm certainly no expert here, but I've witnessed the affects of Loud Noises over a 20 year period via work. Our company participates in a hearing protection program and affords an audio test for employees via an onsite Audio Van. Not accurate as it would be in an office, but it is very effective to study hearing damage over a long period of time. At almost 69 years old I'm proud to say in that I have some loss, it's below normal for my age, and excellent considering my age. This is due to me always protecting my hearing though out my life.

As I have to review and sign off on all the employees results at the end of the tests, I can absolute see the affects of loud noises over a period of time. It's cumulative. Worst of them are the mechanics. None of them protect their hearing, and it shows. One mechanic in particular started with us in his mid 30's with consistent results of almost 0 loss. He always wore headset muffs. About 5 years later his family bought him some earbuds. He uses those earbuds under his earmuffs. At roughly 10 years since using them, He's greater then 50% loss over the entire spectrum. He's always asking you to repeat yourself when asking him a question. Again, it's cumulative.

Me, loud in my home is over 65db. Which is not to say once in a while I've been known to hit 75db or a little more. But not for prolonged periods.

Garry~

 

[Bill Ferris]

There are charts that tell at what level and how long you can listen at that particular volume before hearing damage starts.

OSHA SPL exposure guidelines is always been what my reference has been, since buying my first hard bound copy of General Radio`s excellent and highly informative Noise Measurement book in the mid ~late seventies while trying to learn all I could about sound and the accurate measurements of it.

 

[ng0k]

65 to 75dB C weighted depending on the genre. Sometimes I dial in loudness compensation for thin sounding stuff like 80’s pop.

 

[Ron Brown]

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.

An F-18 doing a flyby 100' off the ground is ear-splittingly loud. Which is why airfield and carrier crewmen wear hearing protection ALWAYS.

As for music, I apply the chili principal to it now: season to taste, not to injure. If it feels too loud, it's too loud.

 

[ducati_EL34]

An F-18 doing a flyby 100' off the ground is ear-splittingly loud. Which is why airfield and carrier crewmen wear hearing protection ALWAYS.

As for music, I apply the chili principal to it now: season to taste, not to injure. If it feels too loud, it's too loud.

They did not offer hearing protection at the motorcycle dealership, where I was at.

 

[Mystic]

Well, if this guy was around to respond to your question...



... the answer'd be never.

 

[GChief]

 

[Chris Brown]

At 130db hearing damage starts immediately. There are charts that tell at what level and how long you can listen at that particular volume before hearing damage starts.

130dB of what?

A-weighting is vaguely useful in terms of measuring occupational safety noise exposure, but it's also a 90-year-old standard that does not take into account advancements in knowledge that we have gained over those many years. It continues to be used mainly because of continued inertia from it's initial popularity. It's also a terrible measurement to use when measuring just how "loud" a stereo system is. If the majority of the sound energy from your stereo is in the bass region, it will be dramatically under-represented by using A-weighting. A handheld air-horn can reach 130dBA but it's not going to rattle anything off the shelves.

It's silly to pretend that the lower frequencies don't matter when judging how "loud" a stereo is, which is why I feel that A-weighting is not particularly useful for that purpose. C-weighting measures the frequency range much more evenly. My readings were taken using C-weighting. Like I mentioned in my earlier post, I don't strive to replicate the rock-concert-style experience where ear-plugs are often required in order to avoid experiencing the equivalent of someone screaming in your ear. On the contrary, I feel that extra midrange and treble output largely becomes pointless above a certain level. But you can never have enough bass. Depending on the song, at 120dBC+ I can sometimes even still talk with the other people in the room. Human hearing evolved to be most sensitive to the vocal frequencies, for obvious reasons. Loud bass simply isn't as destructive to human hearing. For those who obsess about never using EQ, etc, maybe the particularly dangerous midrange and treble frequencies represent a roadblock to how loud they are able to play their system. For me, it doesn't.

 

[mcgjohn]

What will cause hearing damage? Above 85db?

its a combination of avg spl level and the length of time of exposure.

a lot also depends on how much or how little dynamics the music has. Rock is mostly not a lot of dynamics with an overall higher SPL level. There are some exceptions.

Classical can have a wider dynamic range, so much of what is being listened to may be considerably lower than the high dynamic peaks.

if you listen to Jazz at too high a volume level it loses something and no longer pulls you in.

 

[ra7c7er]

I spent years going to the race track and racing myself and I rarely used ear plugs or headphones. My doctor is surprised my hearing is as good as it is.

I don't really ever turn my stereo up very loud at all. I never measured the stereo but it's was no louder then my computer speakers which hover between 55-65 db max. TBH my 11 computer fans at full pull are louder but that rarely happens. Loud doesn't bother me but loud for the sake of loud isn't something I care about.

 

[sanford12]

130dB of what?

A-weighting is vaguely useful in terms of measuring occupational safety noise exposure, but it's also a 90-year-old standard that does not take into account advancements in knowledge that we have gained over those many years. It continues to be used mainly because of continued inertia from it's initial popularity. It's also a terrible measurement to use when measuring just how "loud" a stereo system is. If the majority of the sound energy from your stereo is in the bass region, it will be dramatically under-represented by using A-weighting. A handheld air-horn can reach 130dBA but it's not going to rattle anything off the shelves.

It's silly to pretend that the lower frequencies don't matter when judging how "loud" a stereo is, which is why I feel that A-weighting is not particularly useful for that purpose. C-weighting measures the frequency range much more evenly. My readings were taken using C-weighting. Like I mentioned in my earlier post, I don't strive to replicate the rock-concert-style experience where ear-plugs are often required in order to avoid experiencing the equivalent of someone screaming in your ear. On the contrary, I feel that extra midrange and treble output largely becomes pointless above a certain level. But you can never have enough bass. Depending on the song, at 120dBC+ I can sometimes even still talk with the other people in the room. Human hearing evolved to be most sensitive to the vocal frequencies, for obvious reasons. Loud bass simply isn't as destructive to human hearing. For those who obsess about never using EQ, etc, maybe the particularly dangerous midrange and treble frequencies represent a roadblock to how loud they are able to play their system. For me, it doesn't.

It's a guide line. I trust most here have common sense. This seems like a post looking for an argument with a heavy does of mansplaining.

 

[GChief]

It's a guide line. I trust most here have common sense. This seems like a post looking for an argument with a heavy does of mansplaining.

You must be new here

 

[RVT1K]

Based upon all of the input so far, the answer is clearly "it depends...".

 

[Coytee]

When the Mrs. is screaming at you to turn that **** down, and you can't hear her, it's probably too loud.

1. Late to this thread
2. I've told this story before so if you've seen it.... well.... get over it lol.


Year was 1979. I was 19 years old and assembling my first nice system. I had a Yamaha 100 watt receiver, some AKG headphones and some Electrovoice Interface D's all in my bedroom.

Was going to put an Aerosmith LP on the turntable (or Pioneer CTF 1000 cassette.... I don't recall)

None the less.... I was going to turn it up so, I put the headphones on and cranked away. I was A.M.A.Z.E.D. at what these headphones were doing.... my head, my body, my ROOM was all shaking ....I was gobsmacked at what the headphones were doing.

Suddenly, my red faced, spittle coming out of her mouth mother, barged into my room screaming to me at the top of her lungs

TURNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN THATTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT DOWNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN

HUH?

Well... I finally figured it out. I did not turn speakers off. So while I was listening to the headphones at a deafening volume, the EV's were pounding the smithereens out of the room and house (they'll do 106 db's at 28Hz so they're shaking all the walls).

I was totally and honestly oblivious that the D's were playing. After all, my head was being jacked around by the headphones and I couldn't hear the D's. I could FEEL them but not knowing they were playing and me being a dumbazz teenager....

Well.... it's not like I could go tell my mother that I didn't know it was that loud. How on earth could you NOT know it was that loud? Uh....because I had my headphones on, trying to keep it respectful of you?

Yeah, try that excuse at 19 years old...

Love ya mom!!

 

[Ron Brown]

They did not offer hearing protection at the motorcycle dealership, where I was at.

I never wore hearing protection while riding a motorcycle. Despite the warnings to the contrary, I never considered the noise to be loud enough for injury. I wear hearing protection while shooting, because guns are not like in TV and movies; they're LOUD.

 

[ducati_EL34]

I never wore hearing protection while riding a motorcycle. Despite the warnings to the contrary, I never considered the noise to be loud enough for injury. I wear hearing protection while shooting, because guns are not like in TV and movies; they're LOUD.

I did not wear hearing protection the first seven years. But after that, I wear custom molded ear plugs whenever I ride. The wind noise (even with a helmet) during several hours of riding at speeds above 65 mph, is not good.

 

[Ron Brown]

I did not wear hearing protection the first seven years. But after that, I wear custom molded ear plugs whenever I ride. The wind noise (even with a helmet) during several hours of riding at speeds above 65 mph, is not good.

Never bothered me, but, as they say, your mileage may vary.

 

[Doug G.]

Listening to music you enjoy at 100+ dB is not the same as listening to random, irritating, noise at the same level.

Doug

 

[wallacefl]

Probably Ramport studio used by the WHO… 12 JBL 4350!

 

[Bunty2]

What will cause hearing damage? Above 85db?

Or when the amplifier is turned up too loud that you can hear the music distorting.