Is it too loud?

[audiophileboss]

Hey guys, me with another useless post. I read an article on inner fidelity that really left me thinking. It was talking about how loud we listen to music. Especially with a headphone driver soo close to our ears, we are at particularily high risks of hearing problems if not treated properly. We all have those nights where the power is a bit cleaner, the house a bit quieter, our headphones a bit more comfortable, music a bit more suductive and we just keep turning the volume louder and louder and louder until after we have ringing ears. Well, go to the app store for iphone or any other app type store and download a db meter. It uses your phones microphone and boy oh boy. I have nothing to worry about. Even when I crank up the volume real loud I am only at about 75db, rather safe. Normally I am around 55db. Just goes to show you. Put your headphones down and place your device in the center and watch the meter...youll be surprized, I was!

[Paul Joppa]

Since I worked in noise control for most of a career, I'll make a three notes here:

1) OSHA says 90dB, Europe says 85dB, is the limit for 8 hours per day. This exposure is deemed adequate to let you understand speech (instructions) until you are 65, at which age you are presumed economically useless and your ability to follow instructions pointless. Since I like music, and am already past 65, I find this criterion doubly offensive!

2) If you ears are ringing, then you have done permanent damage to your ears. We are born with excess hair cells and losing a few has no apparent affect, until a critical mass is gone. After that, every loss is a reduction in hearing with no hope of recovery. The fewer you lose when young, the longer you will be able to hear.

3) A new record was set at a football game this week - 137dB. That's about 100,000 times the energy level mentioned in note 1) above. I am told that Richter scale 1.2 or thereabouts was recorded on seismographs on that occasion. The Seahawks won; probably 100,000 fans lost a bunch of hair cells.

[audiophileboss]

Excellent tid bits

[Grainger49]

boss,

I think to get a realistic reading you need the phone isolated within the headset like you ears are.  You measured what is spilling out.

[mcandmar]

If you ears are ringing, then you have done permanent damage to your ears.

Suddenly all those metal concerts weren't such a great idea.  Metallica 1994, my ears rang for three days after that one, things you do when your young and foolish

[Grainger49]

My ears rang for 2 days from a Fleetwood Mac concert in a basketball court with 27 speaker columns on each side of the stage.  It was 1969, they weren't as popular then.

[mcandmar]

My ears rang for 2 days from a Fleetwood Mac concert in a basket ball court.  It was 1969, they weren't as popular.

Wow that was way back, i think Mick Fleetwood is the only member from that era.  I do really like the early Fleetwood stuff, i also only recently discovered the Buckingham Nicks album which was recorded prior to them joining Fleetwood mac, think that was early 70's. All good stuff..

[Lar]

Yes, those were the days......

[Zimmer64]

boss,

I think to get a realistic reading you need the phone isolated within the headset like you ears are.  You measured what is spilling out.

I agree. Dont think you get good measurements by just holding your iPhone to the headphones.

[ironbut]

I attended a seminar at the AES Convention a few years ago which addressed hearing loss. Even though it was a very early morning event, it was standing room only.
One thing that I took away from that seminar was the importance of proper nutrition and general health if you wish to retain as much wide band hearing as you can.
Good control over metabolic issues such as diabetes and not smoking are large factors while proper intake of vitamins A, C, E, and folic acid seemed linked with good hearing.

So, what's good for you in general can make a significant difference in your long term hearing.

[Loquah]

boss,

I think to get a realistic reading you need the phone isolated within the headset like you ears are.  You measured what is spilling out.

I agree. Dont think you get good measurements by just holding your iPhone to the headphones.

I tried this approach some time ago and found that placing the microphone end of the phone inside the cup of the headphones and covering the gapes as best I could with my hands (i.e. like sealing against the side of our heads) raised the reading by 2-3dB (which is significant in terms of sound energy). Thankfully, my regular listening levels are still well below an average of 85dB (I was around 75-76dB), but it did get me wondering about the accuracy of the measurement.