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safe volume levels

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Nicedoc441 View Drop Down
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    Posted: 27 Dec 2015 at 6:37pm
Whats the best general advice,regarding safe levels and long term listening ?

Mukesh.
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Richardl60 View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Richardl60 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 27 Dec 2015 at 11:53pm
An interesting question particularly as not many of us will have a sound meter round the house!

I am sure most of us will be a aware that the louder the noise the shorter the duration, I do take ear protectors to sources of loud noise (e.g motor racing, rock concerts).

I suspect headphones pose a potentially greater risk as direct in ear and you don't have the naturalbackgrounf noise or feel from the low end bass as a reference point and as usually clean sounding may well encourage higher level listening?

I also of the view that a clean source with less distortion in the upper mid & treble may be less damaging.   Perhaps my acid test would be that if fatiguing short of long term this is too long or too loud or both!

Type of music will impact also low dynamic range rock or compressed music likely to be more damaging?

Would be interested in other views.

Richard
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Graham Slee Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 28 Dec 2015 at 6:42am
I find highly compressed digital music of any kind hurts my hearing - gives me ear and headache. There's a kind of upper-mid distortion to it, which is possibly due to the compression algorithm swapping between what music it 'thinks' is necessary and what isn't.

Also I note many people have the volume way too high (headphones or speakers), so much so that they get ringing in the ears, and they miss all the beauty in the music. A healthy volume level is one which gives the full dynamic feel, but should not be confused with arena sound levels, which in my opinion are crazy (as well as being distorted).

A symphony orchestra has typical loudness of 100dB and the threshold of feeling is roughly 120dB. Therefore an undistorted orchestral work played where the listener doesn't get a feeling of fatigue would seem about right. I don't think there's any real need to drive headphones any higher than this.

I know from experience that headphone amplification for sound engineers during public performance or used in disco need to drive headphones really loud to counter the 'outside' noise, but in listening at home such high power isn't necessary. But some on the internet would have you believe you need at least a watt if not more--they are the same people who sell headphone amps outputting a watt or more...

Going back many years, communications headphones (2000 Ohms) would hardly reach a milli-watt (0.001 watt) but everything was audible.

The IEC standard for headphones considers a 5 volt rms drive voltage more than adequate, so we stick pretty closely to that.
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tg [RIP] View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote tg [RIP] Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 28 Dec 2015 at 9:11am

This page states

Quote When listening to a personal music system with stock earphones at a maximum volume, the sound generated can reach a level of over 100 dBA, loud enough to begin causing permanent damage after just 15 minutes per day!

This page has a link to a document containing a deal of information about the topic viewed from an Industrial Health & Safety perspective.

I quoted the section from the first page that might be most relevant to you, however, the rest of the information on that site might prove useful as might the second document.

All of this does require some further understanding of the measurements used and their relation to real world sound pressure levels.

An SPL meter can be a useful tool to learn about the relative sound levels and help you to relate to your own experience.  One should be able to be purchased from an electronics supplier for not too much money.  Something like this will allow you to measure output levels in your headphone set by placing the microphone between the pads on a bench while playing back through them and varying the volume level.

One thing I would add from my own experience, is that with headphones it is possible to exceed safe long term levels rather more easily than with external sources like speakers, particularly when the amplifier and headphones are producing clean, undistorted sound.

Sorry there is no simple answer, but study and understanding of the subject and its possible permanent effects on your hearing is more than worthwhile.



Edited by tg - 25 Apr 2016 at 11:41pm
Tony G
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Richardl60 View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Richardl60 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 28 Dec 2015 at 10:55am
Forgot the obvious one Graham you mention about compressed digital!

Richard
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Nicedoc441 View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Nicedoc441 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 28 Dec 2015 at 11:08am
Thanks for the answers,this is helpful.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote discrete badger Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 30 Dec 2015 at 1:59pm
Background noise level makes a huge difference. Provided that the system is able to make a decent sound at low levels (this is not universal, but definitely is a characteristic of Graham's kit), and you're in a quiet room, you can listen at relatively low levels and still hear everything. The same is true for headphones (usually closed-back) that seal off outside noise. 

I think people tend to crank the volume on poor equipment to try to compensate for the lack of proper bass. This hits their ears harder with mid and upper frequencies, where the ear is more sensitive to distortion. On good equipment, the bass is in proportion and satisfying even at low levels.

I tend to listen at an average of 70db with peaks of 85db in a quiet room and find it to be satisfyingly loud.

I agree with Graham's comment - the other thing that I find makes a huge difference is upper harmonic distortion - or lack of it. When there is none, such as is obtained with acoustic instruments (e.g. opera singer, symphony orchestra, large pipe organ) for occasional peaks and climaxes I find much louder levels such as 100-110db comfortable. But when levels of as little as 85db are achieved for long periods using electronic amplification, especially if it is poor, such as in a nightclub, the frequency sensitivity of my ears changes temporarily - that's to me a signal that they are hurting.

So my suggestion is that your ears will let you know if damage is being done, if you listen to them carefully. Feed them with undistorted sound, treat them with care, give them regular breaks, and if they feel or sound "different" during the break, take that as a hint to try a lower volume - or better kit!
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