What volume do you typically listen at?

stangman67

I see people saying they listen to their music at 100-105db and I wonder how the heck that is physically comfortable?

I listen at 85-87db and when I really want to crank it I see peaks in the 92-93db range and I cannot imagine listening any louder without risking serious permanent hearing loss

Wonder if it’s a function of age and hearing loss that requires the louder volume. For reference, I am 32 and get my hearing tested a few times a year (military) and have not had any hearing loss as of yet

pitdogg2

WHAT ? SPEAK UP SONNY....

when I was younger I'm sure mine was in the 100db range and my ears tell me now, that was not a good thing.

I do not now like to get up from a session and walk away with my ears ringing. I'm guessing now I'm like you closer to the 85-95db. Maybe a short listen on a great song just a bit more, but not continuous for say an hour or more.

VR3

I would say my average is around 85 to 90. Occasionally a little louder

xsmi

I'm at that 85-90 as well.

BlueFox

Classical is at the the 65-75 db range, while Metal is in the mid 80-90+ db range. After breaking both of my previous S5 speakers by playing at extreme levels I have calmed down. Plus getting older also helps.

Emlyn

I usually start out around 75 db with music for some reason but the volume gradually gets upped to around 85 db. Anything much above that is outside of the sweet spot for quality to my ears.

Nightfall

Playing a game right now. Music, gunshots, explosions, conversation, etc. Don't know how accurate this particular app is with my particular microphone but I'm sure it's not wildly inaccurate. I let it run & collect info for 10 minutes with the mic about 1/2 a foot from the speaker & my ears are about a foot or maybe two away. I'm not a crank it up kind of guy except in the car.

VR3

I bought a spl meter to compare to my phone, my phone averaged 10 to 15db less than meter

WLDock

When I was younger I had sensitive (golden) ears. I was able to hear the fine details in live music and on quality playback systems. The tube integrated analog systems with big speakers, playing records were atonishing the first times I heard them as a kid in the 70's.

For at home listening I didn't need a lot of volume, 75-85 dB. I would always need earplugs when practicing drums, playing music, going to concerts, etc. My ears would ring and fatigue easy with too much volume.

When I would play live music I had a bud with horrible ears that would always ajust the PA to a point of loudness, and extended mid/high range that would make my ears bleed! I would ALWAYS have to tweek the system before a show.

Today, the ears are not what they used to be. Age, loud music, sinus, enlarged tonsils, etc.

https://youtu.be/iN3PBpInNJM

Nightfall

VR3 wrote: »

I bought a spl meter to compare to my phone, my phone averaged 10 to 15db less than meter

Have you tried comparing with different apps or even different phones if you have any? I'd be interested in the results. I don't think mine is that far off, I'm definitely not hitting 90-95db on that I'm sure. My neighbors would have something to say.

VR3

On my phone, every app, and the phone stops going up after 90 continuous

Emlyn

I still use my old analog Radio Shack SPL meter.

BlueFox

Emlyn wrote: »

I still use my old analog Radio Shack SPL meter.

Same here.

Emlyn

^^^^ That's the fancy one they made for rich dudes. Mine has red needles that bounce back and forth. I may have had the same 9 volt battery in mine since 2012. Could be time for a change.

machone

75 to 85 is best for my system/room

SIHAB

I rarely get past 80 db these days.
OTOH, I try to set the music to were it sounds "right" for the media
in question. FWIW...

WLDock

BlueFox wrote: »

Emlyn wrote: »

I still use my old analog Radio Shack SPL meter.

Same here.

I still have one of these.

treitz3

I usually do not ever measure the volumes I listen at. It depends on ambient noise. It depends on the recording and the quality thereof. It depends on my mood. It depends on what genre of music I am listening too. It depends on whether it's late night listening when the family is asleep or if they are gone and I can crank it to my heart's desire. Bottom line?

It depends.

With that said, I always try to get right at that sweet spot where the room isn't overloaded but it is as loud as it can get, while at the same time, achieving realistic playback levels. In other words, I wouldn't want to listen to an acoustic guitar at 105Db because that is way beyond realistic. To me, that's just annoying, no matter how well the system playback is.

I am blessed to have a full range system that sounds really good at a very low noise floor at a level on the pre of 3. Granted, it goes up to 100 but even on 54? It had damned well better be a STELLAR recording because at that level? Holy crap Batman....

Whenever I do measure off my phone? I use the same app Trey does and I am averaging around 70-75Db during normal listening sessions.....so, if I were to use the SPL meter Trey has, I guess I would normally listen to music 10-15Db higher than what my phone measures.

With that said, many times, I go over to other people's systems and they play it way too loud for realistic enjoyment. This is the case at public audio events (Like LSAF) and even sometimes at PF's, CF's and the like. To me, the volume is just as important as the reproduction effort of the system itself. I am not impressed by how loud a system gets. I am impressed at the end result as to what hits my ears....whether it be loud or soft.

IMO, pay as much attention to the volume as you do engineering your system....and know its limitations if you are going to crank it to ear shattering levels. People don't want to hear distortion cranked up loud. Well, some people may but not I.

Finesse with authority is where it's at for me....at realistic playing levels. Give me the micro, macro details. Give me the texture and natural roll off of the instruments. Give me the shot through the core of a Tom drum but also relax the shattering of a cymbal, so I don't blow my ears. Give me the body shock of a kick drum while at the same time, the finesse of a chime during a busy passage.

I don't play it so loud that all of the above and more get congested into a stew of *fill in the blank* sound.

Tom

jbreezy5

stangman67 wrote: »

I see people saying they listen to their music at 100-105db and I wonder how the heck that is physically comfortable?

I listen at 85-87db and when I really want to crank it I see peaks in the 92-93db range and I cannot imagine listening any louder without risking serious permanent hearing loss

Wonder if it’s a function of age and hearing loss that requires the louder volume. For reference, I am 32 and get my hearing tested a few times a year (military) and have not had any hearing loss as of yet

Check out the following government article on NIHL (noise-induced hearing loss):

https://www.nidcd.nih.gov/health/noise-induced-hearing-loss#:~:text=Sounds at or below 70 A-weighted decibels (dBA),,of time it takes for NIHL to happen.