Typically 75 to 80dB. Really loud is 90dB and I'm never over, and I mean never, 95dB. I'm using a professional SPL meter, C weighted, slow response. Just curious.
How loud do I play what? A Bach violin sonata, or God Save The Queen by the Sex Pistols, or somewhere in between, say Joni Mitchell’s Song for the Seagulls?
I would say that it ranges from 55 to 90, more or less.
And if your system doesn’t sound alive until you crank it up, something is wrong. The best systems - like a lover - whisper into your ear convincingly.
The volume difference really is massive between the 2. A weighted 90 db is freaking LOUD. Measured C rated not so much. Is one considered a standard way to measure in a home stereo application?
I typically use C scale, which is a flatter measurement. The A scale cuts both low and high frequencies to simulate the human ear's sensitivity at low to moderate levels. The A reading is only flat from about 500 Hz to 6 KHz. As such, the A scale will appear to register lower than the C scale. Which one is more commonly used depends on the application.
So are most of you measuring C weighted or A weighted. I notice Db-a is the default on the app I am using. When I switch it to C there is a 12-15 difference in the decibels with C being higher. What would be the standard way to measure? If it’s C then damn I’m listening a lot higher than I thought!
ibmjunkman - 71 dB for a burp is amateurish. Probably only God knows now what John Belushi could produce! (Modesty prevents me from making my numbers public).
I weighed in on this discussion in an earlier post - "How do I establish a reference level?"
I crank! I'm 65 still listening to Punk and hard rock! My neighbors complain and we have acres between our houses! One night a friend who is a musician couldn't believe how good it sounded! He said I think someone is knocking on the door? I opened the door and my neighbor was telling me my music was 2 loud/I told him I couldn't hear him and shut the door! The cops were the next knock! Ha Ha! My set-u JBL Studio masters I bought new in the 70's/Tigris tube amp and a Primaluna Tube Cd player with a tube clock! God rid of my krell and went back to my old gear! Happy Camper!
80 to 85 dB is very loud for me if I’m listening to rock/pop. Most other acoustic material is 5 to 10 dB lower than this. Like some of the other posters, I have an old school analog dB meter.
Typically I listen at an average SPL (Radio shack meter) 76-78dB. When my system was at it's best a good example of the range it produced is: Dewy Redmond Choices = quiet passages @ 65db full and detailed, open and satisfying Loud passages @ 86 db and extended peaks at 91 db. now with different tubes, I have to turn it up so the average is 82-83db with less than satisfying musical information at 68db and peaks at 93-95. I'm aware this is not healthy for my aging ears...... so no steady diet of this.
I’d like to add that after an exceedingly loud session I usually don’t listen to my system for a few days. The danger/fear of developing tinnitus is real enough to keep me in check.
no access to a DB meter but loud enough to where i can clearly hear the background sounds in a classical recording [musicians breathing, clothes and sheet music rustling, chairs creaking, hall rumble, tape hiss]
Some systems don't come alive till they are turned up. I find that my other system which has a Class D amp begs to be turned down, in fact it sounds good at all levels. I prefer low to mid volume levels in general.
Indeed. One of my favorite moments at a concert is when everyone pulls out their SPL meters to check the crescendo level. I look around at the readings and this way know where to sit for next time. But then at home I worry, am I setting the volume for where I like it way in back? Or should it be higher for where the recording engineer thought the level should be? These problems worry me so much I can never enjoy classical.
I can speak to the specific case of Classical music. I usually set the volume so that the peak crescendo hits roughly 86db on my RadioShack sound pressure meter. I find this seems to mimic a real world concert listening experience. This puts the softer sections down in the 50-60db level.
I just hit 105 dB for just a short period to see what these Sound Labs speakers would do. They certainly have more in them but I don't. If you warm your ears up slowly 95 dB is not a problem for most of us but for some of us it will be.
All of us develop presbycusis as we get older, our high frequencies roll off. At 65 you are very lucky to be able to hear 16kHz. Fortunately, you probably would not really notice you had a problem until you drop below 10 kHz. Music is still very much enjoyable. Those who are going to be in trouble and really need to be careful are already going to have an unusual amount of loss by 65. If you want to know get an audiogram done.
All music has a "right" volume level. If you have loudness compensation you can change that volume to some degree. Then there is that visceral component in music that is missing at lower volumes and with systems that do not get very low down. This is the component that makes live performances such a trip.
Mozartfan, you listen in a closet? What is the point? You'll have to ask a higher authority about that. Why do guys like loud cars and motorcycle? Probably a display of power. Is music the same thing? You need to attend a Nine Inch Nails concert. Just don't get too close to the front.
I'd recommend that everyone begin listening at lower levels, especially in the morning to take care of their ears. Remember that hearing damage can't be repaired.
@tcutter,Very good point.Anywhere from 70-82db at 9 feet away from speaker. For me this depends on the quality of the music and recording itself.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Yes agree, if i am really into say Schnittke or Pettersson and feel like blowing the mind, I'll crank it up a tad, as there are passages quiet, , but then gets very active. Schnittke can go from hardly audible then same score, blasting horn section. If the recording has quality i'll give a gain on the vol. But mostly I am reading (yes dif to study and hear(= Really listen) Schnittke same time So my vol usually stays at background level,,and I have a 100 pure watt Jadis Defy7 amp, hardly using much of that power for sure. But that could change with my next new project, addinga DavidLouis Full Range, say in July. Just spent $1500 upgrading my Thor speakers.
low volume for me, not sure why audiophiles like loud. I am about to build a david Louis 10 inch full range + titanium tweet, now i can add a bit more gain. My Thors sound great but need a larger room size for added gain. My Thors will match any speaker under $2k, but I'm betting my new project of Davidlouis full range will beat out the Thors, so I can add some gain and still not sound aggessive in my smallish room 10X12 8 ft ceiling. But loud? Why? whats the point. There is a threshold where audiophiles go over, not sure why? whats the point <<loud>>????
Just turned it way down and it went under 100db. I enjoy it louder and never have had an ear problem. I will probably keep it less loud going forward. Thanks for the post.
Music is therapy. Concerts can be therapeutic. When i therapeutically need Rip This Joint or Communication Breakdown the decibel level is irrelevant ...however many db that ends up being. Time is best kept short at those levels, and I’m thrilled to learn that I have about 3-4 hours before I hit the auditory danger zone (admittedly, I fell asleep one night with a bluray edition of Close To The Edge c/w extras clocking over 6 hours.....ears rang for days but equilibrium was regained...!) Standing waves are my main limiting factor when twisting that dial....
Me too. Screw preservation. No one ever called their family and closest friends to say their last good-bye’s with, "And my one regret, if only I had turned the volume down."
I’ve been reading this thread with interest. I’ve wondered at what volume level typical Audiogon forum members listen to their music. In reading these responses, it’s clear that many of us are in a similar ‘range’, but there are definitely some who like much higher SPLs. To those who say “If it’s too loud, you’re too old”, I’ll tell you that I said those same exact words when I was young. It’s funny, but in reality, it’s not a good phrase to live by if you care about preserving your hearing. My hearing would surely be better if I’d been easier on my ears. And to those who are older, listen loudly, and still have no hearing issues, I’ll tell you that you are very lucky, and you’re the exception. I’m 56 years old and I can still bench press over 400 pounds consistently. That’s not meant to boast, but rather to provide an example that we are not all lucky enough to have the genetics (or whatever) to endure a lifetime of loud music and still hear “young”. This post is mostly aimed towards younger people who read that someone is 65 years old, listens loud, and still has great hearing. That’s awesome, but not the norm, so be careful. Not trying to preach, btw... I’m just trying to help ;)
If you're exposed to 85 dB on an 8-hour time-weighted average at work, your employer has to get you a baseline audiogram, have a hearing conservation program, get you an annual hearing test, and make hearing protection available to you. At a 90 dB 8-hour TWA, your employer must require you to wear hearing protection. But that's just to be legal.
So the magic number to avoid hearing damage is really 85 dB for any extended period. You should avoid 110 dB to avoid serious damage. At 140 dB, you WILL do serious mechanical damage to the inner ear.
This concludes your NIOSH-sponsored PSA for the day.
Normally 80 -90. When we have guest over or just when enjoying Video concerts I’ll listen to 110’ish ( at 10 feet from MLP) for an entire DVD. I like to be inside the music, and I love the impacts of live sets. Your ears ring a little afterwards but it makes me smile ... I still race cars (NHRA Superstock) so I’m around "loud" most weekends during the summer months anyway...Don’t preach to me about safety precautions. My brother is a ex corporate safety manager so I know all the risk And BTW, he’s with me every step of the way. He’s 70 and I’m 65.... too late to worry about things that I enjoy now....
I’ve always tried to avoid prolonged exposure to loud noises, even when I was young. In spite of that care, I have significant tinnitus…I can hear the ringing in my ears over fairly loud traffic noise on my commute. Although my room is reasonably quiet, fairly high playback levels are required to stop the constant ringing from interfering with listening enjoyment.
If the spectral content of the music has plenty of energy at the frequencies where I hear ringing, I can enjoy average levels in the mid-70 dB range (C-weighted, slow integration). Otherwise, I have to be closer to 90 dB to not be distracted by tinnitus.
When I went to see a trumpet concert in a small setting I brought my dB meter. All the other people were holding up cell phones, I was holding up my dB meter! Average levels were 85-95dB. A trumpet is one of the louder instruments. At home I try to reproduce acoustic music and soft jazz at realistic live levels which I play at 80-85dB. I believe 75dB is the recommended number. For my birthday or New Years I sometimes just have to crank up some Led Zeppelin to 95-100dB for just a few songs. After awhile it doesn't sound that loud and you want to turn it up louder! Be careful!! I am a semi professional drummer so obviously I know how live drums sound. Bass drum/Timpani 106dB, crash cymbal 113dB, toms 110dB, snare 120dB, snare with rimshot 125dB. Average dB 112-119db at the drummers seat. Other live instruments: Normal piano 60-70dB, Fortissimo piano 84-103dB, flute 92dB, violin 82-92dB.
Thanks for all the great replies. I am extremely jealous of those who have truly quiet rooms. My C weighted background level is 54dB; A weighted is 30dB. I live within a mile of an interstate highway entrance/exit with three truck stops. I don't hear it, but I believe I have a build up of low frequency sounds that skew the C weighted measurement.
Extremely quiet control rooms Silence in a library or in a clothing warehouse
40dB
Silence at home Calm countryside at night
50dB
Background hum of daytime in the woods Whispered conversation Listening to music at night A fridge at home
60dB
Normal conversation in a room Background noise in an office on a working day Soft and comfortable listening to music Music playback in a car
70dB
Loud and comfortable listening to music at home Radio, TV or a vacuum cleaner Too loud music playback in a parked car with its engine running Average levels of a live concert in a hall (rock or classical)
80dB
Dishwasher Passing truck or train Screaming kids at home Very loud music playback at home Classical concert in an open venue
90dB
Lawn mower Unbearable music level in a car Loud rock concert in a closed small venue (like a club) Classical concert in a concert hall Aircraft landing from 200 meters
100dB
A tractor, helicopter or racing car from 10 meters Loud rock concert in a closed venue Hand drill Underground traffic (subway)
The frequency response of our ears changes with volume. Every recording has a volume it sounds best at. If you push a recording that was mixed at lower volumes it will get bright and harsh. If you play a recording mixed at high volumes at low levels it will sound dull and bass-less. I will play the record at the volume it sounds "right" at.
You NEVER want your ears to ring. Ringing indicates damage. Our ears accommodate to loud sounds but the reflex is slow which is why impulse noises like gun shots are so bad for our ears. If you are going to listen loud it is important to warm your ears up by starting at a lower volume and raising it in increments over a five to 10 minute period. I'll listen to some recordings at 95 dB. Higher than that is risky.
120db+Great subject! I’ve played music professionally for 35 years. Madison Square Garden, etc. Stage volume frequently was at 120db, which is terrible for your ears, of course. Those highest levels were usually in big bars. I use hearing protection or in-ears to the extent possible. Cilia (the little hairs in your ear canal) die and do not regrow, back, resulting in hearing loss. My #1 tip for upcoming musicians is to protect your hearing. That being said, most of you can probably listen louder than you are without hearing loss. You’ve paid a fortune for your systems, so use them! Here are NOSHA’s (National Occupational Safety & Health Administration) safety standards. A shotgun is bad because your ears don’t have time to react, but your ears can handle constant noise pretty well. Charts vary, but basically, here are the standards:
Remember the volume doubles every 7 db, so 95db is twice as loud as 87db. Protect your hearing, yes! But, if your favorite song comes on, crank it up. If you want a real movie experience, 100db peaks are no problem - as long you enjoy it.
I’ve played more 4 hour bar gigs in the 100-120db range than you can imagine. Too frequently with no hearing protection. I’m 53 next month, and my hearing is okay - not perfect, but not too much loss in hearing tests (it’s been a while, but some high frequency 15db losses). Watching loud movies at home on your killler system is going to be fine.
I sit 8' from my speakers in a mid-sized room with good treatments. I like to start at 55db-per the iPhone app meter- and top out at 70 db. Mean being 68db. If something can't sound good at these levels it is out. Each song will usually require adjusting + or- to suit me but then again I have my "Best Of" playlist and nobody records at the same level it seems.
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