What is your listening level?


Is 85db the ideal listening level?
50jess

Showing 3 responses by learsfool

FWIW, recording engineers usually listen at about 82dB. I usually listen slightly under that at home, maybe more like 75dB, but sometimes I will crank it up, though I would certainly agree with some here who say listening at 110dB is absurd. That would be a very quick way to significant hearing loss.
Hi Al - I've been away for a few days. Yes, as you suspected, that 82dB figure is an average level, +/- 2dB, for recording engineers. Of course, peaks would be much higher. I was assuming the OP meant an average level. And I have also found, when I have turned on my SPL meter in rehearsals for fun, that the average level of most of what happens onstage is about that same amount, again peaks being much higher, and the softest things quite a bit lower. But the average would be somewhere around that 82dB figure, or not much lower, anyway.
Yes, Blueranger, if you listen at 110dB without some kind of hearing protection, you will suffer some damage in just over 2 minutes of continuous exposure, on average!! I have posted a report on this in a recent thread, if you care to look it up. If you need me to provide a link, let me know.

In all seriousness, if you have done this on a regular basis, you really do need to go get your hearing checked, and you need to turn the volume WAY down to avoid any further damage.