How loud do you listen to your music?

Photon46,

I get to listen to live jazz, classical, & choral music in our university's music department several times a week, and I tell you this: live music of all kinds is LOUD

That has always been my experience...rarely have I heard a concert or instrument played at "conversational" or 60 db SPL level. If you have the best seats in the house then there is simply no way you can have a comfortable conversation even with a string quintet (wind, percussion and piano are usually much louder).

Hearing damage limits are often set very low intentionally. This is because prolonged exposure 8 hours a day (day in and day out) to continuous machinery appears to damage hearing at much lower levels than musical instruments (which are dynamic, less repetitive and usually involve less extended exposure periods).

Onemug I have not listened to a parallel SE/SET amp at any length to really comment. I have listened to a parallel 2A3 on an unfamiliar system but it did sound very good and very natural.

Not an amp where you would need 100db of sound pressure to hear all the details :)

Photon,

Except for very high levels, gun shots for example, hearing loss tends to be induced by fairly continuous exposure. I wouldn't be surprised if some musicians do suffer hearing loss, espcially those who play at rock concerts. The danger of noise exposure is adaptation: It needs to be louder and louder to seem loud.

Set your meter to slow trajectory on the C scale (essentially flat) with 0 dB reference (the middle of the meter range) set at 80 dB SPL, and sit in your customary seat. If the meter runs off scale often (which i doubt it will), move the range up or down as needed. You may be surprised the level is not as high as you imagined.

I've attended lots of recitals of two to five musicians at Stanford, and should attend those at the Music Academy of the West here in Montecito, where they run a master program with noted artists helping advanced students. It's a good way to calibrate yourself.

db

Would some one please tell me if I listen to my 400xi with the digital setting normally at its 45 to 60 at the front read-out, what is the DB that I listen to? My speaker is Paradigm 40.2 bookshelf ( don't know its efficiency level).I use the R/S SPL reading ( w/o the digital reading)but cannot get a steady measurement. Also for the 400xi, 50 to 60 at the front digital read-out equals to what position of the regular rotation knob ?

I listen at an average 85 to 92 dB's to get the detail and gratification I need out of my system (B&W speakers/Marantz surround sound system). I've been reading lately that at these sustained levels year after year, hearing loss will happen. I'm 50 now and am getting concerned for the future. I listen mostly at night when I'm home. I travel on the road about half the time. Are there ways to get the dB's down without giving up the impact and sound I need to listen at? I love deep bass and must feel that in my bones. I play the electric bass guitar as well. For example, would going to a pair of full size 2-1/2 or 3 way more efficient loudspeakers over stand mounts make any difference? On the other hand, is this really true that at these levels, hearing loss will happen down the road? Are there any older audiophiles out there in their 60's and 70's that listen loud and have not noticed any loss? This is a topic we should all be concerned about. Thanks.