Are your listening levels healthy? Doing damage?


Do you know decibel levels when listening to your system, and how loud do you go?

Since upgrading my system, again, I find my listening levels have tended to increase. Not because I'm slowly going deaf but because it's more enjoyable.

I measured the decibel level with a few iPad Apps, and there was lots of disparity. Plus or minus 25 dB. 

Certainly if it's too loud I sense things are not healthy but I'd really like to know how loud things are since Google tells me prolonged listening above 70 dB could be damaging my hearing.

The apps on an iPad are clearly unreliable and now I have to contemplate spending several hundred dollars for a sound meter as well as a calibration device so I can know what my limits are and so I can be in compliance with Google.

Anyone know a good sound meter, and do most serious listeners get one of these things?

 

emergingsoul

I attended aDoobie Bros Concert a few months back in Nashville. I forgot my foam buds, so put tissue in my ears. I measured a SPL of 106 db!  They played great, but way too loud. 

Unfortunately, this is all too common and sad from an avid concertgoer's perspective.   I love the musical attack of a live event, but some of the shows I've been to are just stupidly loud.   I took one of my kids to an outdoor concert event in downtown Boston where the artist included Julien Baker (younger artists and fans...) and her show had peaks in the 130dBC range!   You could feel the sound waves 'popping' my clothes.   Even with earplugs I had ear discomfort for two weeks and then my tinnitus jumped up in volume (likely permanently).

Wearing earplugs definitely help, but they don't cover shows like that.  When one looks at how the NRR rating works, it is not as simple as subtracting your earplugs NRR rating off of your concert levels.  e.g. https://www.sensear.com/blog/how-do-you-calculate-a-noise-reduction-rating-nrr

(NRR-7)/2 for many of the common earplugs I use (e.g. Etymotic Research, Loop Earplugs) give you only (20-7)/2 = ~ 7dB reduction.   When the shows are in the 100+ range that is still very problematic...

Having said all of that, my only regrets are not starting to wear earplugs in my teens at shows (vs my 30s).   I still would not give up the many awesome experiences I've enjoyed at the live concerts I've attended over the decades.   At least my hearing will have been very well used and thoroughly enjoyed when I get put to rest :)

@emergingsoul Best of luck on your new business adventure.  I'm sure many homeowners will be interested in a low noise lawn service.

 No mine are not healthy. My quiet session is 85db. More often to not I am 90+ with peaks over 100db. The JBL 4367s have virtually no limit due to compression… for better or worse. 

I have taken this pine bark supplement that has been clinically shown to help with tinnitus, and I have found it to help somewhat in my own case.  I have no financial tie to this and just offer it as something to try if you’re dealing annoying ear ringing.  I don’t think it has many drug interactions, but read up on it just in case.  Plus, it’s really cheap — like $5 per month — to try.  FWIW.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B006OI33QU/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1