The magic 85db number - Page 2

Just a quick recommendation, be sure to listen at an average A weight where 85 - n (where n is the measurement given in dB) gives a result greater than the deviation from neutral for your headphones at the loudest point (within reason).

Quote:

Originally Posted by khaos974 

On the other hand, distortion usually goes up with volume increase, and high levels of distortion usually force you to bring the volume down but good audio equipment have low distortion at high volume,encouraging you to listen louder.

That's a very good point!

I think 85dB A weighted for peaks is too loud for long-term listening safely, personally.  I set for 80 dBA peaks, which means most of the time I am listening in the 70's.  This is a much safer level.

I also listen well below 85 (below 70 even). I don't make the rules

Quote:

Originally Posted by Skylab 

I think 85dB A weighted for peaks is too loud for long-term listening safely, personally.  I set for 80 dBA peaks, which means most of the time I am listening in the 70's.  This is a much safer level.

x2

Quote:

Originally Posted by troykm 

Is it possible to have 2 different headphones, both matched to 85db on an spl meter yet one appear louder than the other???

Easy one. The two headphones have different frequency response curves. Your SPL test was just broadband noise, so it didn't account for peaks and valleys across the audible range -- you calibrated the overall frequency response, not specific frequencies. Your ears aren't linear, therefore one will sound louder than the other to you at certain frequencies.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jodles 

A fun fact is that audio equipment of good quality with a good bass response more easily activates the acoustic reflex in your ear, which effectively raises the threshold needed to permanently damage your ear. So better audio equipment crudely means less damage at same listening levels. And being on head-fi, I have a feeling good audio equipment applies to all of you;-)

This is not true. 

Any sound at high levels can cause hearing damage in a surprisingly short amount of time regardless of what it comes from.

The advantage of gear that dosnt suck is that you dont *have* to listen at high levels to hear relatively low level details that get lost in the muck of garbage. The fact that you have a better system than your buddy does not buy you any safety as far as how much SPL your ears can handle is concerned.

That's why I wrote "crudely".. but it might not have been the correct word. I was more making a jocular point:P But it is still not completely false. The acoustic reflex does provide 12-14dB of attenuation when triggered, but only for frequencies below 1 kHz (so my point is a little moot.. but still valid sub 1kHz!:P). From "Acoustics and psychoacoustics" (Howard, Angus), "In gunnery situations, a sound loud enough to trigger the acoustic reflex [...] is often played at least 120ms before the gun is fired."

But yes, very high SPL can of course cause instantaneous damage regardless of the protection features of the ear.