[cosmo]

For school I have to design and build a device that is meant to address a safety issue. My idea is to make a device which measures the sound level coming out of a set of headphones and then alerts the user if the sound is too loud and potentially damaging to a person's ears. This could (hopefully) prevent some cases of tinnitus (ringing in the ears) or deafness caused by overexposure to loud sounds.

I was wondering if anyone could let me know whether this product and/or idea interests them and perhaps if they would ever buy this device if it was available to the public.

NOTE: I am doing this because the project requires a market study to determine the potential demand for my product.

Thanks so much!

P.S. For anyone interested in responding, please vote in the poll and/or post your comments.

 

[guzzler]

you should check out the output limiters on HeadWize in the libary!

g

 

[ServinginEcuador]

I didn't vote yet, but wanted to make a couple of observations on this idea:

With readily available SPL meters from Rat Shack and such, it would have to be cheap.

For audio people to use it means it has to be easy to use and implement. If it takes too much work to keep some microphone in place no one would use it.

How would it alert you to the high noise levels since your ears are already being bombarded with potentially damaging levels already?

Would you use something like a really small and thin wire to attach to mic readings to the machine to do the readings? If so, how would this get under the ear cups to where the sound is without being uncomfortable?

 

[usc goose]

i voted bad idea. let darwinism run its course.

 

[Chipko]

Technically very difficult to accomplish, would have to be tuned individually to every headphone you'd want to use it with or do the measurements inside the earcanal.

A dummy head where you'd just crank the volume until it signals damaging levels is probably preferable. I don't think you should aim for consumers but hearing professionals and/or stores that carry headphones.

A test CD and the dummy head with funky lights would give you a "dont go louder" level for that particular source/headphone combo.

 

[cosmo]

Quote:

Originally posted by ServinginEcuador For audio people to use it means it has to be easy to use and implement. If it takes too much work to keep some microphone in place no one would use it.

The device would be calibrated to the set of headphones before use, so no microphone would be required.

Quote:

Originally posted by ServinginEcuador How would it alert you to the high noise levels since your ears are already being bombarded with potentially damaging levels already?

A light will turn on and alert the user that way.

Quote:

Originally posted by ServinginEcuador Would you use something like a really small and thin wire to attach to mic readings to the machine to do the readings? If so, how would this get under the ear cups to where the sound is without being uncomfortable?

The mic readings would only be used to calibrate the device before use. The volume will be calibated to the voltage of the signal going to the headphones.

 

[ServinginEcuador]

So basically you're looking at hooking something up in parallel with the output signal of the headphone jack so that it picks off some of the signal and does a comparison of output voltage to volume readings at the ear piece? This would be much easier than what I was thinking. The only issue is the light itself. Lots of people have their amps and such placed so that a light wouldn't be good enough to alert them. Maybe implement something that would give an audible indicator to the listener, or limit the output to a certain voltage as guzzler said. Once it reaches a certain voltage level, as defined by the readings of that particular pair of cans, it would limit it and not allow it to go any louder.

 

[cosmo]

ServinginEquador, that sounds like a good idea, I'll try to implement that.

 

[cosmo]

Anyone else have any suggestions?

Thanks!

 

[D-EJ915]

It would be nice if you could set the device to a specific sound level, and as surroundings get louder or softer it would raise or lower the volume, that would be a product I would buy, I hate having to live with incompetent Volume controls.