How loud is too loud...

[villekille]

the loudness discomfort level is different for each individual and everyone should understand that. Levels that might be good for someone might damage others hearing. The dB guidelines for safety are just levels that seem to work for most people. Some people can take more noise, some less.

I find that the ear tells you when it "thinks" that something is too loud. I get different sensations, like pain in the middle ear, popping sound when swallowing, sometimes the outer ear becomes hot and red and so on..Then it's best to stop all noise for the rest of the day. Otherwise there will be more pain and tinnitus

 

[Assorted]

I think it's dangerous to let your brain judge what "too loud" is, since it is obviously not enough of a hindrance, like pain. Just look at those rock jammers listening to earbuds in a bus.

 

[smeggy]

I play as loud as the music and my mood dictates. No more, no less.
That's how I like it.

 

[intoart]

It is really hard for me to tell if I have it too loud or not. I usually err on the side of caution,and play it at a slightly lower volume than I would really prefer. Is there an objective way to tell? (The "finger-snap" test obviously does not work for closed 'phones.)

 

[yensteel]

My general rule is, How soft is too soft, not how loud is too loud. If you can go softer, then go softer.

 

[FlyingFungus]

I try and keep my music as low as possible.

My Creative Zen has a volume control that goes from 0 to 25. I keep the volume at 4 to 5. I use my Shure SE210's with my creative. I can hear the song perfectly...maybe not all the little details but thats a sacrifice Im willing to make. The volume is pretty much at conversation level....sometimes even below.

My Acer laptop's volume is set at about 2% (out of 100% obviously) and using Windows Media Player 11...I keep the volume anywhere from 50 - 100%.

 

[jcx]

HeadWize - Article: Preventing Hearing Damage When Listening With Headphones (A HeadWize Headphone Guide)

OSHA standards may be a little high for really long term prevention of hearing loss - some is just accepted in today's industrial enviroment

 

[QQQ]

There's a nice trick i use to check if i'm listening too loud. Leave the volume dial at the same position you had it during your toe-tapping late night listening session, then, at the morning(after you woke up) try to listen at this volume level - if your ears are hurting(and they will

) then the volume is too high. Try to discipline yourself when enjoying your music, your ears will thank you later.

 

[tintin47]

I need to just break down and get an SPL meter. It is just way too hard to guess how loud you are listening. I like and use many of the tricks mentioned here, but I still worry about it being too loud.

 

[vvanrij]

Well we are offcourse audiophiles, so we are extremely nit-picking about everything including our hearing. I just tap my finger on the table once or twice, and hear how loud i can hear it. You won't blow out your ears that easily, a drive in the car is most of the times louder than my listening volume on my headphones. I think the people who are carefull often come to these threads while already listening to sensible levels. The people who don't care how loud they listen, thats the ones that might blow their hearing out one day (or bad tinnitus, hearing loss), but they don't care for these threads, just my 2cents.

 

[intoart]

Quote:

Originally Posted by QQQ /img/forum/go_quote.gif There's a nice trick i use to check if i'm listening too loud. Leave the volume dial at the same position you had it during your toe-tapping late night listening session, then, at the morning(after you woke up) try to listen at this volume level - if your ears are hurting(and they will ) then the volume is too high. Try to discipline yourself when enjoying your music, your ears will thank you later.

The one thing I never do is crank the volume for a "toe tapping listening session". Once I have found a comfortable level, I stick to it. The only time I adjust the volume at all is if a specific CD is recorded at an unusually soft (or unusually loud) level. That is also the only time I wish my amp had a remote volume control (it is about 10 ft from my couch.)

 

[Nocturnal310]

another reason to buy a portable amp for portable players.

at lower volume level it sounds better without needing to damage ears.

 

[John Willett]

Quote:

Originally Posted by lindmar /img/forum/go_quote.gif Is there a point where i can be going to loud for my headphones and blow them out..

I would be more worried about blowing my ears out and going prematurely deaf.

 

[Feather225]

more than 70% of your ipod volume is too loud ^ ^

 

[limpidglitch]

grado sr60 are extremely easily driven, and have a really good resolution at low volumes, no need to crank it up.