[davidsh]

Just a question..
I have got the iphone 4 and the etymotic hf2 arrived just yesterday. To me, the etymotics are great, actually fantastic, and they are my first somewhat expensive iems.
Anyways how loud can i turn up the iphone whilst not damaging my ears, anybody got any experience with these iems?
For those who don't know, the hf5's have got an impedance of only 16 ohms, and a sensitivity of 105 dB, maybe based on that you can help me?

 

[brianchia]

I set my items to a volume where I can't hear any background noise, but not loud enough to hurt my ears.

 

[Parall3l]

Based on my 20ohm 107db SPL/mw Shure SE215, I'd say no more than 3 bars in loud environments.

 

[Techno Kid]

I know I listen to mine to loud because I've had others listen at the volume I do and the say its loud, I have my Fuze volume a little over half way with my E11's volume at 4 with my e-Q5 and around 7 or so with my RE262.  I can still hear great after a few years of this but I know when I get into my 50's or so its going to catch up with me, maybe by then they'll have the technology to fix damaged hearing

 

[H20Fidelity]

Generally you want to set the volume lowest possible for comfortable listening, if you feel you can go lower do so.

Yes, it sounds good loud, but take it from someone who bruised an ear drum being stupid. 'Low is the go'

Cowon = 18 / 40 > Me

 

[davidsh]

Thank you for your inputs
Anyway 3 bars sound like very little, thinking about that the iphone has got 16 bars or so. At least the earphones cant be that power hungry
Also a review mentioned 50% volume as being all right?

 

[AstroTurf]

Start at a lower level, always...

Then slowly adjust until it is at a level you are comfortable with.

Cheers, Jim

Thank you for your inputs
Anyway 3 bars sound like very little, thinking about that the iphone has got 16 bars or so. At least the earphones cant be that power hungry
Also a review mentioned 50% volume as being all right?

 

[davidsh]

I'll try, but u know i've just heard a lot of scary stories about people kinda loosing their hearing because they get used to loud volumes... Anyway somebody knows how to calculate the amount of dB from the headphones based on impedance and sensitivity maybe?
I have heard that 80 dB is the threshold where you can damage your hearing...

 

[Nochaunceinell]

The better the isolation, the lower you will be able to listen because no outside noise will enter the ear. If you have poor isolation, than you will try to compensate by cranking up the volume. Always start very low and adjust as your ears get used to the volume. It is hard to measure decibel levels that will damage because it depends on how much of those decibels are actually reaching your eardrums. Always look for good isolation and that should solve your volume issues.
 

 

[jasonb]

Half way on an iphone 4 with most iem's should be safe. I usually listen at anywhere between half or 2 steps below half with my current iem's.
 
The volume at the 3rd step is pretty low. The lowest i can really listen at would be about 5 or 6. 

 

[Parall3l]

 

[H20Fidelity]

I know I listen to mine to loud because I've had others listen at the volume I do and the say its loud, I have my Fuze volume a little over half way with my E11's volume at 4 with my e-Q5 and around 7 or so with my RE262.  I can still hear great after a few years of this but I know when I get into my 50's or so its going to catch up with me, maybe by then they'll have the technology to fix damaged hearing

I know you have a Cowon J3, what would be your 'normal' listening number /40?

 

[thedips]

Quote:

Half way on an iphone 4 with most iem's should be safe. I usually listen at anywhere between half or 2 steps below half with my current iem's.
 
The volume at the 3rd step is pretty low. The lowest i can really listen at would be about 5 or 6. 

just tested my iphone plugged straight into it and here at a busy coffee shop (using tf10s) i counted the clicks .. it sure is 16 levels... honestly stopped at about 5/6 until i felt like i would really start hurting my ears. but that sounds jsut about perfect... probably would hit 7 if i really wanted to really rock out in my own little world 

 

[Techno Kid]

Quote:

I know you have a Cowon J3, what would be your 'normal' listening number /40?

 
Not at all on my J3 its around 22 or 27 depending on the IEM, so maybe I don't listen as loud as I thought or my friends just have super sensitive hearing.

 

[proton007]

Quote:

Just a question..
I have got the iphone 4 and the etymotic hf2 arrived just yesterday. To me, the etymotics are great, actually fantastic, and they are my first somewhat expensive iems.
Anyways how loud can i turn up the iphone whilst not damaging my ears, anybody got any experience with these iems?
For those who don't know, the hf5's have got an impedance of only 16 ohms, and a sensitivity of 105 dB, maybe based on that you can help me?

 
How loud you should go has nothing to do with the sensitivity or impedance. 
 
Its you and your ears. If it seems loud, it is loud. 
 
The volume control cannot be used as a gauge, because its affected by song dynamics. What if a particular sound has high dynamic range? The volume will have to be set high. For the latest pop (loud) music, it'll have to be low.