scompton
Headphoneus Supremus
- Joined
- Jan 21, 2005
- Posts
- 6,060
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- 27
The day I bought my Radio Shack SPL meter, I measured the noise level on the DC metro on my way home.
Level in the station without a train in the station - 75dB
Level in the station with a train entering the station - 105dB
Level in the station with a train stopped in the station - 95dB
Levels while riding a train - 95 - 110dB
I spend 30 - 40 minutes, each way commuting to work on Metro 5 days a week. It makes me very happy to have IEMs that block a lot of the sound.
The articles linked by rsaavedra make me feel pretty good about my listening levels. The one article states that you can listen to an iPod with the stock buds at 70% volume for 4.5 hours per day. I can't imagine listening that loud for 5 minutes, let alone hours. Personally, I don't want to come anywhere near the limits. I try to keep my normal listening level below 80dB. Once you do it for a while, you're ears get used to it and you can hear the nuances in all but the quietest passages.
Level in the station without a train in the station - 75dB
Level in the station with a train entering the station - 105dB
Level in the station with a train stopped in the station - 95dB
Levels while riding a train - 95 - 110dB
I spend 30 - 40 minutes, each way commuting to work on Metro 5 days a week. It makes me very happy to have IEMs that block a lot of the sound.
The articles linked by rsaavedra make me feel pretty good about my listening levels. The one article states that you can listen to an iPod with the stock buds at 70% volume for 4.5 hours per day. I can't imagine listening that loud for 5 minutes, let alone hours. Personally, I don't want to come anywhere near the limits. I try to keep my normal listening level below 80dB. Once you do it for a while, you're ears get used to it and you can hear the nuances in all but the quietest passages.