Hello Everyone,
Had a great time meeting and chatting with everyone this Saturday. Sorry, I don't have any pics, but here are the results of my impromptu survey. For those who did not attend this weekend, here's a little background:
These events are the perfect setting for sharing information among members by way of presentations or hands on workshops, and they product an opportunity to find out more about our own listening habits. I thought it might be interesting to find out how loud we typically listen to music on a daily basis, so I conducted a small an unscientific survey that asked the question:
How loud do you listen to music?
For this survey, all participants were first asked to provide an estimate of their typical listening level in dB. That value was recorded, if known. Then each participant listened to the music selection (see below) for 60 seconds, during which time they were allowed to adjust the level to one they felt was representative of their average normal listening level. Lastly, without changing the volume level just set by the participant, the reference level test track was played back and measured using an analog Radio Shack Sound Pressure Level (SPL) meter C-Weighted reading. What follows are the results of this anonymous survey.
Survey Results
| Participant Number | Estimated Listening Level (dB) | Measured Listening Level (dBC) |
| 1 | Unknown | 85 |
| 2 | 84 | 80 |
| 3 | 80 | 74 |
| 4 | Unknown | 85 |
| 5 | 86 | 91.5 |
| 6 | Unknown | 76 |
| 7 | 74 | 77 |
| 8 | 85 | 78 |
| 9 | Unknown | 66 |
| 10 | 77 | 73 |
| 11 | Unknown | 80 |
| 12 | Unknown | 72 |
As you can see from the table, a total of 12 participants were measured. The lowest reading recorded in the survey was 66 dBC and the highest was 91.5 dBC.
So what does this mean and why should you care? In a nutshell, prolonged exposure to noise at high volume level can lead to hearing loss. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) lists as an example a Band Class as having a sound intensity of 90 dB, and suggests a recommended exposure limit of 2 hours for repeated exposures. For more information on Recommended Exposure Limits from the CDC, follow this link
How Much Noise Is Too Much?
To wrap things up, I'd like to thank everyone who participated in the survey. Send me a PM if you'd like me so send you a copy of your results. I hope this was an enjoyable, engaging and potentially educational activity for everyone. I know I had a good time conducting the survey and meeting everyone this weekend.
Thank you
Equipment:
Logitech Squeezebox Touch (FLAC) --> Benchmark Media DAC1 PRE --> Woo Audio WA5-LE --> Sennheiser HD800
Music Selection:
Jamaica Heartbeat on Back on the Case by Acoustic Alchemy
Reference Level Test Signal:
1 KHz / one third octave warble tone at -20dB from Stereophile Test CD1
Measuring Equipment:
Radio Shack Sound Level Meter (Analog readout)
