nosracl
New Head-Fier
- Joined
- Jun 8, 2012
- Posts
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I apologise if this is a topic already being/recently discussed. I've had a search of the forums and any similar, cogent, discussion seems to have taken place a few years ago. I wonder what difference a newer crowd on the forums, and newer technology, will make.
After some mild, temporary tinnitus lying in bed the other night, I've been thinking about safe volume levels. I've recently jumped into the audiophile world - I've never used a headphone amp and any decent cans properly before this week - and I want to be really sure that I won't be doing any harm to my hearing, in the long-term. I'm aware that volume levels are subjective, and all of the numbers thrown around don't seem consistent (although a benchmark figure seems to be anything over 80/85db is harmful).
I'm planning on doing some actual measuring, so I can see for myself. Then, I'm going to put a sticker on my amp's volume to remind me of the level that I should never exceed. I'll be making sure I keep the volume level of my laptop the same at all times obviously, to make this level consistent.
So, what should I use and how should I go about doing it? I've read a few old posts about using cardboard and a SPL meter, but I can't really make sense of how they went about doing it. I think I'd need to recreate the situation of my ears being within the headphones, taking a measurement from approximately where my ear canal would be, and creating a seal to mimic that of the headphone cushions, etc. Obviously, whichever way this is done will not be exact; I'll be taking the volume level down further after I come to any successful conclusions, to allow for the unreliability of the test.
In terms of the SPL meter, do you think something simple like this would be sufficient? I think it should definitely be digital.
I'll be using HD650's, a possibly also T1's, in case that's useful information for anyone.
I hope this is of some interest, and people may be able to help. If this post only serves to remind people to check how loud their volume levels are, I'll have achieved something. Being a bit of a hypochondriac and a worrier, I'm terrified of losing my hearing!
After some mild, temporary tinnitus lying in bed the other night, I've been thinking about safe volume levels. I've recently jumped into the audiophile world - I've never used a headphone amp and any decent cans properly before this week - and I want to be really sure that I won't be doing any harm to my hearing, in the long-term. I'm aware that volume levels are subjective, and all of the numbers thrown around don't seem consistent (although a benchmark figure seems to be anything over 80/85db is harmful).
I'm planning on doing some actual measuring, so I can see for myself. Then, I'm going to put a sticker on my amp's volume to remind me of the level that I should never exceed. I'll be making sure I keep the volume level of my laptop the same at all times obviously, to make this level consistent.
So, what should I use and how should I go about doing it? I've read a few old posts about using cardboard and a SPL meter, but I can't really make sense of how they went about doing it. I think I'd need to recreate the situation of my ears being within the headphones, taking a measurement from approximately where my ear canal would be, and creating a seal to mimic that of the headphone cushions, etc. Obviously, whichever way this is done will not be exact; I'll be taking the volume level down further after I come to any successful conclusions, to allow for the unreliability of the test.
In terms of the SPL meter, do you think something simple like this would be sufficient? I think it should definitely be digital.
I'll be using HD650's, a possibly also T1's, in case that's useful information for anyone.
I hope this is of some interest, and people may be able to help. If this post only serves to remind people to check how loud their volume levels are, I'll have achieved something. Being a bit of a hypochondriac and a worrier, I'm terrified of losing my hearing!
