[j0j081]

I just received my first pair of decent headphones, the hd555s. I'm wondering, with headphones like these what is a safe (for the headphones) listening level? So far I've been using them at about half volume which seems good but there may be the rare occasion I want to crank them up a bit. How high is too high?

 

[legcramp]

as high as your ears can handle... or until you hear distortion, which would probbaly only happen after you turn to insane volumes your ears can't handle.

 

[)v(ajin_R_]

its different with every person

some people listen to music with high volumes others keep it low, and other people change it to suit their environment, the only level of volume thats too high is what azn_plyr said which is till your ears start to hurt or are near hurting

 

[Zorander]

If your ears are ringing after the session, you know it's too loud.

 

[j0j081]

hmm okay. i was more worried about the headphones but I never listen loud enough so that my ears hurt so I guess they'll be fine.

 

[Zuglufttier]

There is actually quite a nice way to check whether you're listening too loud. Just take a favourite CD pull on your headphones and listen for twenty minutes maybe. Then after that time you will have the volume that you're usually listening to. Then just press the pause button and come back after five minutes, pull on the headphones and press play. Well, and if it's too loud then and you want to lower the volume, you were listening too loud

It works for me pretty good. But I'm a person that listens to lower volumes anyway when it comes to headphones but not so with real speakers

 

[Electro Point]

Like someone already mentioned, It is different with each person.
To me, too loud would be when my ears can't handle it anymore. Also way to loud is when my ears start hurting, ringing afterward and my hearing is reduced and cannot hear my surroundings that well for a short period of time.
Also another sign for having too high of volume is when you start hearing crackling, distortion, or any other thing in the music which is a sign that you could be damaging your drivers which is from extremely high volume.

 

[markl]

Quote:

as high as your ears can handle... or until you hear distortion, which would probbaly only happen after you turn to insane volumes your ears can't handle.

Sorry, bad advice!

You should NOT be listening as loud "as your ears can handle". It's like saying, "stay out in the sun long enough til your skin starts peeling off". Damage from high volumes is cumulative and develops over time, often long after exposure, so you can be doing damage now and pay later a la skin cancer.

In general, don't allow sound to average higher than 80-90db (which is still very very loud, I'm sure others will still say "too loud", particularly if you listen for long periods of time). Get a Radio Shack SPL meter and measure the output for yourself, so you can be sure you are within a relatively safe range.

Look at the recent poll on this site of people who have developed tinnitus. It's shockingly high, something between half and 2/3rds report some level of tinnitus. That's terrible, that's most likely *permanent* damage that will only get worse over a lifetime. Don't be one of them.

Here are OSHA's guidelines, which are a bit too liberal IMO:

8...........................| 90
6...........................| 92
4...........................| 95
3...........................| 97
2...........................| 100
1 1/2 ......................| 102
1...........................| 105
1/2 ........................| 110
1/4 or less................| 115

 

[fewtch]

Quote:

Originally Posted by markl Sorry, bad advice! You should NOT be listening as loud "as your ears can handle".

The question was regarding how much volume the *headphones* can handle (presumably before damage occurs). In that context, the reply was quite correct -- as high as your ears can handle, or until you hear distortion.

 

[Lazarus Short]

1. bleeding ears

2. ringing ears

3. a sudden inability to hear ANYTHING

4. audible distortion

5. blown drivers

6. (rarely) blown amp

7. hearing a sudden pure tone for a few seconds (it's the sound of the
death of a hair cell in the inner ear - bye bye to another frequency)

Remember that music comes and goes, but hearing loss is forever. That's why I rarely venture out in public without good earplugs...

Laz

 

[Kameleon]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lazarus Short That's why I rarely venture out in public without good earplugs...

Don't forget your tinfoil hat, either

 

[markl]

Quote:

The question was regarding how much volume the *headphones* can handle (presumably before damage occurs). In that context, the reply was quite correct -- as high as your ears can handle, or until you hear distortion.

Not relevant, IMO. One should not be listening at a headphone's maximum output level, it's always going to be higher than your ears can handle, and I don't think we should encourage that in any context. If he is playing his headphones up to the point they distort, he's just begging for hearing loss.

 

[fewtch]

.

 

[Electro Point]

Most people don't understand that listening to the most max possible volume they can is dangerous to your hearing and WILL make you deaf over a period of time at the rate they are doing it.
Some of my friends (not talking about audiophile people), acutally majority listen at extremely high volumes for an extended period of time everyday.
Now they are just begging for there ears to be deaf and only able to hear certain frequencies. They think its "cool" to blast there music at max high volumes and have no clue on what will happen to them a couple of years later.

 

[Lazarus Short]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kameleon Don't forget your tinfoil hat, either

I HOPE that was only in jest. Seriously, between various beeping gadgets, horns honking, traffic noise, phones ringing, and all the rest, modern life is noisy. I prefer to save my ears for the music.

Little rant here, I just can not help it: Here in the middle of the North American continent, there is this pickup truck subculture. Many of you will know what I mean. They're noisy, sporting:

mud 'n snow tires (tyres) which have cleats which make noise on pavement
diesel engines which make smoke, stink, and NOISE
loud exhausts - half of these trucks seem to have no mufflers at all

Tow trucks, dump trucks, and UPS trucks are right up there too.

OK, end rant.

I don't own a tinfoil hat, but chances are, some of you will be wearing hearing aids before me. Take good care of those hair cells!

Laz