What do you keep your volume setting at?
Jun 2, 2010 at 8:42 PM Thread Starter Post #1 of 4

Zafsk

Head-Fier
Joined
Jul 9, 2009
Posts
66
Likes
10
On your amp, where do you keep your volume at. I just got my Audio GD C-2, and with gain, I keep mine at like a 7 (it's not notched, so I'm guessing). It's plenty loud, but a friend of mine told me that if I'm above 50%, my ears should bleed. I'm not getting the feeling that its that loud, also there's the significant lack of pain. I've got a pair of K702s, by the way.
 
Is this normal?
 
Jun 2, 2010 at 9:05 PM Post #2 of 4
Just borrow or buy an SPL meter (the Radio Shack unit is cheap and fairly accurate) and use it to measure the levels you listen at. Anything below 80-85db IIRC is ok for long term listening. Just google safe SPL levels (and the time periods recommended for each level).
 
The only reliable way to accurately measure SPL is with a meter but the 702's can be hungry beasts vs say the 650's. That being said the vol pot setting (7 o'clock) seems quite low so you should be alright.  A good way to gauge what is safe/not safe (briefly) is to observe any after effects once you've shut off the music, any ringing, buzzing, hissing is a sign of hearing damage (that may only be temporary). This kind of repeated exposure is what causes the permanent damage down the road, a single incident however will not permanently damage your hearing. Cumulative exposure to high levels over prolonged periods is what does the permanent damage.
 
Pain is bad sign obviously but you'd have to have it so loud that it would be easy to know the difference. Part of the reason for an amp having seemingly scads of extra power (on tap) is to make sure the amp has enough clean headroom to recreate instantaneous transients peaks without inducing compression (or producing excessive distortion during those peaks). Short bursts of such peaks above 95db are relatively harmless ( a millisecond or so) since it's sustained high SPL's levels that damage hearing. Sensible levels in conjunction with known safe limits over a measured time period should be observed and respected if you want to keep your hearing in tip top shape (as much as can be saved from the ravages of time/age).
 
Make sure you familiarize yourself with those suggested levels/time periods and get yourself an SPL meter to make sure (or borrow one).
 
Hope that helped answer all your questions....
 
Peete.
 
Jun 3, 2010 at 12:22 AM Post #3 of 4
i run Monster Turbine Pro Golds through an ibasso T3 at level 4-6. When I take my headphones out people often think I'm crazy for keeping my phones so loud. But that's how I like it! I'm on public transportation a lot and want to hear all the details in the music. No pain. But I often wonder the same thing if I keeping them too loud and am hurting my ears. I may never know! 
 
Jun 3, 2010 at 3:04 AM Post #4 of 4
You can't compare positions on volume knobs, there are too many variables in the chain - your headphone's efficiency, the amplifier's gain, (the line signal level - not sure about this one, is there a standard here?) etc... Get a sound meter. 
 

Users who are viewing this thread

Back
Top