How loud do you listen (loudspeaker users)?

[izeek]

60-70db mostly. once on awhile when everyone is at work ill hit 80ish.

 

[jasonsgur]

40-50 decibels mostly. When I was younger it was nearly 80-90. But after I've started to read more about decibels and why less noise can be healthier I decided to make the range lower.

 

[kipman725]

40 dB seems implausible as room background in a quiet room will be 30 - 40dB: https://www.iacacoustics.com/blog-full/comparative-examples-of-noise-levels.html

when outside my house the target is 90 - 100dB A weighted in the crowd (yes you should consider earplugs at gigs). Anything less then people can easily talk to each other and the bands backline will start overpowering the PA (especialy a drum kit which you can't turn down). Unweighted peaks are in excess of 120dB but this is just low bass that isn't harmful to hearing. Gigs haven't happened for almost a year here though....

 

[Frank Dernie]

I tend to try to listen to what I consider "realistic" levels, so if I am listening to the sort of folk music I usually listen to unamplified in a small club the level will be less than rock music.
A big Symphony will have a much lower average loudness than the peaks and quiet bits, if the recording is any good, so I have given a typical listening level in the "medium" bits. Peaks will be 20dB more and quiet bits 40dB less.

 

[Marmus]

I am adding an odd one. Listening in a built sound room and no one else home ( neighbors can't hear it either) I do get up to 120dB. I know. And it is measured. Starts with acoustic music (guitar etc) at low levels, move up to $stevie Ray and Santana at concert level and some wine.

In the car, this is also measured, up to 130db. Measured, flat, ok +/- 3db across 20-20k but not bad huh. Top down at 130mph no road or air noise.

At work measured to 150+dB where your organs begin to hurt. Fun right there. I keep it low past year or so. Old, hearing shot. Would not trade it for the world.

 

[JonfromCB]

67 to 72 dB ( C weighted at MLP) is comfortable and clear for me depending on the source. Amazon sources including music through my RUKU are a full 6 dB louder than either my BRD (Sony) or cable service sources so Amazon sources get cranked down a little. AC/DC, Who, Bob Segar, and Pink Floyd get cranked up a little. Am I showing my age here? lol

 

[Iamstubb]

I visited here looking for info on how much power I would need for a new amp. I have been using an SPL to figure out my preferred levels and come out to 70-74 with a highest transient peak listening to metal and rock (Deftones) at 93 on one song but everything else like old prog rock (Genesis, Yes, Pink Floyd), classical piano, and acoustic guitar rarely hitting 89. Funny I came across this thread for comparison. Based on my calculations on the Crown Audio website, don't need that much power using 3.5m distance, 90dB speaker sensitivity, 75dB listening, and 20 dB headroom. BTW I am lucky to hear over 13000Hz, which makes it entertaining to play high tones through REW to clear the kids out!

 

[rxp]

Apple have been the leaders here. With the Air Pods and iPhone you get an actual SPL value and a dosimeter. The watch even has environmental noise dosimeter.

Active listening of music I tend to do in very short periods, and YouTube live/acoustic type stuff. For those I crank it up, probably 90db average. With headphones I've always used IEM's since a teen for passive isolation and ANC since 2018. So it's pretty low there too as I was never trying to drown out the environment. Likely 75db.

For movies a couple times a week I listen always at reference volume which is unlikely to cause hearing loss. Even in super loud movies like Transformers.

 

[Moonhead]

Black Keys right now at about 55db, I thought it was louder, I tend to punish my tinnitus at times and play way louder than that.
Anyway that’s what my decibel x calculates.

 

[ZööZ]

Is there any way to get reasonably accurate estimate of my spl levels without an actual spl meter?

Apple have been the leaders here. With the Air Pods and iPhone you get an actual SPL value and a dosimeter. The watch even has environmental noise dosimeter.

And without apple products.

 

[dasdoing]

what is the reference? not all pink is same colour https://sl3zxapwn7jdkocakforzltw6e--www-ohl-to.translate.goog/about-audio/how-pink-is-pink-noise

 

[steve59]

I have some active speakers capable of 120 db and a passive pair that can reach 114 db. Some songs aggravate my tinnitus some just ring. When 'rockin' 104 db average, most rock is so compressed there's not much peak/dip in the recording. Jazz in my room sounds right about 86-92 db. Ambient noise during the day is over 60 db so my night listening is lower.

 

[dasdoing]

Ambient noise during the day is over 60 db so my night listening is lower.

I have been thinking about how ambient noise will effect prefered house curve. A room near havie traffic will have a lot of low frequencie rumble and might require a bass boost to make it audible

 

[Aerith Gainsborough]

Ambient noise during the day is over 60 db so my night listening is lower.

I have 42dB (C) and thought that was already a lot. I would go insane with 60.

 

[Honken]

Likewise, according to my watch ambient noise is around 30 db (A) here, thanks to an air filter. I find it annoying at this level.

I am currently listening to some electronic music at 60 db (A) according to my watch, I find it very loud. I wonder how much louder it would be C weighted as the bass line is pretty heavy.

 

[dasdoing]

I have 42dB (C) and thought that was already a lot. I would go insane with 60.

are you using a sound level meter? mine meassures around 42dB (C) here too, and my place is pretty quiet.

perhaps I need to calibrate mine

 

[Aerith Gainsborough]

Calibrated UMIK-1.

For all intents and purposes my room is quiet but if you live in such an environment the little sounds will get louder and louder over time. That is one reason why I cannot stand analog clocks for instance. It starts out quiet but after a few hours, the ticking is like a hammer hitting an anvil to me. Another problem are operational noises of the human body like breathing, eating or pulse. I can understand why people go nuts in anechonic chambers.

The above is one reason why you rarely see me w/o cans on my head when out and about. Cities are annoyingly noisy to me.

 

[Sgt. Ear Ache]

Ambient noise level in my apartment is less than 35dbs with the windows closed. 60db ambient noise would be pretty unpleasant...

I have a window AC unit in my Livingroom so in the summer heat with that thing running the noise level is probably higher than 60dbs. Summertime is headphone time for me ftmp.

 

[dasdoing]

Calibrated UMIK-1.

For all intents and purposes my room is quiet but if you live in such an environment the little sounds will get louder and louder over time. That is one reason why I cannot stand analog clocks for instance. It starts out quiet but after a few hours, the ticking is like a hammer hitting an anvil to me. Another problem are operational noises of the human body like breathing, eating or pulse. I can understand why people go nuts in anechonic chambers.

The above is one reason why you rarely see me w/o cans on my head when out and about. Cities are annoyingly noisy to me.

you probably have a form of adhd. I say this cause I probably do and can relate to what you said. personaly a slight constant caffeine level helps me with this

 

[Aerith Gainsborough]

you probably have a form of adhd. I say this cause I probably do and can relate to what you said. personaly a slight constant caffeine level helps me with this

Possible that I am a few can's short of a sixpack. *chuckles* Never have been diagnosed or anything.

Living alone for 14 years sure did not help matters either.