How loud is too loud?

[ManBearPig]

So i got a new subwoofer which has inadvertently led me to playing my movies louder. I'm just worried that I'll damage my hearing. So how loud is too loud? I guess my problem is that i turn up the volume since i want louder bass since i dont play at reference levels, but if i turn up the bass too high, it drowns out the volume.

I've heard that untreated rooms give off the impression of being louder since they are not acoustically optimal, and that even though reference levels sound loud, it isn't really when the room is treated.

Thoughts?

 

[SithSolo1]

http://www.dangerousdecibels.org/education/information-center/decibel-exposure-time-guidelines/

 

[iRONic]

"If it's too loud you're too old." - Pete Townshend

 

[kornphlake]

Good reference listed above.

depending on how sophisticated your receiver is you might be able to tune your system for more bass impact without sounding boomy or bass heavy. Bass you feel in your chest is typically 75-90hz, your room will likely resonate at a much lower frequency, if you can boost your sub in the 75-90hz range you'll feel more powerful bass without the system sounding like a ghetto fabulous Caprice on dubs.

 

[Pghpooh]

Now,,, how loud is too loud??? For almost 30 years I worked in areas where the noise was loud. And,,, I also liked to listen to my music VERY LOUD!!!! As a result of the work environment and abusing my hearing with the loud music,, I now wear hearing aids.
Do some research into the anatomy of the ear. Inside the cochlea there are millions of “little hairs” that vibrate. Sound hits the eardrum, transmitted by 3 little bones to the cochlea. Those hairs vibrate generating electrical impulses that are sent to the brain.
When the sound level gets to loud, those hairs fall off. THEY DO NOT GROW BACK!!! When that happens you will hear but will not understand what is being said. High frequencies are the first to go. Also, those little bones can be damaged.
The culprit is TOO LOUD. Not the quality of the sound. Also, in males, the hearing starts to degrade at a younger age.
Do your research on the anatomy of the ear and you will answer your own question… Protect your hearing now so you can enjoy the sounds later in life.

 

[GrumpyMan]

Yeah the world of Tinnitus really, really sucks......

 

[Number1]

Now,,, how loud is too loud??? For almost 30 years I worked in areas where the noise was loud. And,,, I also liked to listen to my music VERY LOUD!!!! As a result of the work environment and abusing my hearing with the loud music,, I now wear hearing aids.
Do some research into the anatomy of the ear. Inside the cochlea there are millions of “little hairs” that vibrate. Sound hits the eardrum, transmitted by 3 little bones to the cochlea. Those hairs vibrate generating electrical impulses that are sent to the brain.
When the sound level gets to loud, those hairs fall off. THEY DO NOT GROW BACK!!! When that happens you will hear but will not understand what is being said. High frequencies are the first to go. Also, those little bones can be damaged.
The culprit is TOO LOUD. Not the quality of the sound. Also, in males, the hearing starts to degrade at a younger age.
Do your research on the anatomy of the ear and you will answer your own question… Protect your hearing now so you can enjoy the sounds later in life.

How old are you Pghpooh?

 

[s44]

Does your receiver have Audyssey? Dynamic EQ mixes in more bass at below-reference volumes while still balancing for audibility...

 

[Pghpooh]

How old are you Pghpooh?

I am 65 and wearing haring aids for 15 plus years.

 

[Pghpooh]

Yeah the world of Tinnitus really, really sucks......

Yes it does. I am lucky that I have very little Tinnitus. I can ignore it 99% of the time. Those sudden burst of feedback and exposure to levels of over 100+ db for a few hours did the damage. Example, going to a rock concert and sitting there for three hours and on the way home wondering why my ears were ringing. Once you hear that ringing,,, you have damaged your hearing.

 

[Ronstang]

"If it's too loud you're too old." - Pete Townshend

Yeah but do your really want to go by his logic which has led to him being basically deaf?

 

[funboy6942]

Ears bleed or you find yourself saying what a lot.

 

[cmdrdredd]

It depends on the movie. Really I have a set volume I set my system to when watching any movie and I have it setup so that the quietest scene is audible but the booming explosions in a full on action movie are clear, precise, and engaging while not shaking the whole house.

 

[iRONic]

Yeah but do your really want to go by his logic which has led to him being basically deaf?

Didn't he also write "Hope I die before I get old?"

But yeah, i was just being facetious...

 

[Munky]

"If it's too loud you're too old." - Pete Townshend

Almost as dumb as "If you feel sick, you're not drunk enough"

 

[sleep]

woofers are not loud but you can sense them

just turn the sub off, and play in stereo or headphones.

 

[IronWing]

Did the cops come? Then not too loud.


Seriously though, my wife and I bring ear plugs to concerts and movie theaters as we find the sound uncomfortably loud in most theaters.

 

[rich_s]

Damage at cellular level starts at roughly 85dB SPL, not as loud as you might think. Louder levels make the damage happen faster and more permanently (especially the older you are, and with previous exposure to loud sounds & certain chemicals, drugs, etc.).

The devil of it is that we usually don't feel a thing, or notice much problem, until it gets much much louder. "Upper comfort level" for you might be 105 dB or as much as 120dB. The sound power grows exponentially - every 3dB increase is a doubling, and going from 85 to 105dB is a 100x power increase.

There is also the short-term desensitization -- 'loud' doesn't seem so 'loud' after a few minutes, further fooling us about the true effects.

Our bodies weren't designed to handle (over time) what we put them through!

Cheers,
Rich

 

[HeXen]

i used to run a jackhammer and other loud construction equipment at work for years.

 

[MagnusTheBrewer]

When I was a 'yout,' my friend had 2 Klipsch concert speakers he literally used for room dividers. The amp was labeled and taped, "Do not raise above 5." If he felt like breaking the lease, he'd turn it up and blow out the windows.

 

[Matt1970]

"If it's too loud you're too old." - Pete Townshend

From the guy who is deaf in one ear, but that is really thanks to Keith Moon blowing up his drum kit.

 

[ericlp]

The cleaner the signal I find the less you have to turn it up...