Is turning up speakers, really bad for your hearing?

[neonerd]

I'm curious if turning your speakers on pretty loud is really bad for your hearing. I know some things before i've heard have been myth, so I just wanted to check on this one. Also, is there a way to measure how many dB your sound system is playing at?

 

[moshquerade]

what did you say?

 

[AdamSnow]

Of course it will damage your hearing...

 

[Commish]

If you can't hear yourself think, then it's too loud.

 

[Baked]

Speakers have nothing on headphones, especially canalphones. I play my speakers at 7, with 6 being 0 dB. Get a sound meter from radioshack.

 

[mercanucaribe]

Yeah it damages your hearing. Ask some veterans. I don't understand the need for music loud enough to drown out yelling, especially at shows and concerts.

 

[Malak]

Originally posted by: mercanucaribe
Yeah it damages your hearing. Ask some veterans. I don't understand the need for music loud enough to drown out yelling, especially at shows and concerts.

Well that's why you don't sit/stand at the front of the concert. It's loud so people in the back can hear it loud and clear.

 

[ReiAyanami]

i can't imagine it being good for your hearing

 

[0roo0roo]

too much or too little is bad. ni remember reading studies where rural peeps had hearing loss. and they didn't get much loud noise at all

 

[saxophonoia]

yes it will over time

 

[EvilYoda]

yeah, you can get an SPL meter...I doubt you're putting out much really, so don't worry about it. Just don't crank it to "11" and listen to all the distortion and noise that most systems will generate.

 

[ucdbiendog]

Originally posted by: EvilYoda
yeah, you can get an SPL meter...I doubt you're putting out much really, so don't worry about it. Just don't crank it to "11" and listen to all the distortion and noise that most systems will generate.

dammit u said it first.

"when you need that extra push... that extra.. push over the cliff, where do you go? That's right, you go to eleven"

 

[Stark]

Originally posted by: ucdbiendog

Originally posted by: EvilYoda
yeah, you can get an SPL meter...I doubt you're putting out much really, so don't worry about it. Just don't crank it to "11" and listen to all the distortion and noise that most systems will generate.

dammit u said it first.

"when you need that extra push... that extra.. push over the cliff, where do you go? That's right, you go to eleven"

none more black

 

[Baked]

Originally posted by: EvilYoda
yeah, you can get an SPL meter...I doubt you're putting out much really, so don't worry about it. Just don't crank it to "11" and listen to all the distortion and noise that most systems will generate.

Only if you have BOSE speakers.

 

[SludgeFactory]

is this a serious question?

And with the exception of extreme high decibel exposures like concerts or cruising with mouth-breathers in some sort of vehicle that can be heard for blocks in all directions, heavy amounts of headphone listening is probably the most dangerous way to listen to music. Very easy to get accustomed to overly loud levels piped right into your ears and not even realize what you're doing to yourself.

 

[TheLonelyPhoenix]

Exposure to very loud noises for an extended period of time can lead to permanent damage (typically either an inability to detect soft noises or "tinnitus", a perpetual ringing in the ears which has driven people to suicide in extreme cases). But the noise has to be extremely loud for this... rock concerts go between 100-120 dB and that's about the threshold for where you start taking damage. As points of reference, a shuttle launch is about 140 dB and a normal speaking voice is maybe 60 db. A little background music won't do any harm.

 

[piroroadkill]

If you have it at silly, unreasonable levels for extended periods of time, then yes, of course it will damage your hearing.

My speakers are perfectly capable of such a feat in a medium sized room.

I once turned them up all the way, with a bunch of people in the room, and we literally could not distinguish each other SCREAMING in each other's faces.

Then the neighbours threatened call the police, so we turned it down. But hell, that was awesome.

 

[TheNinja]

Originally posted by: ucdbiendog

Originally posted by: EvilYoda
yeah, you can get an SPL meter...I doubt you're putting out much really, so don't worry about it. Just don't crank it to "11" and listen to all the distortion and noise that most systems will generate.

dammit u said it first.

"when you need that extra push... that extra.. push over the cliff, where do you go? That's right, you go to eleven"

Why don't you just make ten louder and make ten be the top number... and make that a little louder?

 

[EvilYoda]

Originally posted by: TheNinja

Originally posted by: ucdbiendog

Originally posted by: EvilYoda
yeah, you can get an SPL meter...I doubt you're putting out much really, so don't worry about it. Just don't crank it to "11" and listen to all the distortion and noise that most systems will generate.

dammit u said it first.

"when you need that extra push... that extra.. push over the cliff, where do you go? That's right, you go to eleven"

Why don't you just make ten louder and make ten be the top number... and make that a little louder?

look what I've started. I love a forum where references are instantly recognized 😀

 

[SludgeFactory]

Just to follow this up, IIRC, OSHA allows no more than 8 hrs/day of 90db exposure, and the allowable exposure time decreases as the sound intensity goes up. The factors are both time and intensity to varying degrees, and probably just as important is an individual's proclivity for sustaining hearing damage. I apparently am one of the lucky ones who's overly sensitive to noise. I had my ears fried early on in life at a show by some jackasses who were determined to blow the audience against the back wall. Being young and stupid I didn't walk out, and ever since have had noticeably worse hearing in the one ear that took the brunt of it, and now worse tinnitus in it.

 

[Hankerton]

Originally posted by: Baked

Originally posted by: EvilYoda
yeah, you can get an SPL meter...I doubt you're putting out much really, so don't worry about it. Just don't crank it to "11" and listen to all the distortion and noise that most systems will generate.

Only if you have BOSE speakers.

What are you talking about? I have a Bose 6 speaker surround setup and love it. It's not top of the line stuff, but it's pretty d@mn clear.