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How loud do you listen to your music?

Today I decided to take my RS SPL meter and see just how loud my system when I was listening to levels that I perceive to be pretty loud. To my surprise, the nominal SPL was only 70db with peaks going as high as 82db. I had expected the SPL reading to be much higher especially since I thought I had my system cranked up pretty loud. When I put the volume back to where I mainly listen, the SPL was only in the 50-60db range. For whatever reason, this number seemed too low but I do not really have a good sense for what decibels really mean in terms of how loud things are in the real world. Is 60db loud? Is 70db excessive?

So my question is, how loud do you normally listen to your music?
128x128tboooe
upstateaudio
246 posts
 
From the occupational standpoint, the following standards apply.

The OSHA standard for occupational noise allows for up to 90dBA for an 8 hour time period without hearing protection.

Employers are required to offer hearing protection at 85dBA. Professionally I advise employers to make protection mandatory at 85dBA.

A good rule of thumb is when you have trouble hearing a person talking to you at a normal conversational voice, you have exceeded the 85dBA.
ghosthouse's avatar
ghosthouse
3,718 posts
 
Hi Tboooe -

Paste the link below into your browser and scroll down...hoepfully you will see the table of db ratings for different things.

http://www.glenbrook.k12.il.us/GBSSCI/PHYS/CLASS/sound/u11l2b.html

This one says normal conversation is 60 db
A Vacuum cleaner is 80 db

Does your SPL have any sort of calibration function? I've been interestd in purchasing one...I take it RS = Radio Shack? What sort of $ should I expect to lay out?

Thanks,
GH
eldartford
4,262 posts
 
"Loud" means different things depending on the situation and the music. If you like in an apartment 70dB is probably loud. I live in a rural house with no houses in close proximity. If I am playing Sousa marches on the fourth of July 90dB with higher peaks is not loud.
tboooe's avatar
tboooe OP
1,009 posts
 
Thanks for the response everyone. Just answer a few of the questions: I used a Radio Shack analog SPL meter set to C weighting and "slow" response. My reasoning is that I wanted to get a decent nominal reading, as I am not so much interested in the peaks.

As for the posters who said they listen at 80-100...all I can say is that seems VERY loud to me. Maybe I have really sensitive ears, but I could not imagine being able to enjoy music at those levels.

I also agree that the volume has to be up to a certain level in order to not miss finer details.

Based on the responses so far, it seems that I may be listening at relatively low volumes compared to other people.
hiend2's avatar
hiend2
183 posts
 
On rock 105db RMS
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