He's talking straight SPL here... whether it's a jackhammer, music, or engine, it's the same scale.

Seabear, I'm with you. At some point at those higher levels - my ears, at least, "lose fidelity" - above about 90 dB SPL, the line begins to blur between detailed HT speakers and horn-loaded bar speakers... all the additional vibration of the various parts of your head cavity... the overloading of the cochlea - becomes like doing wine tasting in a room full of methane.

Bren R.