Curious,
Just checked and once again I find that I like to listen to music 2.0 or 2.1 at around 104-108db. Yeah I know thats bad. But where is everyone else when they are able to have their private screening without other considerations.

Mark, how far from the listening position are the speakers whenever you are listening to them at the 100+db levels?

He has them strapped on like headphones.

paced off, 5-6 feet

yeah I know, but I am already HOH

Keep in mind, I played music live for many years. Unfortunately, that led to some bad habits. Practice rig was a Marshall Lead50 through a 4x12 before there were attenuators.

OK, I just tried listening at 105 db, peek, weighting C. Umm, it is incredibly loud. My 150watt amp wasn’t clipping, but I am sure there isn’t a lot of headroom left at that level.

I may on occasion listen that loud when I am demonstrating to friends. But would probably never listen at the level for long periods of time (30 min. plus). I enjoy my hobby of HT and music listening, and it just wouldn’t be the same without being able to hear. It is cool that the M80s and my amp can perform at this level though.

Permanent hearing loss can occur at 85db constant for 8 hours. At 108 db you are getting to the volume of a chainsaw or some rock concerts.

I would also be careful to make sure you are not clipping your amp. I am going to bet most HT receivers on the market can’t sustain that level of sound (15ft away) without damaging the speakers. If you have separates, you are in better shape. For 108db I would recommend at minimum 150 watts into 4 ohms, 200 would be better.

I usually listen between 85 db and 95db, occasionally hitting 100db (depending on if the wife is home or not).

http://www.dangerousdecibels.org/hearingloss.cfm

Interesting chart halfway down the page, showing sound levels and permissable time to avaoid hearing loss. 108db is less than 4 minutes.

paul

Hearing protection is mandated by OSHA above 84 dbs for an eight hour period and double hearing protection above 104 dbs for short durations. Permanent hearing damage will occur for extended periods over 104 db (< 30 minutes). I suppose I'm trying to tell you to be careful. Hearing loss is accumulative, it only gets worse, and it can not be repaired.

I have worked in an industrial environment around rotating machinery (screaming turbines and jets) most of my adult life and am very lucky that I’ve always worn my hearing protection. I have perfect hearing to date.

So all that banter aside and knowing the effects of noise, I tend to listen to music at or around 90 db’s and movies around 85 dbs. There have been times after a few beers where I’ll push it over 100 db’s, but even when I’m drunk, I know better than to push it for too long.

I like to listen (classical and when neighboors are not there) so that full-orchestra fortissimo gives about 98-102db with range being from 55db (pianissimo) to mezzo-forte ("most frequent volume") at 85db. This corresponds to -6db on my receiver's volume. That gives a very realistic rendering, especially for chamber music.

When neighboors are in, I switch to -17db.

Interesting thread.

Well, most of the time I have other considerations, so it isn;t that loud. But at times I do tend to listen loud. Yesterday for instance. Finished work up early, and wanted to investigate why the SPL when using my SB3 (connected Coax) was a lower than other sources. Found that the server SW was attenuating the digital signal. I nulled that process, and tested.

Notable difference. Basically I took my AVR to 0db (reference) on some rock music (safer here as there tends to be a whole lot more dynamics compression, so no major peaks to worry about driving clipping as say compared to classical). What I got was the figures I posted. The db was measured at 1 meter on a RS analog meter on C Slow. My listening position was 5-6 ft. Oddly, I did not find this painful at all, but rather enjoyable - thus the post.

No audible clipping, though both tweeters do have some raspiness from some abuse from the previous lower power AVR clipping (My daughter got carried away during a party). FYI- Current AVR was playing in a 2.1 (crossed to the sub at 50Hz)with 140 WPC for the mains.

And those tweeters are why I am here on this nice board, waiting for the T Series And maybe some extra funds for an amp as well.

I have some tintinnabulation from an evil crate gx212 guitar amp, I try not to play it near as loud any more and even stuck it in the closet to make it farther away when I get excited and crank it. I do love loud rock sometimes, like yesterday after work I was drinking a rock star and trying to find the energy to go to the gym and I stuck on Judas Priest Angel of Retribution and the first song Judas Rising starts with some high guitars and then this furious drumming comes in and it really sounds righteous when its LOUD, I was a little fearful of the speakers though and my ears too and turned it down after a minute. I usually play 7 channel stereo and the mains are amped with Outlaw monoblocks which keeps my yamaha from shutting down.
I don't always play rock though, like today I was listening to Bucky and John Pizzarelli jazz guitar duets.

tintinnabulation



Bren R.

I heard Peter Jackson is going to make some tintin movies! OK... I'm done hijacking the thread...

He bought the rights some time ago.

I'm holding out for Asterix & Obelix.

pmbuko from your signature quote I was wondering if you are a sci-fi reader, if so check out this link http://worlds-apart.net/

There's actually been a couple of movies made about Astérix et Obélix (in French of course). The first one wasn't too bad, most of the cast were pretty good. I haven't seen the second one so I don't know if it's any better...