listening volume?


I am curious to know at what volume you listen to music.  I use a free NIOSH app on phone and was listening to pop rock and jazz at 68-72dB(A).  I enjoy most music at a bit higher level if I am really focusing on the music but then the TV downstairs would be cranked up.  Background level is low 30s

balthazarjw

I listen to 60 -75 dB average with a threshold of up to 80 dB at peaks.That area of listening is tinnitus friendlier for me and doesn’t leave my ears buzzing out of control after a few hours of a music session.

 

Max volume peaks are 72db usually classical symphonies. Most music peaks are 68db. So mostly 60-70db. I sit close about 8’ from speakers. Any louder brings everything to close and shortens depth. Volume is like focusing a telephoto lens. 

One item not discussed so far is whether the numbers people have mentioned above are "A" weighted or "C" weighted. "A" weighting mimics human hearing, which doesn't have a flat frequency response (lows and highs do not sound as loud as the midrange frequencies). "C" weighting is flat. This means when you are using a sound level meter to check full-range sound, the "C" weighting will give a much higher number than the same sound measured with "A" weighting. OSHA standards are based on "A" weighting. 

I have traditionally measured my volume using the "C" scale. For full-range music this can give a dB number that is 10 or more higher than the "A" scale.  My sound level meter lets me switch between "A" and "C" while my phone app doesn't indicate which it uses, but when compared to my meter the phone app appears to use a "C" scale.  Note that may vary with which app is used. 

This means that the 85 dB figure I mentioned may only show as 75 dB or less on the "A" scale when playing music with a lot of bass and high frequencies. As such, this is an important detail when looking at dB numbers.