Hey guys, just got my sennheriser and I love them. They sound great and are so comfortable!!!!

I've noticed something though, I can put my volume at above-than-average (as opposed to my older, cheaper headphones) and although it doesnt feel as loud, it still sounds great. I dont want to damage my ears, the music still sounds great (as opposed to the staticy sound you get with cheaper ones), but how would I know what's safe?

Like I said, I'm just trying to avoid long-term damage

thanks

[alexs2]

It depends on a variety of factors such as maximum SPL,sustained SPL and duration of exposure.

In general,it is accepted that the maximum sustained level of not more than 85dB over 8 hours should be satisfactory,although as the SPL rises to 91dB,this falls to only 2 hours.

If you regularly listen to music at concert levels or similar,then you may expect damage over time.

Levels is excess of 120dB may cause pain(!) and immediate hearing loss,which can be permanent.

[cribeiro]

Hello Razzer,

which headphones do you have? You can find out what safe SPL levels are with an SPL meter:

1. with "big cans" (i.e., circumaural, and some supraaural ones), you can attach it with some cardboard simulating your head and ear.

2. with in ear ones, you can use this method
http://www.head-fi.org/forums/f4/met...2-3-db-182346/

By comparison, you can find out roughly using this list (DECIBEL INTENSITIES taken from Encarta 2005):

0-Threshold of hearing
10-rustle of leaves, a quiet whisper
20-average whisper
20-50-quiet conversation
40-45-hotel, theater between performances
50-65-loud conversation
65-70-traffic on a busy street
65-90-train
75-80-factory noise( light/medium work)
90-heavy traffic
90-100-thunder
110-140-jet aircraft at takeoff
130-threshold of pain
140-190-space rocket on takeoff

And follow alexs2's post.

I must say that 85dB is pretty loud, and I almost never go beyond that mark.

THANKS for the replies everyone!!!!!

Originally Posted by cribeiro

Hello Razzer,

which headphones do you have? You can find out what safe SPL levels are with an SPL meter:

1. with "big cans" (i.e., circumaural, and some supraaural ones), you can attach it with some cardboard simulating your head and ear.

2. with in ear ones, you can use this method
http://www.head-fi.org/forums/f4/met...2-3-db-182346/

By comparison, you can find out roughly using this list (DECIBEL INTENSITIES taken from Encarta 2005):

0-Threshold of hearing
10-rustle of leaves, a quiet whisper
20-average whisper
20-50-quiet conversation
40-45-hotel, theater between performances
50-65-loud conversation
65-70-traffic on a busy street
65-90-train
75-80-factory noise( light/medium work)
90-heavy traffic
90-100-thunder
110-140-jet aircraft at takeoff
130-threshold of pain
140-190-space rocket on takeoff

And follow alexs2's post.

I must say that 85dB is pretty loud, and I almost never go beyond that mark.

I have the Sennheiser HD555's

[NicolasB]

When you take the 'phones off, if you notice even the slightest lack of sensitivity or precision in your ears after a listening session as compared with before, then you have it turned up too loud. And if you find you have to turn the volume up higher as you go along, that means you had it too loud to begin with.

It's disconcertingly easy to damage your ears with headphones as they don't provide most of the secondary clues to volume that normal sounds do: you can't feel the bass in your gut, or judge to what extent other sounds are masked by the loud sound, as external sounds tend to be screened out anyway.

As someone who is partially deaf I am all too well aware of just how precious hearing is; sadly, I think most people don't realise until after they lose it.