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Here are some interesting numbers, collected from a variety of sources, that help one to understand the volume
levels of various sources and how they can affect our hearing.
Environmental Noise
Weakest sound heard
0dB
30dB
60-70dB
80dB
85dB
90dB
95dB
90 - 95dB
107dB
Snowmobile, Motorcycle
100dB
110dB
115dB
Pain begins
125dB
125dB
140dB
140dB
180dB
194dB
Sound level
90dB
92dB
95dB
97dB
100dB
1.5
102dB
105dB
.5
110dB
.25 or less
115dB
1dB
3dB
5dB
10dB
20dB
60 -70dB
70dB
75 - 85dB
Piano Fortissimo
84 - 103dB
Violin
82 - 92dB
Cello
85 -111dB
Oboe
95-112dB
Flute
92 -103dB
Piccolo
90 -106dB
Clarinet
85 - 114dB
French horn
90 - 106dB
Trombone
85 - 114dB
106dB
Walkman on 5/10
94dB
120 - 137dB
120dB
150dB
NOTES:
One-third of the total power of a 75-piece orchestra comes from the bass drum.
High frequency sounds of 2-4,000 Hz are the most damaging. The uppermost octave of the piccolo is
2,048-4,096 Hz.
Speech reception is not seriously impaired until there is about 30 dB loss; by that time severe damage may
have occurred.
The incidence of hearing loss in classical musicians has been estimated at 4-43%, in rock musicians 1330%.
Statistics for the Decibel (Loudness) Comparison Chart were taken from a study by Marshall Chasin , M.Sc.,
Aud(C), FAAA, Centre for Human Performance & Health, Ontario, Canada. There were some conflicting readings
and, in many cases, authors did not specify at what distance the readings were taken or what the musician was
actually playing. In general, when there were several readings, the higher one was chosen.
phons
dBA
sones
phons
dBA
0.1
0.2
0.3
0.4
0.5
0.6
0.7
0.8
0.9
1.0
1.1
1.2
1.3
1.4
1.5
1.6
1.7
17.9
22.8
26.2
29.0
31.4
33.5
35.3
37.0
38.6
40.0
41.4
42.6
43.8
44.9
45.9
46.9
47.7
20.5
21.5
22.5
23.5
24.4
25.3
26.3
27.2
28.2
29.2
30.2
31.1
32.0
33.0
33.5
33.9
34.4
1.8
1.9
2.0
2.1
2.2
2.3
2.4
2.5
2.6
2.7
2.8
2.9
3.0
3.1
3.2
3.3
3.4
48.5
49.3
50.0
50.7
51.4
52.0
52.6
53.2
53.8
54.3
54.9
55.4
55.9
56.3
56.8
57.2
57.7
34.8
35.3
35.8
36.4
37.0
37.5
38.0
38.4
38.8
39.3
39.8
40.2
40.6
41.1
41.5
42.0
42.5
*)http://www.google.com/search?
q=Always+wonder+what+a+manufacturer+Rane&filter=0
Note: "Set the volume of the radio double as loud or half as loud." Who does
not know, how to do this, is a normal person. Psycho-acousticians are telling
us, that it has to be 10 dB level difference. Try to cool your hot coffee to the
point "half as hot" - and think it over. Your own feeling may be much different
to other persons.
An increase from 6 dB to 10 dB is perceived by most listeners as "double"
the volume. These sensations are highly subjective, meaning that different
people will hear this in different ways, and "twice as loud" is a much harder
thing to guess than something.
The human perception of loudness is perceived differently from each subject.
In other words it is ones own perception of sound and it is subjective of sound
pressure level SPL.
How many decibels (dB) level change is double, half, or four times as
loud?
How many dB to appear twice as loud (two times)? Here are all the different
factors.
Factor means "how many times" or "how much" ... Doubling of loudness.
Level
change
+40 dB
+30 dB
+20 dB
+10 dB
+6 dB
+3 dB
- - - - 0 dB - - - 3 dB
6 dB
10 dB
20 dB
30 dB
40 dB
Log. quantity
Volume
Loudness
16
8
4
2.0 = double
1.52 times
1.23 times
- - -1.0 - - - - - - 0.816 times
0.660 times
0.5 = half
0.25
0.125
0.0625
Psycho quantity
Voltage
Sound pressure
100
31.6
10
3.16 = 10
2.0 = double
1.414 times = 2
- - - - - 1.0 - - - - - - 0.707 times
0.5 = half
0.316
0.100
0.0316
0.0100
Field quantity
Acoustic Power
Sound Intensity
10000
1000
100
10
4.0
2.0 = double
- - - - - 1.0 - - - - - 0.5 = half
0.25
0.1
0.01
0.001
0.0001
Energy quantity
dB change
Loudness multipl.
Amplitude multiplier
Power multiplier
For a 10 dB increase of the sound level we require ten times more power from the
amplifier.
This increase of the sound level means for the sound pressure a lifting of the
factor 3.16.
Loudness and volume are highly subjective. That belongs to the domain of
psychoacoustics.
Is 10 dB or 6 dB sound level change for a doubling or halving of the loudness
(volume) correct?
About the connection between sound level and loudness, there are various theories. Far
spread is still the
theory of psycho-acoustic pioneer Stanley Smith Stevens, indicating that the doubling or
halving the
sensation of loudness corresponds to a level difference of 10 dB. Recent research by
Richard M. Warren,
on the other hand leads to a level difference of 6 dB. *) This means that a double sound
pressure
corresponds to a double loudness. The psychologist John G. Neuhoff found out that for
the rising level our
hearing is more sensitive than for the declining level. For the same sound level
difference the change of
loudness from quiet to loud is stronger than from loud to quiet.
It is suggested that the sone scale of loudness reflects the influence of known
experimental biases and
hence does not represent a fundamental relation between stimulus and sensation.
*) Richard M. Warren, "Elimination of Biases in Loudness Judgments for Tones"
It follows that the determination of the volume (loudness) which is double as loud
should not
be dogmatically defined. More realistic is the claim: