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Too much bass bad for Hearing?
- Thread starter 82Jimmy
- Start date
Blazer79
1/2 ton status
Hey guys, will polishing and waxing and more polishing and more waxing my Blazer cause any damage to my vision? I don't want to be disabled to read this forum!
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Ok, just to jump in on this, 120db is nothing these days. There are plenty of people out there hitting 0ver 150 db's in the competition circuit, some hitting about 170 db's(wait until Alma gets the Bronco finished....) Listening to booming bass at high levels like 150 is insane. Listening to Bass Mechanik when i only have it turned up to 130 db's begins to kill my ears. That's the price to pay for being a basshead though, glad I'm into SQ.....
Confederate9
1/2 ton status
my friend has a 4 inch lift on a 4door tahoe and has bfg a/ts and he took out his 3rd seat and set up 6 10" subs [top of the line] he has lots of $$ but anyway he has 2 amps running to it and it he turns that up 45-50% one can hear it all over campus [high school]
Confederate's w/ K5's!
'85 K5: BIG BAD AND MEAN
"DONT BE PROUD IF IT AINT LOUD!"
Confederate's w/ K5's!
'85 K5: BIG BAD AND MEAN
"DONT BE PROUD IF IT AINT LOUD!"
Ok, I didn't see anyone else touch on hertz-related hearing loss, so I'll proceed.
It all depends on what hertz (Hz) you are really pumping. At 20Hz (the practical low for a sound system - few people can actually hear below 15Hz or so), very little damage is done to your hearing because it is so low.
At 20,000Hz (20 MegaHertz), if you turn it up loud, you will get hearing loss MUCH quicker. 20MHz is the practical high for a system, few people can hear above 20 or 25 MHz.
Where do you really want to blast your system? The bass, of course, from 20Hz to about 100Hz. The higher octaves you don't want to blast because higher is treble - that sucks.
Keep your tweeters down, blast the bass, and keep the midrange comfortable - you'll be fine.
-- Mike (eh, what did you say?
I hope I didn't make that too confusing...
It all depends on what hertz (Hz) you are really pumping. At 20Hz (the practical low for a sound system - few people can actually hear below 15Hz or so), very little damage is done to your hearing because it is so low.
At 20,000Hz (20 MegaHertz), if you turn it up loud, you will get hearing loss MUCH quicker. 20MHz is the practical high for a system, few people can hear above 20 or 25 MHz.
Where do you really want to blast your system? The bass, of course, from 20Hz to about 100Hz. The higher octaves you don't want to blast because higher is treble - that sucks.
Keep your tweeters down, blast the bass, and keep the midrange comfortable - you'll be fine.
-- Mike (eh, what did you say?
I hope I didn't make that too confusing...
Blazer79
1/2 ton status
I understood you TX Mudder, but now I'm confused. My ear doctor once told me to be careful with low frequencies because those are the ones that cause damage to the ear. I asked him "what about higher frequencies, like a guitar solo?". He replied "only if they are VERY loud".
I never asked him why, but my reasoning is that the human ear is more efficient at mid-high frequencies than low frequencies. So in order to hear bass as loud as a mid frequency, you have to pump bass much louder. Now does this makes any sense? I'm not trying to contradict you, I'm just repeating what my doctor said. Any ear doctor in the house (forum) that might want to clarify this?
PS, if you want to hear your ears' effective octave range, make a search at http://www.download.com for "tone generator". Download this little program that will make your soundcard reproduce any sound frequency. Make sure you have a good set of speakers, or you'll think you're deaf.
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I never asked him why, but my reasoning is that the human ear is more efficient at mid-high frequencies than low frequencies. So in order to hear bass as loud as a mid frequency, you have to pump bass much louder. Now does this makes any sense? I'm not trying to contradict you, I'm just repeating what my doctor said. Any ear doctor in the house (forum) that might want to clarify this?
PS, if you want to hear your ears' effective octave range, make a search at http://www.download.com for "tone generator". Download this little program that will make your soundcard reproduce any sound frequency. Make sure you have a good set of speakers, or you'll think you're deaf.
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I'm not a doctor, but I have read that from several different sources. I was pretty into audio for awhile so I tried to learn a lot.
Now, the reason why high-frequency is more damaging. Hertz is the number of oscillations a wave makes in a second. The cilia in your ear (they are very small and located inside the ear - you can't see them) are like small hairs and they oscillate (move back and forth) when exposed to sound, at the same rate as the sound. So at 20 Hz (deep bass) they are moving at a relatively slow rate. Now, at 20MHz, they are moving 1000 times faster than at 20Hz, so they are more likely to literally brake off. The do not regrow or regenrate - that is a lost cilia.
Just like brain cells, you are bound to loose a few cilia in your life, but you do need to protect them somewhat.
The single-largest risk factor for hearing loss is LONG-TERM exposure to high-decibel noises, period. However, the lower the Hertz, the lower the risk.
To restate it, you are still at a higher risk by listening to loud bass-heavy music than Sister Mary who lives in the monastery and doesn't have a radio or air tools, but you are at a lower risk than someone who listens to treble-heavy music at the same decibel.
-- Mike
Now, the reason why high-frequency is more damaging. Hertz is the number of oscillations a wave makes in a second. The cilia in your ear (they are very small and located inside the ear - you can't see them) are like small hairs and they oscillate (move back and forth) when exposed to sound, at the same rate as the sound. So at 20 Hz (deep bass) they are moving at a relatively slow rate. Now, at 20MHz, they are moving 1000 times faster than at 20Hz, so they are more likely to literally brake off. The do not regrow or regenrate - that is a lost cilia.
Just like brain cells, you are bound to loose a few cilia in your life, but you do need to protect them somewhat.
The single-largest risk factor for hearing loss is LONG-TERM exposure to high-decibel noises, period. However, the lower the Hertz, the lower the risk.
To restate it, you are still at a higher risk by listening to loud bass-heavy music than Sister Mary who lives in the monastery and doesn't have a radio or air tools, but you are at a lower risk than someone who listens to treble-heavy music at the same decibel.
-- Mike
You hit the nail right on the head, TX Mudder. The second-place risk factor is exposure of any duration to high-decibel impulse noise (GUNSHOTS, huge bass hits, things of that nature), because that massive impulse of sound can snap the cilia off before they can even move and tell you you've heard something painful.
By the way, even double protection (plugs AND muffs) won't protect you from damage above about 160db. The noise level makes your entire skull resonate and causes damage. Aircraft carrier flight decks are pushing 170db or so these days, and the deck crews are still coming up with loss even though they're wearing double protection.
Semper Maintenance!
By the way, even double protection (plugs AND muffs) won't protect you from damage above about 160db. The noise level makes your entire skull resonate and causes damage. Aircraft carrier flight decks are pushing 170db or so these days, and the deck crews are still coming up with loss even though they're wearing double protection.
Gandolf
1/2 ton status
TX Mudder..."The single-largest risk factor for hearing loss is LONG-TERM exposure to high-decibel noises, period."
You condensed this entire thread into one sentence. Good Job!
'89 K5 Silverado 4" lift w/BFG 33's
You condensed this entire thread into one sentence. Good Job!
'89 K5 Silverado 4" lift w/BFG 33's
Gandolf
1/2 ton status
Huh?
'89 K5 Silverado 4" lift w/BFG 33's
'89 K5 Silverado 4" lift w/BFG 33's
MudFrog
1/2 ton status
Sooo....
I'm just wondering what a normal system would produce? Normal as in not 15- 15" Subs with 300,000 watts. Take mine for instance, I run 2 Kenwood (4 way) 6x9's with 150 watts going to each, and a 8" kicker solobaric with 300 watts going to it. So anybody got a guestimate what that might be producing? I'm just trying to compare mine to these MEGA stereo's ya'll have. I can get mine pretty loud but it's all I need.
89 K5 Silverado
http://mudfrog.coloradok5.com
I'm just wondering what a normal system would produce? Normal as in not 15- 15" Subs with 300,000 watts. Take mine for instance, I run 2 Kenwood (4 way) 6x9's with 150 watts going to each, and a 8" kicker solobaric with 300 watts going to it. So anybody got a guestimate what that might be producing? I'm just trying to compare mine to these MEGA stereo's ya'll have. I can get mine pretty loud but it's all I need.
89 K5 Silverado
http://mudfrog.coloradok5.com
