Best listening volume for headphones
July 27, 2019 5:51 PM Subscribe
Just invested in a $500 pair of Sennheiser headphones. My instinct has always been to listen to headphones at maximum volume, but wondering if high-end headphones might be better appreciated at lower volume(s). Thoughts? Advice?
I love my old pair of Sennheisers and never listen to music at max volume on them - I mostly use them to listen to opera and other classical music, which is typically produced for softer average volume so you can experience a larger range of louds and quiets. Good headphones with high fidelity music (regardless of genre) means you can listen to it at the volume that feels comfortable for you without missing any nuance. By cranking it up you're taking out that nuance.
posted by Mizu at 6:19 PM on July 27, 2019
posted by Mizu at 6:19 PM on July 27, 2019
You’re going to permanently destroy your hearing by listening to them at max volume. I try to listen at the lowest level where I can still hear all the features of what I’m listening to. I’m in my 40’s and a fair number of my friends have hearing-aid levels of loss due to listening to headphones and concerts without considering their hearing health.
posted by quince at 6:37 PM on July 27, 2019 [21 favorites]
posted by quince at 6:37 PM on July 27, 2019 [21 favorites]
I have these and I listen at medium-high range for talking and medium-low range for most music.
posted by Ideefixe at 6:57 PM on July 27, 2019
posted by Ideefixe at 6:57 PM on July 27, 2019
Sennheisers are definitely not meant for blasting at full volume, there are much cheaper headphones that work fine for that and trust me, noise-induced tinnitus sucks.
I would say you want to listen at the softest volume where you can hear the depth of the music and get the full emotional effect. I usually start fairly low and turn it up until I can't really hear it any better, then turn it back down again. It's really hard to quantify headphone volume because every device is different, but I'd say "20% lower than your first guess"
posted by JZig at 7:04 PM on July 27, 2019 [2 favorites]
I would say you want to listen at the softest volume where you can hear the depth of the music and get the full emotional effect. I usually start fairly low and turn it up until I can't really hear it any better, then turn it back down again. It's really hard to quantify headphone volume because every device is different, but I'd say "20% lower than your first guess"
posted by JZig at 7:04 PM on July 27, 2019 [2 favorites]
Hi! I am you from the future!
I spent my 20s with my headphones cranked, and moshed 10ft from the stack. It was amazing.
I spent my 40s learning how to lip read so I could converse in noisy restaurants and bars. I can't hear shit now.
Hearing damage is cumulative. Don't be in such a hurry - you won't hear anything soon enough. I promise.
posted by Pogo_Fuzzybutt at 7:10 PM on July 27, 2019 [36 favorites]
I spent my 20s with my headphones cranked, and moshed 10ft from the stack. It was amazing.
I spent my 40s learning how to lip read so I could converse in noisy restaurants and bars. I can't hear shit now.
Hearing damage is cumulative. Don't be in such a hurry - you won't hear anything soon enough. I promise.
posted by Pogo_Fuzzybutt at 7:10 PM on July 27, 2019 [36 favorites]
I'm not really sure how to quantify what the "best" listening volume is. As others have noted, the frequency response, etc. of the headphones will be pretty flat as you run the volume up and down. Actually, the worst response, in the sense of most distortion, stress on driver circuits, etc., is probably going to be when the headphones are maxed out.
The "best" volume is going to depend on ambient noise and the dynamic range of the music.
I'd say a good rule of thumb is to use the lowest volume that lets you clearly hear and appreciate the quietest parts of the music (where "appreciate" is subjective and depends on how the music is meant to be heard and how you want to hear it). This will not only avoid the range where the headphones are likely to distort, but also work to ensure you get to appreciate the music in the future... without hearing loss.
posted by Kadin2048 at 7:53 PM on July 27, 2019 [2 favorites]
The "best" volume is going to depend on ambient noise and the dynamic range of the music.
I'd say a good rule of thumb is to use the lowest volume that lets you clearly hear and appreciate the quietest parts of the music (where "appreciate" is subjective and depends on how the music is meant to be heard and how you want to hear it). This will not only avoid the range where the headphones are likely to distort, but also work to ensure you get to appreciate the music in the future... without hearing loss.
posted by Kadin2048 at 7:53 PM on July 27, 2019 [2 favorites]
I'm not really sure how to quantify what the "best" listening volume is. As others have noted, the frequency response, etc. of the headphones will be pretty flat as you run the volume up and down.
As an aside, the Fletcher Munson Curve does mean that we perceive frequencies differently based on how loud they are.
But nthing not blasting your ears and taking care of your hearing. I have problems in that some devices won't play audio out of the headphone jack at a low enough level that I don't have to worry about damaging my hearing.
posted by Candleman at 8:00 PM on July 27, 2019 [3 favorites]
As an aside, the Fletcher Munson Curve does mean that we perceive frequencies differently based on how loud they are.
But nthing not blasting your ears and taking care of your hearing. I have problems in that some devices won't play audio out of the headphone jack at a low enough level that I don't have to worry about damaging my hearing.
posted by Candleman at 8:00 PM on July 27, 2019 [3 favorites]
Ditto on what Pogo_Fuzzybutt has above.
Enjoy the expanded frequency range; use it as an accent; as spice and seasoning to food and cooking. Blasting your ears with high end headphones will leave you with "What?" as a predominant word of not expression; but as one of absence.
posted by Afghan Stan at 9:09 PM on July 27, 2019 [1 favorite]
Enjoy the expanded frequency range; use it as an accent; as spice and seasoning to food and cooking. Blasting your ears with high end headphones will leave you with "What?" as a predominant word of not expression; but as one of absence.
posted by Afghan Stan at 9:09 PM on July 27, 2019 [1 favorite]
Similar has already been said, but I listen to anything on headphones at the minimal possible volume that lets me hear the quieter sounds. To me, it's just basic aural hygiene to make sure I can appreciate music during the impending climate apocalypse.
posted by jjray at 10:34 PM on July 27, 2019 [1 favorite]
posted by jjray at 10:34 PM on July 27, 2019 [1 favorite]
All good advice, and there are also technical answers out there in terms of frequency and Sound Pressure Level, should you desire a more scientific answer.
If you're dropping half a grand on headphones you may already know this, but I would add that what you're using to drive these matters quite a bit (unless they're wireless, in which case the amp is self-contained). The jack on a mobile phone will generally have lower output, and less control over it, than a real amplifier, and IME it's much easier to get ear-hurting levels out of the latter.
posted by aspersioncast at 6:08 AM on July 28, 2019 [1 favorite]
If you're dropping half a grand on headphones you may already know this, but I would add that what you're using to drive these matters quite a bit (unless they're wireless, in which case the amp is self-contained). The jack on a mobile phone will generally have lower output, and less control over it, than a real amplifier, and IME it's much easier to get ear-hurting levels out of the latter.
posted by aspersioncast at 6:08 AM on July 28, 2019 [1 favorite]
I've found that a while after setting the volume (speakers or headphones) at a comfortable volume, I eventually have to turn them down some more because they've become too loud. Do your ears gradually get more sensitive during a listening session if you don't start at a higher volume? I tend to think so
posted by DandyRandy at 11:27 AM on July 29, 2019 [1 favorite]
posted by DandyRandy at 11:27 AM on July 29, 2019 [1 favorite]
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Why?
Besides the fact that you can certainly damage your hearing doing that, any reasonable-quality (like, over $100) set of headphones from Sennheiser, Shure, Sony, etc etc etc are going to sound good over a fairly wide volume range.
Listen at the volume appropriate to hear whatever it is you're listening to without fatiguing your ears.
posted by soundguy99 at 6:02 PM on July 27, 2019 [17 favorites]