Keep Listening | What Are Safe Decibels? — Hearing Health Foundation (2024)

FAQs

Keep Listening | What Are Safe Decibels? — Hearing Health Foundation? ›

Sounds at or below 70 dB are considered safe for our hearing.

You can listen to sounds at 70 dBA or lower for as long as you want. Sounds at 85 dBA can lead to hearing loss if you listen to them for more than 8 hours at a time. Sounds over 85 dBa can damage your hearing faster. The safe listening time is cut in half for every 3-dB rise in noise levels over 85 dBA.

The safe limit of sound for our ears is from 0 to 80 dB.

Safe-Listening Tips

Follow the “60:60 rule.” Listen at 60 percent of the maximum volume for no more than 60 minutes a day. If the device has a “smart volume” feature, use it. This feature helps regulate the volume. Keep the volume low, even in noisy situations.

Sounds at or below 70 A-weighted decibels (dBA), even after long exposure, are unlikely to cause hearing loss. However, long or repeated exposure to sounds at or above 85 dBA can cause hearing loss. The louder the sound, the shorter the amount of time it takes for NIHL to happen.

Sounds at or below 70 A-weighted decibels (dBA) are generally safe. Long or repeated exposure to sounds at or above 85 dBA can cause hearing loss. Here are some decibel ratings for common sounds: Normal conversation: 60-70 dBA.

Experts recommend keeping sound levels at somewhere between 60 and 85 decibels to minimize the damage your ears are exposed to. If you are listening to music at around 100 decibels, restrict your usage to within 15 mins.

0dB: the quietest sound a healthy human ear can hear. 40dB: a quiet library. 60dB: ordinary spoken conversation. 85dB: a food blender.

Normal conversation: 60 decibels. Busy street: 75 – 85 decibels. Underground train station: 90 decibels. Lawn mower: 94 decibels.

For residential environments, the accepted decibel level is lower. Any noise exceeding 70 dB is considered disturbing. Residential limits usually start at 60 or 55 dB (the equivalent noise of a regular vacuum cleaner). Time limits usually apply after 10 pm and until 7 am.

Why do experts recommend the 60-60 rule? ›

The '60:60 rule' suggests listening to music or audio at no more than 60% of the device's maximum volume for no more than 60 minutes at a time. This guideline aims to reduce the risk of NIHL by limiting both the intensity and duration of sound exposure.

Loud music can damage your ears before you know it, causing permanent hearing loss and tinnitus – ringing or buzzing in your ears. Make sure you know the risk, so you can look after your ears. Read our advice for listening to music safely.

Humans can detect sounds in a frequency range from about 20 Hz to 20 kHz. (Human infants can actually hear frequencies slightly higher than 20 kHz, but lose some high-frequency sensitivity as they mature; the upper limit in average adults is often closer to 15–17 kHz.)

Depending on the caliber of the firearm, most gunshots will register around 150-170 dB. At these levels, hearing damage can occur quickly. It's also worth pointing out the proximity to our ears when shooting. Shouldering up against a shotgun or rifle places these ultra-loud noises very close to our ears.

If you are unable to detect sounds quieter than 90dB HL (decibels Hearing Level), it is considered a profound hearing loss for those frequencies. If the average of the frequencies at 500Hz, 1000Hz, and 2000Hz is 90dB or higher, the person is considered deaf.

Since then, researchers have explored various applications of this scale, including assessing the loudness of human screams. A typical scream can reach levels between 80 to 120 decibels, which is equivalent to the noise produced by a chainsaw or a thunderclap.

The higher the level of sound and longer the duration, the greater the risk of hearing loss. For example, you can safely listen to a sound level of 80dB for up to 40 hours a week. If the sound level is 90dB, the safe listening time reduces to four hours per week.

Sounds at or below 70 dB are considered safe for our hearing. That's the sound of a normal conversation between two people.

80 – 85 dB: An air conditioner, heavy traffic, and a lawnmower are at this level of sound. This level of sound will normally become damaging after two hours of exposure. 90 – 95 dB: A motorcycle is a good illustration of this sound level. 50 minutes is enough to be unsafe at this level of sound.