Preferred Volume level

[Danny Ocean]

25-50. Dezibel that is.
I'm sorry, I'm a geek. I can't talk about volume using only a subjective-based 1-100 system.

50db is actually pretty damn loud man...

Oh well, depending on what I need to do. If I'm sitting at the computer of course I'm going to turn it down, but I use this thing as a regular TV too and you wouldn't believe how quiet some shows are. I have to crank the volume up to around 2/3 to be able to understand BBC properly.

So you just can't ever possibly use a subjective system 1-100 to rank volume, but it's okay to use a completely subjective and anecdotal volume bar? It's also fine to use what's basically a subjective deciBel measurement?

You made me smile. Thanks.

So, for comparison purposes, 30 dB would be like a whisper in a quiet library. Normal talking coversation would be around 60-70 dB. A motorcycle would be about 100 dB. Standing a few feet away from a screaming jet engine would be about 140 dB and would be distinctly painful. Or standing in an indoor gun range without ear muffs. As you get above that, you start running into permanent hearing damage.

There is no sound on earth that measures over 200 dB.

 

[RamirezDoEverything]

People around? 20-30
Home Alone? 60

 

[mayney93]

Over 9000! sorry had to

usually about the 10 mark

 

[Vykrel]

about 20-30, usually...

but when im playing the campaign to a new video game, i double it.

 

[Arkhangelsk]

People around? 20-30
Home Alone? 60

Around this seems right.

 

[teqrevisited]

About 40db for the tv, normal office / classroom etc noise level.

I usually crank music to the highest possible volume, even though I know I shouldn't because I've been subjected to all the H&S presentations in the set(RIDDOR, COSHH etc).

 

[Sigmund Av Volsung]

1-0-0, Boy!
I like to hear my s*** loud and clear!
(Computer volume level)

 

[Phlakes]

It depends on what I'm playing. If it's an FPS campaign, I like it to be pretty loud, but with multiplayer and less cinematic games I like it at regular levels. Unless it has good music. Then it gets really loud.

 

[Quaxar]

25-50. Dezibel that is.
I'm sorry, I'm a geek. I can't talk about volume using only a subjective-based 1-100 system.

50db is actually pretty damn loud man...

Oh well, depending on what I need to do. If I'm sitting at the computer of course I'm going to turn it down, but I use this thing as a regular TV too and you wouldn't believe how quiet some shows are. I have to crank the volume up to around 2/3 to be able to understand BBC properly.

So you just can't ever possibly use a subjective system 1-100 to rank volume, but it's okay to use a completely subjective and anecdotal volume bar? It's also fine to use what's basically a subjective deciBel measurement?

Well, the sound reception may be subjective so or so but at least the decibel scala got some decent volume comparisons.
Now with a 1-100... where would it end? Is 100 the loudest sound possible in our atmosphere at optimum conditions (somewhere around 195.000 db if I remember correctly)? Is it the pain treshold? Is it the highest setting on my speakers?
I guess the latter makes sense, but mine don't possess any sort of scala I could refer to and anyway they are not exactly standardized.

So yes, I do prefer the somewhat-scientific system if given the choice. Just sayin'.

 

[thublihnk]

There is absolutely nothing scientific about anything you guys are talking about. Actually, the 1-100 scale is probably more universal as it's just 'how loud, on the scale from quietest to loudest, do you keep your speakers', as opposed to dB-SPL ratings which no one on the Escapist has the equipment to measure in their home.

OT EDIT: I crank pretty much everything, but I keep things at a reasonable volume if other people are around, mostly because I don't want other people to hear something horrible come out of my speakers, like if I'm listening to Walking the Room.

 

[zidine100]

100 if im listening to music

varys on games, if theve got a good ost then 100, or if i really need to know in advance about my enemies positions via sound (or at least if there close), else 5 - 50 depending on the content of the game, you try and play a fighting game with all the moans without getting some strange questions from people outside of your room.

 

[TomLikesGuitar]

Haha there's an engineering joke about unit-less degrees of sound. "I can build you a speaker that goes all the way to 11!" Anyways...I prefer it on the softer side so I can hear people around me still.

Bollocks to engineers, I claim it was invented by This Is Spinal Tap.

I second this claim.

 

[The DSM]

11.

Out of 20.

I like to hear whats going on around me, people walking in tot he room when im playing Frank Klepacki loud startles me.

 

[DoctorWhat]

I don't know really. If I'm using my shitty laptop speakers, around about 80% if I'm not doing anything sound-related; about 60 if I am.

If I plug in my headphones though, it goes WAAAY down to about 15/20.

My iPod on the other hand, with some really nice, noise cancelling, over-ear headphones usually goes to between 80 and 100. Beautiful

 

[The Random One]

What a weird question. Volume is not always the same. In fact, my TV set also works as a computer monitor (with speakers), and a comfortable volume for me when using the computer is around 15, but for me to hear anything when playing the videogame it has to be at least 25. On the same device.

 

[Plurralbles]

hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

Whatever I need to hear.