How loud is 60dB?
Is a maximum of 130dB on this microphone a problem for loud speaking?
Is my space quiet enough?
Part of the problem communicating answers to questions like these has to do with a lack of familiarity with the dBSPL scale. What it represents, and various things about it are quite a matter to articulate, but Just knowing that “really quiet” is 20dB and painfully loud is anything over 120, does seem to lock down a better picture with almost anybody in any conversation.
So here, I provide this chart.
| 195 194dB Pressure deviation of 101.325 kPa at sea level. Equivalent atmospheric pressure. 192 189 186 183 180 177 174 171 168 165 |
| 162 163dB loudest common pistols 159 160dB max surface mic for jet wings. 156 153 150-156dB Shotguns 150 147 144 141 140dB Firecrackers (2) Jet engine at 100′ (1) 139 136 135dB distortion in studio microphones 133 130 130dB Stock car races 127 124 |
| 121 120dB threshold of pain |
| 118 115 114dB 10 pascal 112 109 110dB shouting directly in your ear (2) Hearing loss possible in two minutes (2) Chain saw at 3′ (1) 106 105dB Hearing loss possible after five minutes. Power Mower (1) 103 102dB Heavy machine shops 100 100dB Damage to hearing after 15 minutes exposure 97 94 95dB Damage to hearing after 50 minutes exposure. Motorcycle (2) 91 90dB shouting conversation 88 88dB Edward’s loudest restaurant experience to date. 85 85dB Damage to hearing after 2 hours exposure. Mid sized airline takeoff in cabin. |
| 82 79 80dB Boeing 737 cabin at cruise. Speech at 1″ 76 76dB Bendy Bus interior. 73 74dB 0.1 pascal 70 70dB Insane bathroom fan. 67 64 65dB 20 feet from camping generator. Mid sized airline taxi in cabin. |
| 61 61dB normal conversation at 1 meter, Quiet rain outside 58 57dB Quiet urban outdoors. Window unit air conditioners 1m 55 55dB Quiet background music. easy talking volume. 52 |
| 49 46 45dB outside with no music and no cars 43 40 40dB Refrigerators (2) 37 |
| 34 35dB considered normal “quiet homes” 31 30dB 2nd floor urban recording space. 28 27dB Interior of silent house in quiet neighborhood at night. 25 22 19 20dB Good broadcast studios 16 13 10 07 8dB target for recording studios and concert halls 04 01 0dB threshold of hearing |
These are taken using a calibrated noise level meter or the NIOSH Sound Level Meter App,
Additional data has been added from:
1: Decibel Level Comparison Chart.
https://ehs.yale.edu/sites/default/files/files/decibel-level-chart.pdf.
Accessed 12 December 2022.
2: What Noises Cause Hearing Loss?
https://www.cdc.gov/nceh/hearing_loss/what_noises_cause_hearing_loss.html
Accessed 12 December 2022.
The NIOSH app is validated to ± 2 dBA and is within 1dB of my own meter. It’s great.
https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/noise/app.html