[tanchiro58]

Check out this link

http://www.affordablevalvecompany.com/power1.htm

What do you think?

[Gordy]

Equating amp wattage to dB's is misguided at best, a 2w amp can do as much damage as a 300w amp if your listening habits expose you to high dB's! 

I worked in fiber research winding yarns at 4-12k meters/min. for 25+ years and we were exposed to 75-110dB's for much of the time.  Most of the guys I've worked with have suffered hearing loss because hearing protection just wasn't convenient or comfortable... whatever.  I chose to wear 26dB effective headset style protection 95% of the time and my hearing still measures very good for a 55 yo    though I do record a small dip in the 6-8k Hertz in my left ear during some tests due, I believe, to childhood ear infections in that ear.  It's the dB's, not the wattage! 

[darrenyeats]

Bear in mind that it depends on how compressed a recording is.

The point of high SPL systems is to reproduce realistic transient sounds - not to play a compressed pop recording at 100db.

An *uncompressed* recording with a peak of 100db could sound a lot lot quieter, depending on what kind of instruments were being played.
Darren

[JLM]

Most of that link confused watts with dBs.  Hearing impairment (loss/pain) comes from a combination of high dBs (sound pressure levels) and exposure times.  Typically it takes a long term pattern of these exposures to cause permanent impairment, but it varies by the individual and the severity of those exposures.

Here's a thread I started a while back that discusses the simplier facts of the matter:

http://www.audiocircle.com/index.php?topic=47134.0

[Les Lammers]

Check out this link

http://www.affordablevalvecompany.com/power1.htm

What do you think?

Ask Pete Townsend. He may not be able to hear you though. It is a fact that Navy gunners and Army artillerymen suffered hearing loss in WW2.

[nathanm]

Wow, that's the first time I've seen the "conspiracy nut" style web page design applied to an audio company. 

http://www.affordablevalvecompany.com/index.html

[jneutron]

http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/docs/98-126/chap1.html

[JimJ]

It's also how you measure dB's that matters.

150dB at a specific frequency can be very different than 150dBA, for example.

I have friends that compete in car audio SPL competitions that don't wear ear protection above 150dB in the 30-60Hz range, you couldn't get me in one of those things if you tried

[jneutron]

It's also how you measure dB's that matters.

150dB at a specific frequency can be very different than 150dBA, for example.

I have friends that compete in car audio SPL competitions that don't wear ear protection above 150dB in the 30-60Hz range, you couldn't get me in one of those things if you tried

Yup.  Bet they use "C weighted".
Niosh shows the difference between the two.
http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/docs/98-126/chap4.html

John

[tanchiro58]

Take a look at this chart

http://www.gcaudio.com/resources/howtos/loudness.html

[SET Man]

Hey!

  What? 100 watts amps can damage my hearing?

  Boy! Good thing that my SET monoblocks only make about 18 watts each!

  What a strange web site I must say. 

Take care,
Buddy

[PaulFolbrecht]

Hey!

  What? 100 watts amps can damage my hearing?

  Boy! Good thing that my SET monoblocks only make about 18 watts each!

I'm really safe, since my favorite amp barely manages 2 watts!  But wait - it powers my 100 dB/W speakers (2 of them with room gain) if I care to to 95 dB+ cleanly - plenty loud enough to damage if I listen long enough.

And - the *eight* watt monster - *shudder*.

So, who exactly isn't aware that sustained loud noise can damage hearing?

What an amazingly stupid article.

[SET Man]

What an amazingly stupid article.

Hey!

  Agreed, and the opposite of this "100 Watts..." is the the Musical Fidelity's article and chart about how lower power will give you "Low Quality" sound. 

http://www.musicalfidelity.com/products/supercharger/diagnostics.html

   Hmmm... I don't see 94dB speaker and 18 watts on their chart there... I think my system sound like shit than!

   Well, I found this two companies funny and strange. I still don't get what point both of this companies try to make here.  It is just me or what? 

   And with this it is unlikely you will see me buying anything from both of them
 
Take care,
Buddy

[Brad]

Buddy,

I don't see 97db and 14 watts (soon to be 3) either.
I think this must be a conspiracy against tubes and reasonably efficient speakers 
I'd start a large protest, but I'm too busy enjoying music on my low quality system....

[SET Man]

Buddy,

I don't see 97db and 14 watts (soon to be 3) either.

Hey!

   Brad with that I got a bad news and a good news for you.

   Let's start with the good news first... since you have less than 100 watts you won't damage your hearing according to the Affordable Valve Company

   And here is the bad news... according to Musical Fidelity your system is a super duper "Low Quality" one

I'd start a large protest, but I'm too busy enjoying music on my low quality system....

   Yup, me too

Take care,
Buddy