The high volume warning is confusing

[AC Question]

i used to own a garbage pair of headsets whete i would have the volume just under the warning line. Now i have a new pair that has a maximum of 99 desibles (the other had like 200) and now i find myself going to nots over the warning line. Are my ears ruined or is it different between headphones?

 

[chanchan05]

Well you could get an audiometry scan at a hospital to see if your ears are really ruined.

Are there any difference between the headsets? Are one earbuds and the other earphones for example?

 

[Rukbat]

If you're in the US, you can get an audiometry scan at many optometrists' offices of at Sams Clubs.

The db rating on the headphones is the sensitivity of the headphones, not the audio output. The current ones will produce less sound than the old ones, but I wouldn't even count on that - the difference between 99db and 200db is enormous - sound doubles for every 3db, so that's 2X for 3db, 6X for 6db, 4X for 9db, etc. The difference in output between earbuds and a bookshelf speaker isn't 101db. 101db is a ratio of approximately 112,202.

 

[chanchan05]

If you're in the US, you can get an audiometry scan at many optometrists' offices of at Sams Clubs.

The db rating on the headphones is the sensitivity of the headphones, not the audio output. The current ones will produce less sound than the old ones, but I wouldn't even count on that - the difference between 99db and 200db is enormous - sound doubles for every 3db, so that's 2X for 3db, 6X for 6db, 4X for 9db, etc. The difference in output between earbuds and a bookshelf speaker isn't 101db. 101db is a ratio of approximately 112,202.

Optometrist? Or did you mean otolaryngologist? Seems weird that an optometrist (eyes) have audiometry scan equipment. They have the sound proof room and all?