Do headphones not get as loud as they used to or am I going deaf?

[scotter140]

I'm 29 and I remember in high school I would always listen to music on my disc-man or whatever, with cheap CVS headphones and if I accidentally turned the volume up all the way it would be WAY too loud and I'd end up quickly ripping the headphones off in a panic... Now a days the things I have to listen to music to on are an Ipod, smartphone, Macbook and even my recording interface, a Stienburg UR22, I'm always turning to turn it up louder so I can head the subtleties and background guitars and whatever, but I can never get it loud enough. I've even tried downloading apps that are supposed to allow you the raise the volume.

So is it just me or do things not output like they used....? I would think at least the interface would be able to be cranked... I know there are expensive headphones with built in amps and stuff like that, but I never used to need that so why should I need it now?

BTW, the headphones I own are AKG K52 over-ear, closed back headphones, and i have a pair of apple earbuds.

 

[CoolCat]

I'm 29 and I remember in high school I would always listen to music on my disc-man or whatever, with cheap CVS headphones and if I accidentally turned the volume up all the way it would be WAY too loud and I'd end up quickly ripping the headphones off in a panic... Now a days the things I have to listen to music to on are an Ipod, smartphone, Macbook and even my recording interface, a Stienburg UR22, I'm always turning to turn it up louder so I can head the subtleties and background guitars and whatever, but I can never get it loud enough. I've even tried downloading apps that are supposed to allow you the raise the volume.

So is it just me or do things not output like they used....? I would think at least the interface would be able to be cranked... I know there are expensive headphones with built in amps and stuff like that, but I never used to need that so why should I need it now?

BTW, the headphones I own are AKG K52 over-ear, closed back headphones, and i have a pair of apple earbuds.

theres a whole world of headphone nuts, and DAC's and headphones costing $9million dollars and $50,000 converters....

look around at dac's and headphones and theres some good stuff.

i did my own survey and found in recording, and the forums the DT880 were a good choice among several open-backs, for mixing and listening (not recording because they'll feedback with a vocal mic for example). compared to closed backs etc...got a grace headphone amp. I think the monitoring system was around $500.

*I also bought some recommended cheap china headphones that sounded about as great as the BeyerDynamic880, 2% which were like $60 instead of $300. Not built as well but sounded great. Also open backs Takstar 671.

Your volume loss is probably the ohms of your headphone or the amp.
Getting higher ohm headphones tend to make interface headphone amps produce less volume. most consumer wear is 32 ohms and you get the blast volume, 200-250ohm are much less volume and the 600's even less. I went with the 250ohm and my interface and headphone amp are fine with that. the 600 claim to be even better with bass(or clarity of bass..not loud blurr mud bass).

Its funny we call headphones as critical listening but not much thought put into it for the interfaces and the headphones usually discussed are closed backs and for tracking/mixing. From what Ive read and heard in my own tests the open-backs blow away the closed for listening and mixing.
The headphone-amps werent as huge a difference, imo, but the small extra quality was worth it for me because I was wanting to try the DAC thing. Some interface headphone amps are a better than others right?

what ohm's are your headphones and whats the headphone amp spec?

as for smartphones and all that, earbuds or whatever...I dont know the ohms they need.

 

[ecc83]

Yes, is the short answer! The Nanny State has intervened in many cases to restrict the output of things like pods and phones "for our own good". Now I certainly do not want to see a generation growing up with damaged hearing but this does smack of a control too far.

Those AKGs have a sensitivity higher than average at 110dBA/volt and a common impedance* of 32 Ohms and so should be quite easy to drive from most sources.

The situation with the UR22 is bit more complicated. An AI usually delivers a decent HP level when the signal is approaching 0dBFS but of course we should not be within 18dB of that for individual tracks! Many AIs, especially budget ones, do not have enough gain to lift a pair of tracks to a good level, especially if the sound has competition, from a drummer say. The solution is an external HP amp.

*This too is a bit complex. Most headphone amplifiers have a significant output resistance, usually to protect the output devices. Often the OPR is 100 Ohms and if you calculate the power into 24,32 and 64 Ohm cans you get 1.5, 1.8 and 2.0mW respectively. If you calculate the dB difference (I can't be arsed!) you will find it is bugger all..Nearly! SO, not only will the subjective loudness of the cans vary (a bit) with THEIR Z but also with the OPZ of the amplifiers you plug them into!

Last point. At 29 males will have lost almost everything passed about 16kHz (if they ever had it!) but you should not be conscious of any general loss. Do you have any trouble communicating with people, especially in noisy places? Do you have the telly louder than those around you deem normal? (mind you! Telly sound IS generally 'king awful with crashing incidental music. I never know where that comes from in the African scrub? Do the Zebras hire in sound systems?) If any of this rings true get your hearing checked out. PROFESSINALLY! Bloody iPhone app' ain't good enough.

Dave.

 

[andrushkiwt]

The Nanny State has intervened in many cases to restrict the output of things like pods and phones "for our own good". Now I certainly do not want to see a generation growing up with damaged hearing but this does smack of a control too far.

exactly. heck, even my cell phone gives me a warning when I raise the volume past a certain point: "listening at high volumes can cause hearing damage". So yeah, guidelines are in place now for the output levels of commonly used phones/playback systems. Things that the average consumer might damage their ear buds with.