We have all come across that person that played music so loud through their earphones that people around them were able to decipher the lyrics being sung. If you haven’t, then you’re probably that person.
This raises the question, of how much is too much concerning the volume of your earphones to prevent self-induced hearing loss.
The World Health Organisation suggests that the optimum volume of 85 decibels is the loudest you should go to with your headphones and/or earphones in a period of 8 hours. The more you go above that threshold the less time you should spend consuming music through those devices.
For those who are reluctant to listen, pun intended, a good rule of thumb is that the people around you should not be able to hear your music.
You can usually tell if people can hear by the looks of confusion, irritation, the giggling, or the person profusely attempting to get your attention with either the gesture of them pointing to their ear and miming, “too loud”.
Headphone Volume: How much is too much?
