We Want You Listening for a Lifetime
Used wisely, your new sound equipment will provide a lifetime of fun and enjoyment. Since
hearing damage from loud noise is often undetectable until it is too late, this manufacturer and the
Electronic Industries Association’s Consumer Electronics Group recommend you avoid prolonged
exposure to excessive noise. This list of sound levels in included for your protection.
Decibel
Level
Example
30
Quiet library, soft whispers
40
Living room, refrigerator, bedroom away from traffic
50
Light traffic, normal conversation, quiet office
60
Air conditioner at 20 feet, sewing machine
70
Vacuum cleaner, hair dryer, noisy restaurant
80
Average city traffic, garbage disposals, alarm clock at two feet.
THE FOLLOWING NOISE CAN BE DANGEROUS UNDER CONSTANT
EXPOSURE
90
Subway, motorcycle, truck traffic, lawn mower
100
Garbage truck, chain saw, pneumatic drill
120
Rock band concert in front of speakers, thunderclap
140
Gunshot blast, plane
180
Rocket launching pad
Information courtesy of the Deafness Research Foundation.
