Dangerous Horn Speaker SPLs: How Best to Protect Your Hearing?

[ajant]

My biggest safety concern with horn speakers and super tweeters is protecting against unexpected peaks in program material. My room is 20 ft x 11 ft-then across a 4 ft wide hallway and into a 9 ft x 8 kitchen. A triangular ceiling that peaks at 11 ft is above everything. I plan to sit 11 ft from speakers with mid horn/driver and tweeter like these, but minus the back loaded horn. https://josephcrowe.com/products/speaker-system-no-2095

These woofers playing down to ~ 55Hz.

 

[Another Johnson]

The obvious answer to your question is to play your program at lower volume until you understand where it is loudest. Then set your volume level so that is low enough to mitigate your safety concerns at that point.

Or, you could wear 30dBA noise suppression ear muffs … but what’s the point?

 

[Zeotrope]

Assume +20dB program peaks. Set the average SPL at the listening position to ~75dB, or whatever you are comfortable with.

 

[microstrip]

Assume +20dB program peaks. Set the average SPL at the listening position to ~75dB, or whatever you are comfortable with.

IMO listening SPL assessment depends a lot on type of music and recording.

The only way of providing reliable and useful information is telling with the X recording set peak level at time Y at Z level. Than we can reproduce and check poster intentions.

I have CD recordings with such calibration made when the recording was being carried. The advised realistic level is louder than I commonly listen.

 

[Robh3606]

How about turn it down? Unless you have heard the music it's always a guess for what's coming. I have been using "dangerous horn speakers" for over 20 years never once had a cover your ears issue with "excessive SPL".

You can address this using a loudspeaker management system, or a stand alone limiter you can preset. Can't imagine the need in a home system.

Rob

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/759277-REG/rolls_sl33b_stereo_program_limiter.html/?ap=y&ap=y&smp=y&smp=y&store=420&smpm=ba_f2_lar&lsft=BI%3A514&gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAiAiaC-BhBEEiwAjY99qKuq-b29E12cS7qDaOrE3b8J9LLBs3YE8xVN8WtfmL93pWf05i6JxBoCFjIQAvD_BwE