• Audio

  Sound Pressure Level – what does it mean?

  Posted by John Steventon on April 5, 2006 at 7:04 pm

  Hi everyone.

  I’m trying to explain to my boss why having a pair of headphones with a high sound pressure level is better than… not.

  Thing is, I can’t explain what it refers to. Here’s what I tell him, and why he screws his face up at me. Am I off-base with this?

  Sound pressure level is a way to measure how loud the headphones will go before they distort. As we’re DJ’ing with them, it’s especially important that your headphones can handle really loud music before they start distorting, or before the speakers start

  John Steventon replied 20 years, 1 month ago 2 Members · 4 Replies
• 4 Replies

• 

  Thaxter Clavemarlton

  April 5, 2006 at 7:17 pm

  I always like to keep my sound pressure level.

  I do it buy mostly holding my head REALLY STILL, with EACH of my ears the same distance above my shoulders.

  Then, I have my assistant, Vivian (she loves to see her name on the web, HI, VIV!) anyway, she carefully places the headphones on my ears… JUST SO (not too fast, not too tight).

  Now, I can mix with the proper “sound stage” and the audio can “breathe” and “live” because the pressure on my ears is totally LEVEL.

  I hope someday to buy a CD recorder so that I can retire my Panasonic cassette deck, once and for all (but still Viv loves my “mix tapes”, Don’t you Viv? Yes, you do!)

  So you DO need to keep your sound pressure LEVEL on your ears.

  Just tell your boss its “just BECAUSE it SOUNDS better” (that works with Viv).
• 

  John Steventon

  April 5, 2006 at 8:23 pm

  I like the sound of Viv… does she massage at the same time?

  Anyway, moving away from ear fetishism, does a “High Sound Pressure Level” just mean it can play really loud?

  Have I over-thought it in my explanation? Should I just say “Dead loud and that’s all you need to know?”

  Thanks again.

  John

  John
  Success is merely a failiure to imagine more…

  G5 2.7Ghz, 4.5Gb ram, Blackmagic Decklink/multibridge, 5.6Tb Infortrend storage, FCP Studio 5.02, Makie MCU control, Yahama 5.1 surround, JVC DTV multi-format monitor, 2x23inch Apple monitors – and a partirdge on a pear tree.
• 

  Thaxter Clavemarlton

  April 5, 2006 at 9:42 pm

  [John Steventon] “Have I over-thought it in my explanation? Should I just say “Dead loud and that’s all you need to know?””

  Yep. SPL is in headphones is likely a “spurious” spec. Don’t worry about it.

  You can buy the Sony “DJ” headphones (Sony V700DJ) for $99 – $150 and know that they will sound great in loud conditions.

  As will the Sony MDR 7506 ‘phones, a studio standard for years.

  Google for more info.
• 

  John Steventon

  April 6, 2006 at 8:17 am

  THanks for that.

  I don’t actually like the 700s. I had them for a while, but felt the bass came out like mush on them rather than a good solid thump.

  Technics RPDJ1210’s are the way to go I think.

  Thanks for your help.

  John

  John
  Success is merely a failiure to imagine more…

  G5 2.7Ghz, 4.5Gb ram, Blackmagic Decklink/multibridge, 5.6Tb Infortrend storage, FCP Studio 5.02, Makie MCU control, Yahama 5.1 surround, JVC DTV multi-format monitor, 2x23inch Apple monitors – and a partirdge on a pear tree.

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