Decibel Sound Pressure Level Examples
Typical Sounds Typical Music SPL, dB Amplifier power (watts/channel) required to produce this level in a listening room with loudspeakers of various sensitivities:
Chest wall vibrates, choking, giddiness   150 Very low efficiency: small acoust. susp. systems;
84 dB/watt  		 Low efficiency: typical acoust. susp. systems;
87 dB/watt  		 Medium efficiency: smaller vented systems;
91 dB/watt  		 High efficiency: large vented systems;
95 dB/watt  		 Professional sound reinf. equip, typ. all horn;
102 dB/watt 
   
Jet taking off, 25 meters   140
Threshold of pain    
Artillery, 100 yards Cannon (peaks) 130 39,500. 20,000. 7,900. 3,160. 630.
Pneumatic chipper     12,500. 6,300. 2,500. 1,000. 200.
Riveter, nearby   120 3,950. 2,000. 790. 320. 63.
Loud car horn, nearby Very loud rock (peaks)   1,250. 630. 250. 100. 20.
  V. loud classical (peaks) 110 395. 200. 79. 32. 6.3
      125. 63. 25. 10. 2.0
Inside N.Y. subway Very loud classical (avg.) 100 39.5 20. 7.9 3.2 0.63
  Loud classical music   12.5 6.3 2.5 1.0 0.2
Heavy truck   90 3.9 2.0 0.79 0.32 0.06
Inside motor bus Moderately loud classical   1.25 0.63 0.25 0.1 0.02
Noisy traffic, corner   80          
Noisy office Soft popular music   0.125 0.063 0.025 0.01 0.002
    70          
Business office Soft classical music   0.012 0.0063 0.0025 0.001 0.0002
Conversational speech   60          
               
Private office Very soft music 50 0.0004 0.0002 0.00008 0.00003 0.000006
Bkground noise, city home              
    40          
Background noise, suburb              
Library   30          
Background, country night              
Whisper, leaves rustling   20          
Good recording studio              
    10          
      Valid HTML 4.01 Original Chart: 1985 - R. A. Booty
 HTML Table: 12/18/2003 - R. A. B.
Threshold of hearing   0

Last tinkered with January 10, 2005 - R. A. Booty     [Return to Bob's Audio Index]