Need help figuring out if i'm going deaf or my schiit stack has a problem

[Tephnos]

You could use an SPL app on a smartphone to get some idea of what dB your headphones are reaching. Whether that would be any less accurate than a cheap SPL meter, I don't know.

A friend of mine loves loud volume when he uses his headphones (Sennheiser HD25); far greater than anything I can stand.

He reckons he has wrecked his hearing though from many years DJ'ing in a nightclub.

Smartphone apps only tend to really work well when calibrated against an actual meter for reference.

 

[mp260767]

Smartphone apps only tend to really work well when calibrated against an actual meter for reference.

i was only looking for a rough idea, as a comparison my living room with no tv or music on registered 30db.

 

[Marsman]

Makes sense that it would need to be calibrated in order to be accurate.

I suppose that shows why comparing to anyone else's setup, even with the same headphones, DAC and amp, would kind of meaningless; there is likely to be too much of a variance in ambient reading.

In a quiet room mine reads 47dB; a fair bit of difference.

Calibrating so ambient is 0dB, would likely give a close enough reading to compare with other people.

 

[Mick-1965]

As above you need to calibrate, but to a known source, for example my vacuum cleaner manufacture specs says its 87 Db.
I had to adjust my app to plus 11Db for it to read this.
Even this is not very accurate but Good enough for a rough idea.

 

[Tephnos]

Honestly, for anyone serious about audio, it's like 15 quid for an SPL meter on eBay. It'll go a long way for allowing you to turn your volume up to as high as safe limits allow (~75dB for 24/7 safe listening, for example).

3 o'clock at 78dB definitely seems like a whack meter, cause that's loud, but not *loud*. Which you'd expect from a decent amp.