Loudness

Loudness is the level of a sound as perceived by a listener. Our lives are increasingly becoming more dominated by human-made sounds around us, and the loudness of such sounds becomes important when they interfere with the ability to [Page 1121]comprehend speech, or to focus on listening to music or other wanted sounds, or to sleep or relax. Exposure to loud sounds can cause permanent hearing damage, which only manifests itself as an issue in future years when one needs a hearing aid earlier than the average population. Music is often listened to at high levels using electronic amplification via earphones or in music and dance venues when sound levels can easily be made sufficient to cause hearing damage. There is increased knowledge about the ...