We all know that loud noises can be harmful to our hearing. What we sometimes forget is how to tell if the noise is too loud.
We know that normal conversation is at about 60-70 decibels. Unless you have ADHD like me and have your wife have to repeatedly say “I’m right here not in the next room!”
There are times when we know that sound is going to exceed that level. That happens at some sporting events. It happens at concerts.
There is a good rule of thumb about how to tell if sound is too loud. You should be able to carry on a conversation in a normal voice level within four feet of others. If you have to raise your voice within that level, then background sound is too loud.
I recently toured Lincoln Center in New York City. The tour guide explained how the concert halls were constructed. He discussed the placement of the chairs. He discussed the material in the chairs. He discussed design of the ceiling and sides of the hall. It was all aimed at scientifically producing the optimal sound for listening to symphony hall concerts.
Some sound specialists recently went to a restaurant in Washington DC. They measured the sound levels. The levels were consistently above 80 decibels in the dining room.
A level of over 90 decibels can cause some hearing damage if experienced for more than 30 minutes. During happy hour the bar sound level was at 100 decibels. What was interesting was that the restaurant knew it was loud. They had even put up a sound absorbing canvas to help decrease the noise.
Restaurant noise comes from diners talking. It comes from servers talking. It comes from clanging utensils. It comes from background music. It comes from TVs showing sporting events. Restaurants with bars have more sound from the bar itself.
A side fact is that those individuals drinking alcohol may not realize how loud the sound actually is.
The takeaway is that if you are in a restaurant and you have to raise your voice to be heard, then it is too loud.
The key question to all of this is just how much do you like the food at any particular restaurant. If you like it enough to potentially damage your hearing, then you might want to stay.
However, if you are there with family and friends, that is a different story. If you cannot talk to each other without having to raise your voice, it is a problem. If there are many of you in the group and you can only hear parts of the conversation, that can be a problem.
There is likely a quieter restaurant with food just as good. You can have a better time talking to those around you in that situation.
If you are within four feet and have to raise your voice to be heard, reconsider the restaurant.