10 dB = Twice as loud

[Brian Owens 10+ year member]

clowns aside...... a 6db increase is equal to 2x the sound pressure... And IIRC at a C weighted measurement a 10db increase is generally perceived to be 2x as loud...
And a 1db change in intensity is on the cusp of audibility... //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/wink.gif.608e3ea05f1a9f98611af0861652f8fb.gif

x2. That is correct.

 

[J31Rob 5,000+ posts]

If power doubles i.e. 100W -> 200W it increases sound level by 3db.

Lots more variables than that.. that could possibly be correct if every since variable was PERFECT.

 

[JLJunkieMX107 10+ year member]

remember that the decibel is a logarithmic unit,

meaning that you cannot add and subtract dB like ordinary numbers. For

example, an increase of 3 dB is a doubling of the "strength" of the sound,

and an increase of 10 dB means that the

sound is 10 times as loud

 

[audioholic 5,000+ posts]

The only realistic variable that will affect doubling the power not acheiving 3db is power compression. There really isn't "lots" of variables, pretty just that. //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/smile.gif.1ebc41e1811405b213edfc4622c41e27.gif

What is considered an 'audible' difference in loudness depends on how the test is performed. Someone doing a blind A/B comparison (sit in one vehicle played at certain level, then sit in another... which was louder, and by how much) versus someone doing a real-time adjustment (turning up or down your volume knob by one increment. Its much easier to hear a difference in volume when making an adjustment than when doing the A/B comparison. Generally the 3db being an audible difference refers to my A/B example. When adjusting your volume knob, your ears can perceive a MUCH smaller change in output intensity.

 

[audioholic 5,000+ posts]

remember that the decibel is a logarithmic unit, meaning that you cannot add and subtract dB like ordinary numbers. For

example, an increase of 3 dB is a doubling of the "strength" of the sound,

and an increase of 10 dB means that the

sound is 10 times as loud

10 times as yellow. Again, you guys fall back on definitions that ultimately mean nothing.

 

[JLJunkieMX107 10+ year member]

10 times as yellow. Again, you guys fall back on definitions that ultimately mean nothing.

How does that definition mean nothing? It is saying that a 3dB increase is twice the strength and a 10 dB increase is 10 times the strength?

 

[JLJunkieMX107 10+ year member]

An increase in the sound intensity by a factor of 10 does increase the

decibel rating by adding 10. However, it is perceived by the ear as less.

For example, an increase of the decibel rating from 100 to 110 would be

perceived as roughly a 10% increase and NOT a factor of 10, which would be a

1000% increase

 

[audioholic 5,000+ posts]

How does that definition mean nothing? It is saying that a 3dB increase is twice the strength and a 10 dB increase is 10 times the strength?

10x the strength how? Can you take the output from the speaker and translate it into work, and then measure that it has created double the work? Or, 10x the work?
The definition means nothing because you are attempting to correlate that 2x the input power means 2x the output intensity. That only works if everyone defines output power in this form. Unfortunately, they do not. Again, everyone is arguing definitions.

 

[93EXT 10+ year member]

mathematically, 3db is double the sound intensity
what the majority of people "perceive" as double as loud to ear is 10db

this dudes right. //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/fyi.gif.9f1f679348da7204ce960cfc74bca8e0.gif he worded it pretty well also.

 

[Brian Owens 10+ year member]

when you double power you get 3 more dB, but double power does not double excursion. It takes 4X power to double the excursion of a driver (this is in theory with a linear magnetic force). Thus 6 dB is actually doubling the mechanical sound pressure.

Do a search, the dB scale was based on 1 dB being the minimum required for the human ear to realize a change in loudness, and 10 dB "sounding" twice as loud. This is just an average, as it actually changes with different frequencies.

As far as sitting in a vehicle, as someone already stated, this also assumes reasonable volumes. When the sound gets loud enough, there are many more effects. Just like a speaker, your ear can only reproduce to a certain level. Then there are the physical effects on your body, etc. . . .The physical effect of a lower frequency at the same volume level can be perceived as louder overall by more than just the sound your ear is hearing.

Brian

 

[damonhargroves 10+ year member]

according to vance dickason 3dB is double and this can be achieved by 1. doubling power and 2. doubling cone area. you do both = 6dB increase (in theory)

 

[JLJunkieMX107 10+ year member]

the human body perceives ten times the sound-power as being only twice as loud. And 100 times the sound power is only 4 times as loud to our ears. Weird but true and actually good for us because we can hear and effectively use the extremely wide range of sound

powers that frequently exist in various times and places.

 

[UndercoverPunk 5,000+ posts]

I see you cannot argue with my statement.

 

[J31Rob 5,000+ posts]

I love when people argue w/facts.

How about you UCP?

 

[audioholic 5,000+ posts]

An increase in the sound intensity by a factor of 10 does increase thedecibel rating by adding 10. However, it is perceived by the ear as less.

For example, an increase of the decibel rating from 100 to 110 would be

perceived as roughly a 10% increase and NOT a factor of 10, which would be a

1000% increase

Going from 100db to 110db only sounds like a 10% iuncrease in output to your ears? I dont want to fall into the same trap of arguing non-substantial terms that cant be quantified, but I dont know of anyone that would consider that much of a sound increase as merely a 10% increase.
Perceived sound levels, input power levels versus output... which one is the true deciding factor in what is a 'doubling' of the sound intensity? Either one could be argued as valid, they both are. this thread is merely arguing that back and forth.