Why Is Music In Bars Played So Loud?

[Plucky]

I went for a few socials last night and I just couldn't help but notice the ear splitting volume of most places. At one point shouting was the only way to converse.

Does anybody else think its excessive?

[SlyAnimal]

Probably depends on the bar you goto I guess. I usually find the bars are fine although nightclubs/music halls are loud. But that's to be expected.

If it's too loud, guess you just need to find another bar instead :-p

[lovelomsak]

You should have been in Pattaya 20 years ago. All the bars played canned music at full volume. You couldnot even think.Each bar had a different song playing. You were literally blasted with sound. It is civilized now.

[mahtin]

[TheWalkingMan]

Some bars really go crazy with the volume to the point of it being painful to the ears. I am a firm believer of wearing earplugs while out roaming from club to club. Earplugs are usually available from a pharmacy for 80 to 100 baht.

If you have an android phone, grab an app called Android Sensor Box, I am not sure how accurate it is, but it has a sound sensor which gives a decibel reading. Take readings in various clubs and see which is the loudest. The max reading is 140db...

[bdenner]

Just the header on this post cranked my Tinnitus up!

[seasia]

A few do seem to take the volume to excessive levels.

Although I like music, I generally avoid those bars that are too loud.

[BookMan]

I agree with you OP.

The volume levels at some of the bars are incredible. In places like these it is impossible to have a decent conversation unless you are already half tanked and already at shouting level.

On the upside, if you are with your GF, and have run out of conversation, it does make life easier not having to talk.

[tinfoilhat]

what?

[tinfoilhat]

the thing about so many of the bars in Thailand is not necessarily the volume, it is the distortion.

In a club or bar with an adequately powered and well balanced sound system playing well below clip you are able to feel the music, and with little effort make yourself heard to the person next to you without shouting into their ears.

The spinal tap joke about how it goes to 11 applies. as, while the knob does turn all the way around the clock on most amps, most amplifies can only provide clean power to about half way through their throw.

This is why professional grade kit has clipping lights or meters that let you know when they are operating within their optimal range. most crap consumer gear does not.

So much of what we consider volume is actually distortion, and it causes fatigue to the ears. ironically, it also steadily destroys the speakers, resulting in, you guessed it, more distortion.

A secondary issue has to do with clubs that have a lot of djs, who have not isolated the rack. even if they have balanced the system, Djs will often muck about with the eqs in order to get the punch the DJ before them lacked. in this way the more people mess with the system, the more out of balance it becomes, until the result is unbearable. Bed Supper club in particular used to have a huge problem with this.

Edited September 16, 2012 by tinfoilhat

[phuturatica]

Maybe you're just getting old?

[smokie36]

Its so you can't hear your partner discussing how fat, old or ugly you are.

Or it could be about atmosphere....just a guess.

[damo]

Environmental Noise

Weakest sound heard 0dB Whisper Quiet Library at 6' 30dB Normal conversation at 3' 60-65dB Telephone dial tone 80dB City Traffic (inside car) 85dB Train whistle at 500', Truck Traffic 90dB Jackhammer at 50' 95dB Subway train at 200' 95dB Level at which sustained exposure may result in hearing loss 90 - 95dB Hand Drill 98dB Power mower at 3' 107dB Snowmobile, Motorcycle 100dB Power saw at 3' 110dB Sandblasting, Loud Rock Concert 115dB Pain begins 125dB Pneumatic riveter at 4' 125dB Even short term exposure can cause permanent damage - Loudest recommended exposure WITH hearing protection 140dB Jet engine at 100' 140dB 12 Gauge Shotgun Blast 165dB Death of hearing tissue 180dB Loudest sound possible 194dB

peak 150dB

Care for your ears, Bit of info for yourselves. Your ears IMO are quite weak and really need to be cared for.

Edited September 16, 2012 by damo

[watcharacters]

Environmental Noise

Weakest sound heard 0dB Whisper Quiet Library at 6' 30dB Normal conversation at 3' 60-65dB Telephone dial tone 80dB City Traffic (inside car) 85dB Train whistle at 500', Truck Traffic 90dB Jackhammer at 50' 95dB Subway train at 200' 95dB Level at which sustained exposure may result in hearing loss 90 - 95dB Hand Drill 98dB Power mower at 3' 107dB Snowmobile, Motorcycle 100dB Power saw at 3' 110dB Sandblasting, Loud Rock Concert 115dB Pain begins 125dB Pneumatic riveter at 4' 125dB Even short term exposure can cause permanent damage - Loudest recommended exposure WITH hearing protection 140dB Jet engine at 100' 140dB 12 Gauge Shotgun Blast 165dB Death of hearing tissue 180dB Loudest sound possible 194dB

peak 150dB

Care for your ears, Bit of info for yourselves. Your ears IMO are quite weak and really need to be cared for.

And that my good Sir is word to the wise. Thanks for posting it.

[damo]

According to the above chart, a loud rock concert is 115db and the permissable amount of time for your ears to hear this is actually less than 30 seconds.

[josephinebloggs]

It's the mindset i think.

The locals seem to think that the louder something is, the more prominent something is and you're more likely to " win " IE conversations, political campaigns via the trucks and bar music to name a few.

[tolsti]

Pardon?

[IMA_FARANG]

Be honest.

In those bars with really loud music playing, and often some good looking young women gyrating up on a stage....are you REALLY there to listen to the music or have a conversation with a friend?

It's the girls that brings you into those places, isn't it?

So which do you want...pretty young half-dressed girls and loud music .....or quieter music, older women, and a place where you can "hold a conversation" with a friend.

Some years ago there was a bar in Bangkok that actually advertised itself this way:

"If you don't like sexy good looking half-dressed young women, good cold beer, and pretty young women dancing on stage,,,,then please don't come here".

It was basically packed full every night.

It seems that's what a lot of young men DID like.

[Takeo]

It isnt the bars that a lot of the ex pats go, nor the ones with the girls on stage. I find it most tedious and loud when you go to a more Thai style bar where people are eating and drinking and you get the generic thai house band playing the same song from the past 5 years or so as every other bar similar to it. There it is far to loud, normally the seat furthest possible away from the stage means you can have a shout conversation with your friends, otherwise you may as well just sit and smile at each other.... or leave.

At the same time, the places are always busy if not full and the people who go there seem to be having a wonderful time, so fair play to them I guess.

[dave2]

re.

Just the header on this post cranked my Tinnitus up!

the bells the bells : (

agree with the op and ive stopped going to many bars in chiang mai

coz the musics too loud ..... and they wonder why they have no customers : (

dave2

[KTD]

Music is normal level for these type venue's. You are not supposed to go to those type bars to chat, this is what pub's are for.

[notmyself]

The volume is related to the ability of the staff to converse with customers.

[Banzai99]

I saw Ted Nugent at the Hammersmith Odeon in the 80's, now THAT was loud !

[KTD]

I saw Ted Nugent at the Hammersmith Odeon in the 80's, now THAT was loud !

Agreed, I seen him in Edmonton. Loud with the addition of shooting an arrow through a guitar!

[travelmann]

Yes ridiculously excessive.

[Semper]

I saw Ted Nugent at the Hammersmith Odeon in the 80's, now THAT was loud !

Yes, if the quality of the 'music' is not the best, just pump up the volume.

[rgs2001uk]

I saw Ted Nugent at the Hammersmith Odeon in the 80's, now THAT was loud !

Yes, if the quality of the 'music' is not the best, just pump up the volume.

Loudest concert I ever heard was The Who, quality of the music was excellent, some music just aint meant to be listened to at low volumes.

Motorhead was another killer on the old lug holes.

[geriatrickid]

Some bars really go crazy with the volume to the point of it being painful to the ears. I am a firm believer of wearing earplugs while out roaming from club to club. Earplugs are usually available from a pharmacy for 80 to 100 baht.

If you have an android phone, grab an app called Android Sensor Box, I am not sure how accurate it is, but it has a sound sensor which gives a decibel reading. Take readings in various clubs and see which is the loudest. The max reading is 140db...

I too have earplugs and even wear them in the cinema. All of my Thai friends demonstrate hearing loss. I am forever asking them to turn down the telly volume. I am not exagerating when I say, that some of these people males and females with ages ranging from 27 to 37 have hearing loss that is worse than my aged father, and he has a hearing aid now.

[mackes]

This is the same all over the world and it's related to consuming. The less you talk the more you drink, actually some bars use a very sophisticated system where the start the evening with a reasonable volume and take up it a little bit every 10 minutes so it finally in the late evening is an insane high volume where it is impossible to talk. And if you were there all the time you haven't even noticed.

[StreetCowboy]

I saw Ted Nugent at the Hammersmith Odeon in the 80's, now THAT was loud !

I went to see Motorhead the night after I saw Jimmy Somerville's band (the Communards?) and Motorhead was much easier on the ears. And the whole world observed complete silence for two days afterwards. as others have said, five thousand watts on half volume is better than a thousand watts on full volume.

There's no excuse for miking up the drums in a pub, by the way

SC