'Loud enough to be dangerous': Moviegoers, listen up to what this audiologist says about theater volumes
Movies are back!
Theatres are seeing the highest volume of people since before the pandemic. And with that, the volume of the films is also at an all-time high.
Charlie Hare is an audiologist with University Health and says it’s important to be aware of that when you head to see a show.
"That Dolby sound just absolutely goes right through you," Hare said. "That’s loud enough to be dangerous.”
We went to find out.
Our decibel meter peaked at 88.8 during previews.
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Hare notes that in a workplace, any environment above 80 decibels for eight or more hours would be required by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration to have employees wear hearing protection.
He adds that, while the number of decibels rising may not seem like much, it adds up.
“Decibel level is logarithmic, so every 10 DB increase is a tenfold increase in loudness," Hare said.
His advice: Make earplugs just as important as popcorn when you face the silver screen.
“I don’t think it will take away from your enjoyment of the movie and you’ll still be able to hear the dialogue and you’ll be able to be certain you aren’t putting yourself or your kids’ hearing at risk," Hare said.
