The volume is too damn high on flights • Hacker News Board

Re: The volume is too damn high on flights

#21

Post by beachstartup » Fri, Feb 06, 2015, 3:39 PM UTC

jonnathanson wrote: post #18

jaxbot wrote: post #5

I can second the author's conclusion. I fly regularly and have noticed in the last 6 months, PA systems have become much louder than usual on most flights. It's especially bad if you have headphones plugged in to the XM radio -- they don't seem to have separate volume controls for the PA speakers and hardwired headphones.

I've noticed it, too. Also, PA announcements, when heard over headphones, seem to be super-loud regardless of whether you adjust the volume on the headphones. It's as if there is some mandatory minimum volume for the announcements. I'll hazard a guess--and I might be completely wrong--that there is some sort of legal reason for this. Maybe there have been lawsuits in which people claimed not to have heard the in-flig…

legal reasons, or, they just don't give a fuck and will continue to physically hurt their customers with ultra-loud headphone announcements until it becomes so widely hated it turns into an internet meme.

Re: The volume is too damn high on flights

#22

Post by userbinator » Fri, Feb 06, 2015, 3:40 PM UTC

I've had the opposite experience - PA systems so quiet they're drowned out by the plane's noise. Perhaps he was sitting very close to one of the speakers. Given that the announcements are usually important, not continuous but made in short bursts, and that volume level (99dB) is discomforting but only harmful with prolonged exposure, I don't think it's too loud. The whole idea of an announcement is to get the attention of the passengers - including those who may be asleep. Missing an important announcement may have safety implications.

Re: The volume is too damn high on flights

#23

Post by falcolas » Fri, Feb 06, 2015, 3:41 PM UTC

SunShiranui wrote: post #8

I've always wanted to buy some good earplugs to protect my hearing from noisy environments (es. near public transport in the city). Does anyone have a product they recommend?

I use Down Beats[1] while riding a motorcycle, they work very well at eliminiating the wind noise while still letting me converse with others.

The one thing I like about them over the similar Etymotics is they don't stick out of your ear quite as much.

[1] http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00A3Z44R2/

Re: The volume is too damn high on flights

#24

Post by JshWright » Fri, Feb 06, 2015, 3:43 PM UTC

I recently flew Delta (I generally stick with American/USAir) and noticed this. On several occasions I noticed folks physically cringing and plugging their ears during PA announcements.

Re: The volume is too damn high on flights

#25

Post by wahsd » Fri, Feb 06, 2015, 3:43 PM UTC

pngat2x wrote: post #9

OSHA probably wouldn't have much to say… The peak he measured would only be outside of their guidelines if the attendants screamed for the entire LAS-SFO flight and then he hopped on a plane and immediately flew back with the same treatment. Table G-16 - Permissible Noise Exposures https://www.osha.gov/pls/oshaweb/owadisp.show_document?p_tab...

I agree, there are actually very few government agencies that can be bothered to give even half a fart about anything they are essentially charged with. Between Congressional undermining and bureaucratic incompetence, they are essentially toothless.

I see a lawsuit or a public shame campaign as far more effective. How does "United caused my child to have brain damage due to the loud PA system ... oh, and now he's autistic too"? That should work.

Re: The volume is too damn high on flights

#26

Post by sjwright » Fri, Feb 06, 2015, 3:45 PM UTC

nakedrobot2 wrote: post #7

The PA when heard over the headphones (when watching a movie, etc.) is even worse - I wouldn't be surprised if it was over 100dB. Sometimes a movie has quiet audio, or quiet moments requiring you to turn up the volume a lot. More than once I have been painfully ear-raped by the flight attendant PA system in my earphones for this reason. Just another instance of outrageously bad customer service in the airline industr…

This is why some headphones (notably the Bose QC15) have a little hi/lo switch on the connector. When using the in-flight entertainment, set it to "lo" which attenuates all incoming sound. Then you compensate by turning up the entertainment volume.

This works because most aircraft systems deliver PA announcements at a pre-set volume and isn't affected by the entertainment volume.

(The other thing I tend to do is simply disconnect my QC15 during announcements and listen (or not) to the announcement broadcast in the cabin, attenuated by the headphone's noise cancellation.)

Re: The volume is too damn high on flights

#27

Post by rottyguy » Fri, Feb 06, 2015, 3:46 PM UTC

I've always wondered why bars crank up the music so high to the extent you're yelling to convey conversation to the person next to you. One of my friends hypothesized that it was done to focus patrons on drinking and not chatter, but socializing is a big part of the bar scene...

Anyone know?

Re: The volume is too damn high on flights

#28

Post by joshuaheard » Fri, Feb 06, 2015, 3:46 PM UTC

They probably do it because no one pays attention to the announcements anymore. It's the same reason they (used to) turn up the volume on TV commercials.

Has the author tried asking the flight attendants to turn the volume down?

Re: The volume is too damn high on flights

#29

Post by MichaelGG » Fri, Feb 06, 2015, 3:48 PM UTC

SunShiranui wrote: post #8

I've always wanted to buy some good earplugs to protect my hearing from noisy environments (es. near public transport in the city). Does anyone have a product they recommend?

I get the beige "Hearos" off Amazon and they seem rather comfortable while providing a fair amount of volume reduction. They won't completely block out people being rude on flights, but they did well enough that I was able to sleep nicely for a few hours on a recent flight.

They're cheap and come in packs of 20. So I stash a handful in various places so I always have some accessible. In particular I keep a few in my essential medicine bottles since I'll have those while traveling. I find I can reuse them a few times, but if they feel off or dirty the cheapness means I don't hesitate grabbing a new pair.

Re: The volume is too damn high on flights

#30

Post by userbinator » Fri, Feb 06, 2015, 3:51 PM UTC

pngat2x wrote: post #9

OSHA probably wouldn't have much to say… The peak he measured would only be outside of their guidelines if the attendants screamed for the entire LAS-SFO flight and then he hopped on a plane and immediately flew back with the same treatment. Table G-16 - Permissible Noise Exposures https://www.osha.gov/pls/oshaweb/owadisp.show_document?p_tab...

NIOSH says 15 minutes at 100dB, which is still far longer than the combined duration of all announcements on a flight.

http://www.sengpielaudio.com/PermissibleExposureTime.htm

I think the 99dB value the author of the article measured is not arbitrary - and was chosen specifically to meet some regulations.