Common Sources of Noise and Decibel Levels

On the decibel scale, the quietest audible sound (perceived near total silence) is 0 dB. A sound 10 times more powerful is 10 dB. A sound 100 times more powerful than near total silence is 20 dB. A sound 1,000 times more powerful than near total silence is 30 dB, 40 dB and so on.

What is sound? Humans can hear sounds between 0 and 140 decibels.

Krakatoa

It is a common part of brain function. According to some researchers, when you listen to certain binaural beats, they can increase the strength of certain brain waves. This can increase or hold back different brain functions that control thinking and feeling.

Proponents claim that listening to binaural beats can boost focus and concentration, promote relaxation, and reduce stress and anxiety. But in a study published this month, researchers concluded that “whether binaural beats have an impact on cognitive performance or other mood measurements remains to be seen”.

Although there is no evidence that people can actually get high from binaural beats, they’re alarming authorities in the Middle East. In 2012, a police scientist in the United Arab Emirates called for these audio files to be treated the same as marijuana and ecstasy.

Binaural beats are safe for most individuals to enjoy. However, there are some people who really shouldn’t listen to them, including people with the following conditions: *People who suffer from seizures, because it can increase the probability of having a seizure, due to brain wave change.

A new study from the Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital at McGill University found that listening to highly pleasurable music releases the same reward neurotransmitter — dopamine — in the brain that is associated with food, drugs and sex. …

Binaural recording is a method of recording sound that uses two microphones, arranged with the intent to create a 3-D stereo sound sensation for the listener of actually being in the room with the performers or instruments.

It allows trickery of the brain using the ears and auditory nerves, pretending to place different sounds in different 3-D locations upon hearing the sounds, even though the sounds may just be produced from just 2 speakers (dissimilar to surround sound).

An auditory illusion thought to synchronize brain waves and alter mood is no more effective than other sounds, according to research in adults recently published in eNeuro. The effect reported in other studies might be a placebo but could still have helpful effects for some people.

Spatial audio allows listeners to step out of a windowed vantage point and into an immersive, emulation of real-world sound. Then there’s “Ambisonics” that provides a sphere of sound centered around the listener. There are spatial virtualizers, technologies that project sound into a virtual acoustic space.

To listen to a demonstration of spatial audio, tap See & Hear How It Works….Turn on spatial audio

1. Go to Settings > Bluetooth.
2. Find your AirPods Pro or AirPods Max in the list (for example, “John’s AirPods”).
3. Tap the Info button next to your AirPods.
4. Turn on Spatial Audio.

Spatial sound provides an enhanced atmosphere which traditional surround sound formats cannot. With spatial sound, all your movies and games will sound better. Some games, movies, and shows can natively support spatial sound – which provides the highest level of audio immersion and location accuracy.

Dolby Atmos costs $14.99 to enable, a fee which you can pay via the Dolby Access app. Windows Sonic is free and already on board your PC if you are running Creators Update or later. There’s a 30-day free trial for Dolby Atmos so you can see (or hear, rather) which one sounds better with your setup.

Content that uses Dolby Atmos is only available on Netflix for holders of a premium account. According to Netflix, these are the compatible models (as of November 2018): ✔ LG Oled-TV (2017 model or later) ✔ Sony Bravia Android-TV (2018 model or later)

On your iPhone or iPad, go to Settings > Music, and turn on Download in Dolby Atmos.

Dolby Atmos is also available through Amazon Music HD and TIDAL subscriptions, while Deezer uses Sony’s competing version, 360 Reality Audio, for its Deezer HiFi service. Spotify doesn’t yet have a Dolby Atmos option.