It is no secret that prolonged exposure to loud sound is highly damaging to our hearing. Listening to loud music is one of the common factors leading to degraded hearing ability and tinnitus, and is deeply unhealthy.
At the same time, such level of noise negatively impacts the quality of sound perception, which degrades the musical side of the musical performance.
In what seems to be the echoes of the so-called “loudness war”, bands still stick to the idea that “the louder you blast it - the better”. But it’s not true. There are many other ways to energize the crowd without causing them sound damage, and I’d love to see more of those, instead of them trying to be the loudest ever.
“The motorcycles I can hear are loud, so all of them must be loud!”
Motorcycles are disproportionately more likely to be the source of loud, annoying engine noises, even though there are more cars than motorbikes. Loud cars are very rare, and are still quieter than any motorcycle.
They are not very rare, loud cars, that is. Harleys… maybe… but that’s a story on it’s own.
Actually, I’m now quite convinced you have profound hearing loss. If the ONLY big noise you hear day to day, is motorcycle engines, I think you’re missing a lot of the soundscape. I’d be willing to bet you have some real loss in the high and midranges. Get it checked out, if that’s the case, you’re going to need to protect what you have left.
I hear all sounds just fine, unless they are covered by the extremely loud sound of a motorcycle.
Typical biker. Never at fault. I’m not loud, it’s your hearing that’s bad! Nevermind the fact that you don’t need any hearing aid and can hear people talking at a regular volume just fine.
Loud cars are rare. Cities are loud because there are lots of them, but individual cars are not loud. A bike is as loud as a dozen cars revving their engine.