Find your volume setting

Phones and computers run the hearing test at full volume. An audio interface or headphone amplifier has its own volume knob, so the test needs to know how loud your setup is. Enter your headphones’ sensitivity and impedance and pick your interface or amp, and this page estimates the level at 1 kHz for a few knob positions. You do not need a frequency-response measurement for this.

What you need

  • Headphones: sensitivity at 1 kHz (dB SPL per volt, or per milliwatt) and impedance in ohms. Both are on the spec sheet.
  • Interface or amp: maximum headphone output (dBu, dBV, Vrms or mW; for mW, the load it was measured into) and, if published, the headphone output impedance. Both are usually in the manual’s specifications page.
  • If your device is not in our list, enter the numbers yourself. Signed in, you can save them and ask us to add the device for everyone.

Using the result

  1. Choose a knob position whose estimated level is between 80 and 120 dB. 100 % is the most certain; lower positions depend on the knob’s taper.
  2. In FullScale or ARIA ONE, start the hearing test. Set the computer or phone output to maximum, set the interface or amp to the chosen position, and enter the estimated level as the test level when the app asks for it.
  3. If you have a saved headphone response, you can save the level to it here and the app will fill it in for you.

About the estimate

The estimate comes from the published specs of your headphones and your device, so it is only as good as those numbers. If a spec is missing, the estimate leans towards reporting a slightly higher level rather than a lower one.