Is it safe to listen to ultrasonics with headphones at around -54 dB?
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Do not even think about listening to ultrasonics over head phones. Please stick to using masked.
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That’s exactly what I thought. It didnt have anything to do with
those of sub-club though, since their instructions are pretty clear.
I was stupid enough to do some pretty stupid stuff, so yeah… you can
really hurt your ears if you’re not careful.
Actually I would dimiss the usage of ultrasonics completely, since the risk
is just too high.
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Most things in life are dangerous if used irresponsibly, even puppies and kittens. Ultrasonics are like fireworks, amazing when used with common sense. But both can lead to loss of hearing if used without following directions.
The general consensus is that ultras have the potential to work better than masked, but everybody is different. SubClub started as an ultra-only company, the masked were added later by popular demand. Even now, most experimentals only come in ultra format. I know Saint listens to ultras most of the time, I wonder if the mysterious Fire ever uses masked at all.
I listen to ultras on headphones at -50 to -60dB almost the entire day, switching to masked on earbuds the rest of the time. So far I’m no more crazy than I already was. 
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The good thing is you can repair the damage you have done to your ears through epigenetics, but of course, no damage is best.
Since now I didnt have the opportunity to even test the range of … wait a minute. You listen to ultrasonics on headphones? O:
How do you know there are -50 to -60 dB?
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I follow the instructions in the general PDF that came with the product. I use it only on devices where I have visual control over the volume, usually have something audible in the foreground so I don’t accidentally raise the volume, and I recheck every so often with FrequenSee. I also use a dedicated player for my subs that I don’t mess with. As you see, lots of safeguards.
As a matter of fact, I just pushed the microphone of my S6 into the headphone speaker after my previous post and measured about -51dB. Which is identical to how I set it when I started with my current stack.
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