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How loud should tinnitus masking sound be?

Start low and raise it only until the sound feels comfortable and useful; you do not need to cover the tinnitus. In tinnitus retraining therapy this blend level is called the "mixing point", and in one direct comparison it worked as well as total masking — at a far lower level.

Last reviewed 22 August 2026 · Sources listed below · Not medical advice

The mixing point

Raise the sound slowly from silence. The moment it begins to blend with the tinnitus — without hiding it and without being annoying — is the mixing point. Stop there. Find My Quiet Sound starts every sound quietly and fades it in so you can stop at that point.

Why not just cover it?

Total masking is louder and more tiring, and clinicians who use tinnitus retraining therapy generally prefer a level where the sound blends with the tinnitus rather than covers it. One study found mixing-point and total-masking settings similarly effective, so the quieter setting is the sensible default. Individual experiences vary.

Safe-listening limits

The WHO-ITU safe-listening standard suggests personal audio around 80 dB or less for no more than 40 hours a week (75 dB for children). Masking sound set where it just blends is far below that; hours of loud headphone masking may not be. Device volume percentages do not map reliably to decibels — phones and headphones differ a lot — so the practical rule is: use the lowest comfortable level that gives you the experience you want, and take breaks.

Signs the level is too high

Sources

  1. Tinnitus retraining therapy: mixing point and total masking are equally effective (JAAA, 2012)
  2. WHO-ITU standard: Safe listening devices and systems
  3. American Tinnitus Association — Sound Therapy

Important: Find My Quiet Sound is designed for sound masking, relaxation and tinnitus management support. It does not diagnose, treat or cure tinnitus and is not a substitute for professional medical care. If your tinnitus is new, in one ear only, pulsing with your heartbeat, or comes with hearing loss or dizziness, see a doctor or audiologist.

Written from the sources above by the Find My Quiet Sound project; no clinician has reviewed this page. See Research & Sources and the medical disclaimer.