Loudness in Sones
Convert a loudness level in phons to a perceived sone value.
About Loudness in Sones
One sone is set at forty phons, and every ten-phon rise doubles the perceived loudness in sones. Perceived loudness is nonlinear, so sones describe what a doubling really sounds like better than raw decibels do.
Formula
Loudness in Sones
Sones = 2^((phons - 40) / 10)
- phon
- Loudness in decibels at 1 kHz
Worked example
With the default values below, Loudness in Sones returns Loudness of 4.00. Change any input above and every figure here is recalculated in your browser.
Inputs used
- Loudness levelaccepts 20–120 phon
- 60 phon
Results
- Loudness
- 4.00 sone
- Relative Loudness
- 4.00 x
- For Same Increase
- 10 dB
Step by step
- 1Values used
- 2Loudness in Sones
- 3Loudness= 4.00 sone
- 4Relative Loudness= 4.00 x
- 5For Same Increase= 10 dB
Assumptions and limits
- The result is derived only from the single input listed above. Anything not among them is not part of the calculation.
- In particular, this calculator does not take inflation, tax, fees or charges or compounding frequency into account.
- Figures are rounded for display to 2 decimal places, so totals built from several rounded parts can differ slightly from the unrounded arithmetic.
How these calculators are built and tested is described on the Methodology page. If a figure looks wrong, please report it.
Frequently Asked Questions
How is Loudness in Sones calculated?
Sones = 2^((phons - 40) / 10) One sone is set at forty phons, and every ten-phon rise doubles the perceived loudness in sones.
Why does Loudness in Sones matter?
Perceived loudness is nonlinear, so sones describe what a doubling really sounds like better than raw decibels do.
What values do I need to enter?
This calculator takes 1 input: Loudness level. The pre-filled defaults are a realistic starting point — replace them with figures from your own environment for a result you can act on.