They call him the Dark Knight, but the caped crusader is certainly the loudest crimefighter this cinemagoer has ever heard. Guests emerged reeling from the Leicester Square premiere of the new Batman caper, not from the quality of the film but from its volume.

From the front-row position, in front of the Wembley-sized speaker system, every bazooka explosion and crunching blow dealt by the Joker was presented at deafening pitch. Chunks of dialogue disappeared in the booming mêlée, in truth no great loss.

Because cinema is a “lean-back” medium, studios assume that popcorn-munchers simply want to be overwhelmed by the spectacle. But many in the audience at The Dark Knight premiere complained afterwards that the already overlong film was a numbing experience, partly due to the constantly high volume.

The transition from analogue to digital film has exacerbated the problem. Analogue soundtracks would distort at high levels, but a digital transmission allows for a wider dynamic range and more volume peaks.

In the music industry, CDs are mastered to give the loudest possible sound, reducing the gaps between peaks. This is to make a song sound “loud” on the radio, but creates a similar buzzing, numb effect when tracks are played at volume. The Red Hot Chili Peppers' Californication, branded “unlistenable” by studio experts, is the subject of an online petition calling for it to be “remastered” without its harsh, compressed sound.

Deafness Research UK, a charity, claims that a quarter of Britons suffer from mild tinnitus and now Hollywood is doing its bit to create a real “buzz”. The danger starts at a modest 85-90 decibels (dB) - the level of a lawnmower cranking up. Studios release films with a reference sound of 85dB, but it is up to multiplex managers whether they whack the volume up to full.

Chainsaws or pneumatic drills operate at around 100dBs, but most of us decline to be strapped in front of them for two and a half hours.

A jet aircraft take-off can peak at 120dBs, surely the next target for Hollywood's volume-crazed sound editors to emulate.

Landlords turn the music volume up in pubs because it deters talking, prompting more drinking. Perhaps cinemas are seeking to drive fans into the foyers during dull films to buy more popcorn?

Westminster City Council has been known to investigate reports of potentially ear-damaging volume at West End cinemas. Or maybe, like at rock gigs, film fans should now be issued with earplugs.

Adam Sherwin is media correspondent of The Times

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