How loud do you listen?

theguesswho · Apr 23, 2012

I have a Radioshack spl meter and was listening the other day when I observed how loud I was listening. I like my music to sound like what I hear when listening to live music. Except for rock and large orchestral music which is too loud. The meter was showing 75 to 80db so I expect that peaks were around 85 to 100db. Which is about what real music is played at.
I dont want to damage my ears so I dont listen this loud for too long. Most of the time the meter is showing around 65 to 75db for casual listening. Which is still pretty loud. So how about you? How loud do you listen and how loud to sound like live music?
Wendell

amirm · Apr 23, 2012

I play movies very loud. I like the dynamics to be there so usually -6 to -10 db relative to reference. For music, it depends on the setting. In our living room, I never have it that loud. The books would fall off the shelf otherwise

. But while in the dedicated space, I have been known to have it past 12:00.

andi · Apr 23, 2012

When I used my horns, I listened very, very loud. Above 90 db I guess.

Some month ago I switched to Maggies. With these speakers it is a pleasure to listen at low volumes.
Of course I listen to different music now. More classical than rock.
I have not heard my classical music collection for years. Now I discover it new.

Andreas

NorthStar · Apr 23, 2012

For me it varies; it's all over the map depending of the mood from that moment, and the content.
...Contentment? :b

* Sometimes I'm below 70dB, and at other times I can hit 120dB on peaks! :b

ack · Apr 23, 2012

Volume varies by content - you don't want to blast chamber music, but you do symphonic. In addition, the more resolving the equipment the softer one tends to play back music, as the brain isn't struggling to hear the details it thinks should be there.

treitz3 · Apr 23, 2012

Hello, Wendell. For me, movies are rather loud. Couldn't tell you exactly how loud as I have not used an SPL meter but it's about on par with a movie theater while seated mid way back with much better sound quality than the theaters I have heard around Charlotte.

2-channel on the other hand? The volume is all over the place. An acoustic guitar performance [for instance] would be as close to what it would be as if they were there, in my living room playing live in front of me. Something along the lines of a rock concert may very well go up to as loud as I can go, without the collapse of the sound stage or any noticeable distortion. This is also recording dependent. It seems that when the recordings are top notch, I tend to go a little louder but if the recording is rather bad or heavily compressed, I tend to turn it down. Really bad recordings are at or below normal talking levels. Background music, if you will.

Then I will echo what ack mentioned...

...the more resolving the equipment the softer one tends to play back music, as the brain isn't struggling to hear the details it thinks should be there

I do listen, overall, at less volume these days. Where I'm at now, it doesn't need to be loud to appreciate and hear all of the frequencies and details which is great for late night listening when the family is asleep.

LL21 · Apr 23, 2012

ack said:
In addition, the more resolving the equipment the softer one tends to play back music, as the brain isn't struggling to hear the details it thinks should be there.

Interesting...i did not fully appreciate that until more recently. I always used to listen around 25-35 on my pre...then i upgraded my components...preamp is newer but same volume control. Gain is 26 and 31 on pre/amp respectively. But i can listen in a room that is 17x30 at volume 1...usually at 1am. The complete recalibration of my sub after using a Auralex isolation platform made a huge difference. I get total signal from 20hz up (or so it feels...i've never measured, but i know a few tracks that have signals down that low which come thru nicely at this level)...the bass wallop, the full signal...its very satisfying and i never, ever had this before...the lowest i used to go was around 12-15. rarely around 8.

I will play up to 45 but rarely because it starts to bother the neighbors...2 floors down.

NorthStar · Apr 23, 2012

Lloyd, those numbers above, they relate to how many decibels (on average)? :b

LL21 · Apr 23, 2012

NorthStar said:
Lloyd, those numbers above, they relate to hom many decibels (on average)? :b

Hi Northstar...could not possibly say. i honestly have no idea. when the 2 of us have dinner, i play jazz at this level and we can have dinner 7-10 feet away and it never gets in the way of a normal conversation at quiet levels. But when you listen, its all perfectly clear and the bass is nice and solid. again, i have never had this before...the lowest before would have been 8-15 and then it would be louder and somewhat intrusive into quiet conversation.

NorthStar · Apr 23, 2012

Because Lloyd, those numbers are very relative, as they vary a lot from one preamp to the next.
...Know what I'm sayin'? :b

LL21 · Apr 23, 2012

NorthStar said:
Because Lloyd, those numbers are very relative, as they vary a lot from one preamp to the next.
...Know what I'm sayin'? :b

Totally right...i really cannot say other than description. If it helps, when the kitchen hood fan is on...25 feet away, it is difficult to hear the system 12 feet away. i know, i know...i dont have a decibel meter.

NorthStar · Apr 23, 2012

Buy one! :b

LL21 · Apr 23, 2012

NorthStar · Apr 23, 2012

They are very inexpensive anyway.

jpv · Apr 23, 2012

Wendell,
I set my volume control to one position when doing critical listening. The system is calibrated to 83 db. I let the recording determine the loudness. If the recording is done correct it is very listenable. If the album is screwed up that's what it is. No adjustment will fix it. A compressed recording will be compressed. A recording with no bass / too much bass will be just that. A recording that has hiss will have hiss. Lowering the volume to make it better is not right. It's still a crappy recording. Just because you can't hear it because you lowered the volume doesn't make recording better.
A buddy of mine brought over an ablum I have a copy of. We listened to his and then mine to compare the pressings. His had more suface noise so he lowered the volume and proclaimed his was just as quiet as my copy, What? No kidding its quiter you just turned it down.
I also will not adjust my subs for recording with no bass like he does. If the record it lacking bass maybe thats the intent of the recording or they blow it.

JPV

JackD201 · Apr 23, 2012

That's hardcore JPV. I used to do that at work but I've always been liberal about SPL at home.

Oh, I've been naughty lately. 100-105 dB peaks average from 85 to 90. Yeah, I know. I'll start behaving.

Ron Party · Apr 23, 2012

I turn it up tp 11. Stated another way, one tick below clipping.

JonFo · Apr 24, 2012

I agree with the statement that the better the system, the less difference between one volume setting and another.

As my systems have improved over the decades, this has been proven out for me. I now listen to movies at -4 to -12 below reference, depends on how well mixed / engineered the soundtrack is.

for music, I typically listen at an avg of 78dB, with certain tracks getting me to bump up to the low 80's for ten or so minutes (prog rock pieces can go on ... )

The peaks at those levels will be in the low 100's, which is perfectly fine, as the system is very low distortion, as my target is <1% THD at 105dB SPL.

One of the things that has really helped me enjoy lower volumes in the past two years is Audyssey Dynamic EQ, especially the newest one on XT32, with adjustable thresholds that are more music friendly (vs being set for movie 'reference'). This let's me enjoy my music while surfing the web and not blow my ears out when listening for hours on end.

Ronm1 · Apr 24, 2012

Pretty reasonable volume for me. Course if I'm alone it will be a little louder. I do use a sub for music but more to just enhance. While good boom can bring a smile with movies, I tend to lean towards a more realistic presentation. A pin dropping that sounds like an abomb going off just doesn't cut it. Another issue is noise of anykind. System noise, any background noise, fans, etc... Tis a reason I dumped the early PS3 or can't stand projector's. Verboten here. I've helped a # of friends and colleagues setup their HT's, but if it has a pj I don't go back.

Phelonious Ponk · Apr 24, 2012

Not very loud most of the time. Most of what I listen to is rock, jazz, Americana -- stuff you would ideally hear in a club. I don't often crank it up to "club volume." Frankly, if I could turn it down in the clubs, I'd do that

. I don't care how clean it is, excessive volume isn't necessary to completely enjoy the music; not for me.

With that said, many times I've been listening, given the volume a little tweak here and there, then muted the system to answer the phone or left the room for a moment and have come back to realize I had been listening at a much higher level than I thought. When it's clean, it can sneak up on you. And it can be fun. But usually, deliberately, I'm a moderate volume listener.

Tim

How loud do you listen?

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