On a properly set up system, you can (and, I do) listen as high a volume level as you want. I listen at concert levels and it is not deafening. Nice, detailed, dynamic and definitely CRANKED but musical, not loud. Noise is loud. Loud, to me, is not a pleasant adjective.
How loud in DB, Is "cranking it"
Gents;
i just just got a new amp and was Playing my 87 db efficient speakers( Thiel)
My speakers 8 ft apart and I sit 9ft back
I was just playing my amp at "30 watts class A" and I heard 97 db at listening seat.
I normally listen at 70-75 db
I was told the Xa30.5 might not have enough power! In my questions to Audiogon
To me it's WAY more than I need......no issues here. If my amp is considered underpowered, You guys must be nuts!!
lol
So; the question:.
How loud is " crankin it" for you guys
and
How loud do you normally listen?
i just just got a new amp and was Playing my 87 db efficient speakers( Thiel)
My speakers 8 ft apart and I sit 9ft back
I was just playing my amp at "30 watts class A" and I heard 97 db at listening seat.
I normally listen at 70-75 db
I was told the Xa30.5 might not have enough power! In my questions to Audiogon
To me it's WAY more than I need......no issues here. If my amp is considered underpowered, You guys must be nuts!!
lol
So; the question:.
How loud is " crankin it" for you guys
and
How loud do you normally listen?
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- 17 posts total
frozentundra - My seated distance to speakers is similar to yours. Loud to me is 85 - 90 dB; over 90 db seems very loud. Normal listening levels are in the range of 80 - 85 db using a Radio Shack SPL Meter set to Slow response and 'C' weighting. See link for anyone unfamiliar with it. http://support.radioshack.com/support_audio/doc72/72441.pdf |
I don't like to play games so for me normal level is 93db or so and a typical Fri/Sat night jam session runs up to 110-112db on peaks. I'd go higher if I thought I could get away with the neighbors not knocking on the door. They should probably be thankful I have not purchased a sub just for that reason. I'm guessing that those who are able to enjoy listening at under 80db must have a very quiet noise floor in the room to begin with or have very sensitive hearing. The noise floor in my room is quite high though in general. Using REW I measure a constant 50-55db at all times without a peep from anything else taking place. 116yr old house, no insulation, about 30ft off a a busy street. |
Amplifier to speaker power is a lot more complicated than rated power output vs listening dB. The trick is amplifying the entire audio band. Even a low power consumer receiver will crank out 90 plus db but if you place a spectrum analyzer you will find the lower end of the Thiel's frequency band to be way lower than the spec'd +/-3dB. Put a Krell or a Levinson monster on a Thiel and match the output and you will immediately hear a profound difference at the same listening dB as the lower frequencies are brought to life. |
- 17 posts total