Quiet Enjoyment: right of audiophiles neighbors to NOT be annoyed

@mattmiller 
The way it oughta be!   Rock on!
1979 corner apartment in SE LA.  Just back from West-Pac cruise.  Navy deployment. Spent a few shekels at the Yokosuka Japan Naval Exchange.  That place was a Japanese Electronics Show!  Set the system up in the girlfriend  apartment when I got back.  Fire it up.  2 hrs later I hear someone pounding on the wall over the Styx album being played.  Answer the door. Very angry landlord lady screaming. Cannot hear her over music.  Wow I was pretty inconsiderate  at that age looking back. But I still strive for good tunes presented by good gear.

Having just started sharing walls again, this is a current consideration for me, and why I picked high sensitivity speakers, so I can hear detail at low volumes without bothering my neighbors, especially during “quiet hours”

I live in my own home, so don’t have to worry about the neighbors, at least I doubt it.

But, after reading some of the above, I have to wonder why we want to crank up the volume beyond what would be normal if you were listening in a ‘real world’ experience.

I listen to mostly classical and jazz, but also a fair amount of various ‘rock’ music at times. I am also guilty of playing my music very loud, but then started thinking about this ‘habit’ as too many times it just seemed unnatural, and in reality, too loud. So, I have taught myself to turn the volume up to where it would be natural for the music I listen to. Imagine myself in a concert hall, or a small club, or imagine if the band, musician, or orchestra, etc. were playing just for me on my couch in my living room. I then adjust the volume to where it would be most natural in a real live setting as a listener. And that’s were I Ieave it. I would say in most all cases, since I have been doing this, the volume is lower than what I may have used in the past. Sometimes by quite a bit. And I also realized all too often I’ve listened to my music at ‘unnaturally’ high volume levels. ‘Turn it to 11 !!’ ;-)

I also have large full range speakers, and a fairly small living space, so getting to the ‘realistic’ volume isn’t too hard to do, and still achieve good volume and full dynamic range. Or maybe I’m just getting old.

I’ve thought what it may be like if I moved into a condo/apartment when I get to the age of not being able, or wanting to, maintain a house, or able to climb the stairs, etc. But, I’m not going to worry about that right now. One thing I know, although I have fairly decent headphones, I really never use them as I feel you lose so much of the music expriance vs speakers which allow sound to fill a room. I do hope I’m not relegated to that in the future.

Elizabeth, your life listening experience certainly parallels mine. I surrendered my auditory future to Marshall amp stacks in the 60's and 70's. I'm glad my neighbors are not close by.  I have to turn up the volume to hear over my tinnitus. Was it worth it? Yes.

"I live in the country and can get away with upping the volume, but sound carries. There is a sound curfew out here too. I know, first hand. Yes sir, no sir, yes sir, no problem, consider the music turned down very low the rest of the night...*laffs"

I too live in the country. Neighbors about a quarter mile away are an extended family (parents, at least one adult child and spouse) in a huge house (about 7500 SF). Regularly anytime after 6 am until.... my home thumps from the bass. Not that I like calling law enforcement, but as the parents and adult son are ALL members of the local small city sheriff’s department I don’t even bother trying!