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How loud do you listen to your music?

Today I decided to take my RS SPL meter and see just how loud my system when I was listening to levels that I perceive to be pretty loud. To my surprise, the nominal SPL was only 70db with peaks going as high as 82db. I had expected the SPL reading to be much higher especially since I thought I had my system cranked up pretty loud. When I put the volume back to where I mainly listen, the SPL was only in the 50-60db range. For whatever reason, this number seemed too low but I do not really have a good sense for what decibels really mean in terms of how loud things are in the real world. Is 60db loud? Is 70db excessive?

So my question is, how loud do you normally listen to your music?
tboooe
shadorne's avatar
shadorne
7,333 posts
 
Pauly,

If the midrange is incomplete, the frequency extremes do not matter.

I agree fully with you here.

I have been lucky with amps I guess, as I have not run into the problem of a high noise floor or dynamic compression in the mid range due to electronics (usually the speaker is at fault in my limted experience).
veroman's avatar
veroman
291 posts
 
fascinating thread. fwiw, i use the rat shack digital spl meter and i am in disbelief at the amount of misinformation most audio nuts are exposed to. 75-85 db from my sweet spot is plenty loud. this is clean power from unstressed spkrs. when i play an xrcd type disc of large symphony it would be ludicrous to try and achieve concert level spl in my space. i tried and peaks were leaving me with ringing ears...and my room opens up and is well treated. dealers should package spl meters with products and maybe we would start to see thru this mega power myth requirement many cling to. then again, i'm not 18 and blitzed.
chadnliz's avatar
chadnliz
3,736 posts
 
6 beers= 15 extra Db.
shadorne's avatar
shadorne
7,333 posts
 
Chadnliz, LOL. 6 beers may also be the start of a reduction in linearity?
lewhite
156 posts
 
Pardon me chad but is'nt this the tech forum? If so were should i pour my beer , my passive could use a little more gain :> Kiddin aside I measure wide band and got 89 just before I was blown over , turned the subs off and got 60 . It shure didnt sound bottom heavy. Could it be I'm bass impaired ?
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