What is your listening level?


Is 85db the ideal listening level?
50jess
Levels are a funny thing. Someone here mentioned ideal levels for each record-and I get that. I also think that every system (and its interaction with the specific space) can dictate what the prefered listening level is to some degree. A live room usually will sound better at lower levels while a dampened room with the same system might require quite a bit more crankage to "come alive". As my system gets better at resolving detail, I also find that I don't feel the same need to turn up volume as much to get the resolution I am looking for. I recently heard a killer Wilson Sasha setup last month, and the volume was set VERY low at my request and yet was so detailed and layered that I felt the entire experience was properly presented without addition level required. Not many systems can do that I assure you.
Depends on the music, my mood, and A LOT on the time of day. I find I listen much lower early in the morning (6 am-ish) than I do later in the day.
I had friends over a few weeks ago and we were listening kinda loud for a couple of hours, and I turned it to where I listen early mornings (I have a stepped volume) and I was laughed at. It sounded way way low to me too and I thought something was wrong with my system.
It's kind of like how your eyes get accustomed to light.

But normally - 80db or so
Sebrof Yes, the acclimatization to louder sounds.
After listening to loud noises, soft ones seem even softer.
One reason I listen at lower levels.
By ALWAYS listening at lower levels, it sound thtoally natural, and the normal level other's use is too loud to me, and sounds obnoxious.
(So liking it loud is a self reinforcing phenomenon.)
FWIW, recording engineers usually listen at about 82dB. I usually listen slightly under that at home, maybe more like 75dB, but sometimes I will crank it up, though I would certainly agree with some here who say listening at 110dB is absurd. That would be a very quick way to significant hearing loss.