What is your listening level?


Is 85db the ideal listening level?
50jess
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.
Perhaps some of you with shall we say 'sensitive' ears might get a kick out of Stereophile's John Atkinson's and others' comments on the loudness of my exhibiting room at RMAF last October.

http://www.stereophile.com/content/legacy151bmc151dynamic-contrasts

Too bad Atkinson didn't stick around as soon thereafter for another group of visitors I locked the door and played Boston, Stanley Clark live, and Frankie Goes to Hollywood in all their glory.