Are all dBs created equal?

I have found the better my speakers get the less volume I need to enjoy them. The background is quieter, instruments separate, bass punches quicker and harder. I typically listen in the 70’s… sometimes even the 60’s. Early in this pursuit I used to listen in the 90’s… there was so much noise in the system and little punch you needed volume to make the sound dynamic.

What scale are you on?

dBs are equal , it’s a measure of sound pressure. The better the sensitivity of the speaker the less power it takes.

Sorry I misread your question. If everything else is the same in your system I would say your new speakers might have a smiley face FR. What 2 speakers are we talking about? 

80db will present very differently depending on the tone being played.  As an example a tuba at 80db will present very differently than a piccolo trumpet.

Ideally, @ghdprentice has it nailed because that would be a very positive result.

The other things that come to mind is that the speakers may present with more bass or you're finding the sound to be more harsh subconsciously and are reducing the volume to compensate.

@djones51 My old speakers were Focal Aria 936. The new ones are Tyler Acoustics Highland H3.5.

@mceljo the new speakers do present more bass. But, it is good bass. Not tubby. I did go from the focal tweeter, which I believe is aluminum, to a scan speak beryllium tweeter. They are definitely not as harsh as the Focals.

The Aria bass boost is pretty large and the have a fairly flat response up to about 15klz so I can see why you might need more SPL at a listening distance of 8ft or so. I have no idea about the Tyler but as I said they could have a nice smiley face frequency response which most people ( not all) would find fatiguing hence the reason for lower SPL. I would ask the builder for an anechoic FR on these things before buying but that’s me. I never purchase without knowing what EQ or room treatments I might need.

@russ69  A scale

Depends on how the dB measurement is reported.

There are two common methods.  They may differ (despite being the same number) in actual sensitivity depending on ohms.

dB 2.83V/1m or dB 1W/1m

If we are talking about measured audio dB, then this article may start to help:

https://www.vernier.com/til/3500

also look up : 

Lastly though, the Focal seems to be tuned "loud" but they are also notorious for having difficult impedances around 100 Hz.  Depending on your amplifier it may seem bass shy.

@noske

That’s for speaker measurements. If the OP is talking about the sound pressure at his listening location that is different.

Efficiency is about output per watt, so 1w/1m is used.  The input voltage is adjusted based on the impedance.  It's also kind of a PITA to measure so often done at exactly 1 kHz.

Sensitivity is about output given an input voltage, so 2.83V/1m is used.  In this case the watts could be much higher or much lower than 1.  There's no guarantee.

The two are equivalent only if the speaker is exactly 8 Ohms, but in either case the SPL is measured the same way.

@erik_squires Efficiency is about output per watt, so 1w/1m is used.  The input voltage is adjusted based on the impedance. 

That's clear to everyone but me. 

I don’t see how speaker sensitivity or efficiency accounts for what the OP is claiming. It was my first thought as well but I think what he is saying is measured at his listening position 80dB sounded right with the Focal and the Tyler 70dB sounds right. The only thing I can think of is the Tyler frequency response is tilted in the bass and treble hence what I call the smiley face FR which could cause the sound to be perceived "louder" at lower A weighted SLP. Anyway that’s my 2 cents.

80db will present very differently depending on....

Measurement of loudspeakers output can be very difficult if you are looking for accurate numbers. In a live home environment, you are taking a measurement, but the reality is you don't know what you are measuring. Are you on axis with the active driver, are you measuring a reflection, are you in a null point or crossover point, etc? Too many variables to use those numbers. 

I am talking about dB measured at the listening position using the same method to measure with both sets of speakers. 
 

I believe @djones51 is correct in his smiley face theory. 

@baclagg - I've not heard a Focal speaker that I didn't like, but the tweeters are a bit polarizing when it comes to personal preference.  What amplifier are you using?

@mceljo I am using a Hegel H390.  I did have sibilance issues with the Focals. I had a few songs that were annoying and now when I play those songs it’s not there. I am happy about that!

Maybe someone addressed this but doesn't speaker sensitivity play a role?

@noske

A watt is the amount of energy used. Look at it this way. 24/7 your power company feeds you 240V at your main panel. That’s a matter of "pressure." You are not billed per volt though, since with no current (all breakers off) there’s no power used.

You get billed when power (watts) are consumed, by turning on a light switch, oven or amplifier. :)

The 1w/1m (1 watt at 1 meter) measurement tries to measure how much power is consumed, how much you would be billed for to generate a certain dB.

The 2.83V/1m (2.83 volts input, measured at 1 meter) is how the speaker responds to the voltage pressure. If the speaker is 4 Ohms, this is 2 watts. If the speaker is 8 Ohms, 1 watt, and half a watt at 16 Ohms.

Since most speakers impedance can vary a great deal, and many of us use beefy amps the 2.83V/1m rating makes more sense.  It tell us how loud it will be when you turn the volume a certain amount.

For tube users, knowing how loud per watt could be more important.

Sensitivity and pressure level explains the speaker having different SPL levels at a certain distance but it doesn't explain why the OP sitting in his chair using an SPL meter plays one speaker at 80dB which is comfortable and the other is at 70dB. Which is why the only explanation I can think of is his perception of the speakers which might be due to different frequency responses.

@djones51  You are correct.  Usually I see this with elevated treble or bass response.  Dali and Dynaudio sometimes exhibit this.  Some of their models are definitely better for low volume listening.

Does 90 db at 50 Hz sound just as loud as 90 db at 500 Hz?

I think that's what the OP means.

The spectral content of music can effect subjective loudness.  Research Fletcher Munson curves.  But I'm not sure this explains what the OP is experiencing.

Simple, the frequency response of the two speakers is different. The new speakers are brighter and our ears are most sensitive at 3000 Hz. If I EQ 3000 Hz up everyone's tendency is going to be to turn the volume down.

This says nothing about how the OP is measuring dB. He would have to be doing it with a meter. If he is relying on a scale say on his preamp he is making a big mistake in trying to relate both speakers as there will be differences in efficiency.

If I take any system and boost the high end people will initially gravitate towards the brighter sound even though it is not accurate. Same is true of bass. You can't realize that the music is a caricature of reality until you pay close attention to the imaging. It is highly unusual to have cymbals right in front of your face with the rest of the band in the distance on stage.