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Have you noticed as your system improves?

I have been working on making improvements to my system since 2021. (I got away from it for 10 years so the rig sat silent all that time and aged out) I have replaced my speakers twice in 2021 and 2024, my DAC, DDC, All the cables, speaker wire and PC’s. I added a streamer and ALSO the preamp/dsp processor is new. Just got a new amp in May. I have made upgrades to my wired internet access with switches, LPS and better cabling and Enos filter. I have an Audience Front Row Reserve USB cable on the way to complete that signal chain. The only thing not new is my CEC CD transport, it still works and sounds great. I have put a great deal of time and effort into my room acoustic treatments too.

 

So here’s the thing, and it’s been consistent once it all got settled and broken in. I don’t listen as loud as I did before all this or along the way. Not because it sounds worse but because it’s not necessary to hear deep into the recordings anymore. The resolution, PRAT, detail, soundstage is all there, and its really good. It’s a collective level of enhancements to achieve this. I want to preserve what hearing I have left, yet I am enjoying the music much more now, it simply just sounds better with out all the volume required before to hear what was going on. I used to have to turn it up to get it to sound good. Not anymore. Has this happed to you too?

128x128fthompson251
rlb61
784 posts
 

As a musician, I was always cognizant of protecting my hearing. Whether performing live or in the studio, I made sure to wear hearing protection. Lucky for me ... at 63, my hearing is great (according to the audiologist). I listen to my system typically at 60-65 dbs, and never have felt that I was missing out on detail. That level is plenty loud for one to enjoy their system and preserve their hearing.

williambf
17 posts
 

Fletcher Munson Curve

"Loudness" Control

daledeee1's avatar
daledeee1
562 posts
 

Gotta turn it up? I got my system 5 yrs ago. Streaming was new to me. I was using the volume on the Bluesound and I really didn’t know it bit stripped, but it didn'tsound good til 90 dB.. Now, whatever volume I choose sounds good. I’m still a musical gear head, you just have to step on the gas once in awhile.

iad's avatar
iad
33 posts
 

Hello! My experience with relatively non expensive equipment (about 1500-2000€ for a component): in the beginning without any warm up and wrong placement of speakers in too big room for bookshelf speakers I wanted to turn up the volume louder and louder every time. And it really had some effect! But after severel tens of hours of warming up, placing speakers in suitable room on stands and with right positioning, finding suitable speaker cables (silver plated for more highs) everything became normal. It was no need to turn up the volume any more. Also I thik that one of the important exponents of quality of an amplifier is an ability to play well exactly at low level of volume, which cheap equipment can not have.

mswale
66 posts
 

When working, and just have it on, it's around 60db, doing some critical listing, 80-90 db. Sometimes, I want the house to shake, to have the neighbors have a listen. 

100+ db happens at times, but usually I'm moving around the house wanting to feel the music. 

My system really starts to wake up around 80db. I go one or two notches on the volume, it feels like the speakers are pumped with adrenaline, fully waking up.

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