Typically 75 to 80dB. Really loud is 90dB and I'm never over, and I mean never, 95dB. I'm using a professional SPL meter, C weighted, slow response. Just curious.
no access to a DB meter but loud enough to where i can clearly hear the background sounds in a classical recording [musicians breathing, clothes and sheet music rustling, chairs creaking, hall rumble, tape hiss]
I’d like to add that after an exceedingly loud session I usually don’t listen to my system for a few days. The danger/fear of developing tinnitus is real enough to keep me in check.
Typically I listen at an average SPL (Radio shack meter) 76-78dB. When my system was at it's best a good example of the range it produced is: Dewy Redmond Choices = quiet passages @ 65db full and detailed, open and satisfying Loud passages @ 86 db and extended peaks at 91 db. now with different tubes, I have to turn it up so the average is 82-83db with less than satisfying musical information at 68db and peaks at 93-95. I'm aware this is not healthy for my aging ears...... so no steady diet of this.
80 to 85 dB is very loud for me if I’m listening to rock/pop. Most other acoustic material is 5 to 10 dB lower than this. Like some of the other posters, I have an old school analog dB meter.
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