??? Listening Levels & Musical Styles ???

All of us buy music and equipment to sate an emotional need.  in your case, throughout the day, you habe different emotional needs, or moods you wish to sate or resonate with.

@erik_squires while I agree with your statement,it doesn’t address the WHY certain styles of music don’t seem to necessitate higher playback levels for maximum enjoyment  & some do...

Just like people like different people we all like different  music and how it's played. Loud ,soft, sometimes your angry and want loud hard headbanging rosk > 100 db and others mellow wanting jazz classical.some find joy in the chi fi under a grand for the whole system and I have heard some sound pretty good.  others need tens of thousands in thier system. Enjoy what you have all brains are wired different and develop different. Stay healthy have fun.

Here’s what Google Gemini says:

Relaxing, soothing music doesn't necessitate a high volume for several key reasons, primarily related to how our brains process sound and the specific characteristics of this type of music:

1. Psychoacoustic Principles:

• Frequency Perception: Our ears are not equally sensitive to all frequencies at the same volume.¹ We are most sensitive to mid-range frequencies (where human speech lies).² Relaxing music often has a balanced frequency spectrum without extreme highs or lows that might require higher volumes to be fully perceived.
• Loudness vs. Volume: Loudness is our perception of sound intensity, while volume is the physical sound pressure level.³ It's possible for music to sound subjectively "full" and satisfying even at lower physical volumes due to its arrangement and frequency content.
• Masking: Loud sounds can mask quieter sounds, especially those in similar frequency ranges.⁴ Relaxing music typically avoids dense arrangements and frequency clashes, so quieter elements are still easily discernible without needing to increase the overall volume to overcome masking.

2. Characteristics of Relaxing Music:

• Slow Tempo: Relaxing music often has a slower tempo (beats per minute).⁵ This aligns with a relaxed heart rate and can help induce a calm state without needing the stimulating effect of high volume.⁶
• Gentle Dynamics: This type of music usually avoids sudden loud bursts or dramatic dynamic changes. Consistent, gentle volume levels contribute to a sense of peace and don't require turning up to hear quieter sections.⁷
• Harmonic Consonance: Relaxing music tends to use consonant harmonies that are pleasing and don't create tension that might be amplified by higher volumes.⁸
• Predictability: Often, relaxing music has predictable melodic and rhythmic patterns.⁹ This allows the listener to feel a sense of ease and doesn't require intense focus or high volume to follow.
• Lack of Distracting Elements: Relaxing music often avoids complex instrumentation, busy arrangements, or jarring sounds that might necessitate a higher volume to stand out or be appreciated.¹⁰Some even lack lyrics to further reduce cognitive engagement.

3. Intended Effect:

• Calming the Nervous System: The goal of relaxing music is often to soothe the listener, reduce stress hormones like cortisol, and promote a sense of tranquility.¹¹ High volumes would be counterproductive to this goal, potentially causing overstimulation or even agitation.
• Facilitating Focus or Sleep: Whether used for meditation, studying, or sleep, relaxing music is meant to create a peaceful background ambiance.¹² Loud volumes would be distracting and hinder concentration or the process of falling asleep.

In essence, relaxing music is designed with sonic elements and structural characteristics that are inherently pleasing and effective at lower volumes, aligning with its purpose of calming the mind and body. Turning it up loud would often defeat this purpose and could even become jarring or stressful.

And one for rock music:

Rock music often necessitates turning the volume up loud for a combination of musical, historical, and psychoacoustic reasons:

1. Musical Characteristics:

• Energy and Impact: Rock music is often characterized by high energy, aggression, and a powerful sound.¹ Loud volumes help to convey this intensity and create a visceral impact on the listener.² The sheer force of the sound contributes to the emotional experience.
• Overdriven and Distorted Tones: A significant part of the rock sound, particularly in electric guitars, comes from overdrive and distortion.³ These effects often sound richer, fuller, and more defined at higher volumes due to the way amplifiers and speakers behave. At lower volumes, the nuances of these tones can be lost.
• Dense Instrumentation: Rock music often features multiple loud instruments playing simultaneously, including electric guitars, bass guitar, and drums. To ensure each instrument is heard and contributes to the overall sonic texture, a higher overall volume is often necessary.
• Emphasis on Rhythm and Bass: The strong backbeat and prominent bass lines in rock music are often felt more physically at higher volumes, contributing to the genre's characteristic groove and driving energy.
• Live Performance Heritage: Rock music has deep roots in live performances in loud venues. This tradition has shaped the expectation for the music to be experienced at a high volume, replicating the energy of a concert.

2. Historical and Cultural Factors:

• Rebellion and Counter-Culture: From its early days, rock and roll was associated with rebellion and a departure from societal norms.⁴ Loudness became part of this attitude, a way to be heard and make a statement.⁵
• The "Wall of Sound": Some iconic rock bands and producers aimed for a massive, overwhelming sound, famously exemplified by Phil Spector's "Wall of Sound" and later amplified by bands pushing the limits of amplification.
• Audience Expectation: Over time, audiences have come to expect rock music to be loud. It's part of the perceived experience and contributes to the excitement and immersion.

3. Psychoacoustic Principles:

• Fletcher-Munson Curves (Equal-Loudness Contours): Our ears don't perceive all frequencies equally at the same volume level.⁶ At lower volumes, we are less sensitive to bass and high frequencies.⁷Turning the music up louder makes these frequencies more apparent and balanced with the mid-range, resulting in a fuller and more impactful sound that aligns with the intended sonic profile of rock music.
• Sense of Immersion and Energy: Loud music can create a more immersive and physically engaging experience.⁸ The vibrations can be felt, contributing to the overall sensory impact and the perception of energy.⁹
• Masking and Clarity: In a mix with many loud instruments, higher volumes can help to prevent individual elements from being masked by others, ensuring that the energy and detail of each part are still discernible.

However, it's important to note:

• Not all subgenres of rock are equally loud. Softer rock ballads or acoustic rock, for example, don't necessarily require high volumes.
• Excessive loudness can be harmful to hearing.¹⁰ There's a point where the volume becomes uncomfortable and potentially damaging.
• Good production and mixing can make rock music sound powerful even at moderate volumes.Dynamics, frequency balance, and clarity are crucial factors.

In conclusion, while not an absolute rule for every single rock song, the tendency to turn rock music up loud is deeply ingrained in the genre's musical characteristics, historical context, and how we psychoacoustically perceive its intended energy and impact.

 while I agree with your statement,it doesn’t address the WHY certain styles of music don’t seem to necessitate higher playback levels for maximum enjoyment  & some do...

I would turn that around.  what kind of emotions do you want to vibe with when you listen to each type of music?

@jastralfu that's AMAZING information & EXACTLY the WHY I was seeking!!!
Thanks much for contributing this!

@erik_squires the ONLY emotion I actually seek when listening to any style of music is enjoyment.Any other emotions produced while listening are collateral benefits,at least for me..

@freediver I know right!  AI is amazing especially when you can prompt for exactly what you want to get to. The answers contained some of what I was thinking but it would have taken me a lot of research to come up with something not as clear or complete as what I ended up with from Gemini.

I don’t know anyone who cranked up The Carpenters,  I also don’t know anyone who hasn’t cranked up Pink Floyd.

The "Gemini" summary is spot-on. But I thought everyone here knew all that. The chief variable is not your ears or your mood or the ambient noise level. The chief variable is what's on the record.  

How loud?  Depends on whether or not my wife is home.  Or sleeping.  

The dog doesn't care.  But he's old and probably partially deaf like me.

@erik_squires the ONLY emotion I actually seek when listening to any style of music is enjoyment.

Well, if you get nuance about what that  enjoyment does for you... I think you'll better understand why you want to listen at certain levels.   So long as you do enjoy what you spend money and time on is what matters.

I remember one of John Lennon's albums stating "Made loud to be played loud".  Very fitting.

I find it depends on the type of music, the system and my mood.  The Who in my listening room at night is played louder than Steely Dan in my office during the day.  

I remember one of John Lennon’s albums stating "Made loud to be played loud".  Very fitting.

Or as Mickey Hart of the Dead once put it, “If it’s worth playing it’s worth playing loud. “

Peter Walker of Quad fame maintained that there was a specific correct playback level for every recording in order for it to sound correct. He knew a thing or two about music reproduction. The midrange of Quad ESL’s is still the standard which all other speakers try to reach. If you’ve ever heard them, you know. 

In my case it is all about dynamics. When playing Slipnot (a metal band), volume will deliver the emotional response that the music is designed to deliver. If chilling to Little River Band, the emotional connection can be had without volume. Everything in its place and time.

@jastralfu ...amusing that R&R took longer for the Gem to pontificate on...😏

Replete with bullet points.....*L*

Loud 'round here will depend on who's about and time of day, selection of what and how as an adjunct to a 'daily driving sonic element' (Take That, Gem...*snide repartee'*G*)...

My b/t aids and 3 versions of headphones will get me through the average day, but still wish there was a version of a 'dry' wetsuit subwoofer...;)

.....Don't jump into the pool.....

I like to listen to music at the same level as it would be if performed live.  A solo classical guitar should not be cranked up louder than it would be if played in my listening room.  Same goes for an acoustic jazz combo or small classical ensemble. If you go to great pains to achieve accuracy in every other parameter of sound reproduction, why should volume be any different?

All that said, I don’t listen to rock music at the same loud levels as I did when I was in my twenties.  I’m trying to save what’s left of my hearing.

@tostadosunidos  - I think you have it right here.

For what it’s worth, every evening I’m listening to music, I adjust the volume of almost every track that’s being played, sometimes even those on the same album. The reason isn’t purely because of the ‘style’ of music, but how each style relates to what I have come to identify as its most realistic presentation. Of course realism has found debate in our hobby, but for all intents and purposes, the approximation to realism is what defines why we are in the hobby to begin with. And every track of music has its sense of presentation, of what we each may have experienced and sensed at live music performance and attendance to understand relationship to that auditory realism which stirs our emotions. Rock realism IS loud, in precisely the same way that you’d never listen to Joni Mitchell’s ‘Blue’ with any volume than akin to her singing within the small intimate setting of a smoke-filled club or alike recording studio. And still, at a live rock concert venue, Extreme’s ‘more than words’ will have more atmosphere than loudness, all subtle dynamics still in place. Orchestral pieces get a little more latitude - how some tracks are recorded lend themselves to being heard at volumes one would hear from the first two rows or, preference calling, further back at the twentieth row and sometimes even from the upper balconies.

As such, there isn’t a specific loudness i can listen to with any particular genre or style of music, simply because that closeness of resemblance to realism for even various tracks of one genre, may suggest different volume levels for its closest approximation to the presentation that makes it most realistic to me. 

With all due respect, the AI explanation that jastralfu kindly generated earlier in the thread explains a lot without saying much : ) - simply put, almost everything of music enjoyment has to do with its sense of realism.

In friendship - kevin

I have noticed my volume levels changed as my system changed over the years.  I regularly play music with dBs peaking in the mid 80s for all genre.