The enjoyment / volume is a function of quality of system… well, in general, there are exceptions. But, in general, the better the system, the less volume is required to be engaging. A few minutes ago I was captivated by a tune at volumes averaging 68 db. The high volume requirement is not required at al in great systems.
Low Level Listening and Distortion
Would some amps sound better at lower levels due to distortion being produced at a lower sound level than another? In other words, a "clean" sounding amp (think stereotypical class D) sounds better to me at higher volumes while another amp sounds much louder than the class D at higher levels but great at lower levels, which I assume is our ears translating distortion into "louder" in our heads. Is it the job of a preamp to be sure the amp sounds the same at all levels or is this just impossible to make the sound that linear? I have one of the newest GaNFET amps from a well-respected designer/manufacturer playing at the moment and it sounds boring at low levels but good at higher levels. Not surprisingly it also sounds quieter at the same matched volume levels (using white noise) than the tube amps I also have. I hope I explained my question so it can be understood. Thanks.
Showing 5 responses by ghdprentice
“Speak up. I can’t you over my loud system.” 👍😊👏 @atmasphere I agree, really good systems can also play loud and not be fatiguing; blackness in between the sounds, low distortion… so not adding sound pressure to your eardrums that are non-music. I believe this also drops the SPL… not having all the extra noice in there. |
To me low is 55 - 65 ish, normal is around 65 - 75 loud 80 - 90db.
This has changed as my systems have evolved. In the 70’s and 80’s I used to seek out opportunities to hear loud systems… I remember going to a high end store which had Klipschorn’s and enough power to crank around 110db. What was obvious in retrospect… the SPL meter did not move a lot… meaning the background noise was very high (was deafening)… the high frequency hash and noise floor. I still can remember the background hash… at the time I had no idea what it was. That was a sizable amount of the sound pressure. In retrospect some of the worse sound I have heard.
Now with my current and contemporary systems the background noise and hash is just gone. What is driving the SPL meter is the actual music only. A lot of the perception of loud is difference between the noise floor and the notes. |