Turn down the Volume!
One topic that seems rarely discussed is volume. If you listen to mixing engineers, it’s their most feared aspect of how their work is measured, since it’s out of their control. This leads to things like loudness wars (assume the worst). As my system has improved, my main takeaway is I can be engaged with 60db peaks, where when I hear other systems you often have to turn it up to 90db peaks for it to sound decent. I’m pretty sure it all has to do with bass and room energy, but wonder if others have a similar experience. Side note that reviews or any subjective ‘better’ statements about gear rarely indicate how loud they are listening. since all we can perceive if volume it is puzzling. I will say if it sounds good with 110 db peaks then that is impressive.
Thanks. Those are very interesting. I have a general understanding, but was interesting to see the details. I started plugging my ears at concerts 30 years ago as I started to realize I really did not want to damage my hearing and most electrified concerts are too loud. I just stopped attending electrified concerts about 15 years ago; they sound terrible and are usually too loud. |
My previous system I called my “reference system “ as it was really good at reproducing the venue, scale, and volume of music. It was very detailed and dynamic… encouraging me to match the venue. I have season tickets to the symphony.
So, I went through a period where I tried to find the “correct volume”. This is particularly important in classical since the entire dynamic is used… from the very quietest sound… a single flute played at low volume… slowly emerging from the dead silent background, to a crescendo over 100db with the whole 80 per orchestra playing at once. So, if the volume is too low… you miss the quiet passages… if too loud.. the crescendos are ear splitting.
Anyway, I spent a bought six months getting myself calibrated to adjust the volume correctly for that system.
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@larryi +1 As my system has gotten better, less and less volume is required. I am sure there is more than a couple reasons. But the first most obvious is the noise floor. Less expensive and old systems like in my youth had very high noise floors. Often it takes experience to “hear” this…. It is the jacked up quality to the sound and pressure on your ear drums. So, turning up the volume you are looking to increase the dynamics… the contrast. This also increases the noise floor. Good systems tend to have a place where they sound best, balancing noise and dynamics. Great systems sound great at all volumes. This I one of the marks of a great system. They are engaging at a whisper and 90db. I remember being impressed going to a high end audio store in 1980 and achieving 110 db. The salesmen and I were really psyched at what we had done… but my ears were practically ringing. It was the incredible volume of the stuff in between the notes.
There are other reasons, faster bass transients…. And greater articulation. Decade after decade as my systems improved the volume required the music sound great and dynamic has come down. While I used to play in the 90db range in the 1980s… now in the low 60’s to 70’s db. The music is completely satisfying.
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