At what db level does your system sound good?

[sidvee]

My music listening is usually at an average of 75db - a level that I prefer, but I also watch movies in the same room with 2 x SVS SB2000 subs, and very often I have seen momentary peaks crossing 100db at my listening position. Just observed this 2 days ago when I was watching Midway, and yes if the scene demands it - in this case it was the Pearl Harbor attack - then I enjoy these levels.
Cheers,
Sid

 

[Fiftyfifty]

- He has mastered isolations and reflection control including from some foreign masters. Like how he uses wooden beads to control reflections from window panes and so on

@prem It will be great to get a better understanding of these interventions!

 

[prem]

I don’t use any. I don’t know from where Sachin inferred it

 

[firearm12]

7pm-7am are the golden listening hours.

In my case its a sin to listen between 6pm and 11pm. I only hear distortions and noises during that period. My golden listening hours are 11pm to 7am

 

[prem]

Fiftyfifty, you can refer to my post 178 in the thread JBL 4343 coming soon to Mumbai. That post details what components I use and what room treatment, isolation, etc.

 

[Fiftyfifty]

Fiftyfifty, you can refer to my post 178 in the thread JBL 4343 coming soon to Mumbai. That post details what components I use and what room treatment, isolation, etc.

Yes, I had seen that, but was curious to understand the 'wooden beads to offset window pane reflections'!

 

[prem]

Those are I cm cube rosewood blocks with two 1 mm holes drilled from one side to the opposite side and one 1 mm home drilled from one side to the opposite side. So you have two opposite sides with two 1 mm holes and two more opposite sides with one 1 mm hole and two opposite sides with no hole. Affix the side with no hole to a window at one of the top corners of the window pane. Use blue tac. If the window is behind the plane of the speakers, the side with two 1 mm holes should face upward and if the window is in front of the speaker plane, the side with 1 mm hole should face upward

 

[Sean de Silva]

My listening position forms an isosceles triangle with the system. Average volume is 9oclock and 55dB beyond which it gets loud.

 

[prem]

Fiftyfifty, while room treatment, etc plays a part, having correct gain in the system will help you play music over a wide dB level. In my case, the ability to play music over a wide dB level is not because of my JBL speakers or any other equipment or my first pressings It’s more to do with having correct gain structure and proper speaker placement. With any system in the past too, I have had no problems playing my system soft or loud.

A simple way to figure if your gain structure is correct is to see if you can use your volume control from the lowest position to at least about 2 o clock. If at say 11 o clock it gets very loud, chances are your gain structure of the system is not correct. What is happening here is a particular frequency band is getting loud too soon. So you lose the balance and you are unable to increase volume any more without the sound hurting your ears

 

[oracle1974]

Wanted to clarify that I meant db as measured with a meter or app at the listening position, not the level displayed on the amp or near the speakers.

Any particular app that is recommended for measurements with reasonable accuracy?

 

[Sean de Silva]

Any particular app that is recommended for measurements with reasonable accuracy?

Sound Meter - Apps on Google Play

Sound Meter - powerful in its simplicity and convenience of use.

play.google.com

 

[oracle1974]

Sound Meter - Apps on Google Play

Sound Meter - powerful in its simplicity and convenience of use.

play.google.com

Thanks.
Sorry should have mentioned iOS apps.

 

[Jayant_S]

Thanks.
Sorry should have mentioned iOS apps.

I use this one - does the job

 

[shankara.kris]

At what listening levels the system may sound good is a subjective topic as it ultimately comes down to one's own personal preferences and I am quite surprised no one has pointed this out. I would be interested to know the take away's of this thread? Those who do not have a dedicated HT room or those who listens in their living space with family don't have much to say as they can't listen beyond normal volumes. Those who does have dedicated HT room with all room acoustics - again it is a subjective topic of what level of loudness they like is all depends on the gadgets they use.

 

[drkrack]

Thanks.
Sorry should have mentioned iOS apps.

I use JBL tools on iOS and Bosch iNVH on Android, both are great quality, free and Ad free apps.

I listen between 75 - 80db mean Spl and peak can reach upto 100db depending upon the dynamic range. Sometimes the Spl levels we prefer and the system sounding best at certain Spl vary. In general to sound distortion free and Non shouty at higher Spl, you need a Great Quality gear and impeccable synergy between components and room.

JBLTools - Apps on Google Play

JBLTools, an application for lovers of audio!

play.google.com

 

[flat_listener]

For me, it's not about how loud... it's about emotional connect. There's a certain point... the perfect storm as it were... where the music saturates the room, suspends belief, and blows you away to your happy place.

 

[prateekatasniya]

I normally listen at around 85-90dB
However when in mood I listen loud, with maximum peak ever checked is 113dB( obviously bass) at listening position.

 

[firearm12]

I normally listen at around 85-90dB
However when in mood I listen loud, with maximum peak ever checked is 113dB( obviously bass) at listening position.

Above 90 is considered very loud and dangerous for extended periods.

 

[Deleted member 15865]

At what listening levels the system may sound good is a subjective topic as it ultimately comes down to one's own personal preferences and I am quite surprised no one has pointed this out.

Quoting from my previous reply:
“Also, it’s important to realise that the responses won’t be a function of only the system but also the listener. The question is ‘At what dB level does your system sound good?’ AND NOT ‘At what dB level do you generally listen to your system’. Normally one would expect both answers to match. But say there are two regular listeners of the same system, they will quite likely have two different answers to the second question. For example when @tuffcame over to listen to my system, he was listening to it cranked up 6-8dB (yes!) higher than what I do for the same genre - he is used to playing the Magnepan in a solo house setting. I’d imagine his response to the question (as asked of my system) will differ from mine. So I am saying the answer to the question posed also depends upon the listening (loudness) preference of the individual. And this is difficult to capture in the responses.”

 

[Fiftyfifty]

The question is: At what db level does your system sound good (to you)? I believe most FM's have understood it that way. Of course, it depends on this and it depends on that!