Fear of volume control

@sns

You touch on a very interesting topic. Any complex (multiple frequency) sound, whether it be conversation, music or birds chirping outside; a change the decibel level results in a change of content of the sound we hear. In short a song at 81db is not the same song at 90db. Our brains do a good job at hiding that from us, for very good reason.

You altering the volume for different songs means you are, perhaps only subconsciously, aware of a change in content as you change volume and actually “tuning” the content of the material to what sounds best to you.

I’m grossly oversimplifying, but we do more than alter the volume level when we change volume. From the perspective of human hearing, we also change the content of what we hear.

To your point, yes volume control is a real biggie.

AS we age, we lose higher, then middle frequencies.  Playing louder allows us to blend them better.  I often turn up the volume until just before the clipping indicators come on, then lower it about a notch.  Seriously 12-1:00.  I rarely go past 10, and my amp and preamps are matched sets.

Years ago when I was young & had a huge 2-channel system in the LR, I did very little low-volume listening. It was all medium volume on up. That was then...

Now with the constrained space desktop system in my home office, things are very different. I listen to low volume music ~60-70 hrs/week. I've been extremely lucky to find some components that play very well at low volumes. True, without a loudness contour switch the deep bass is harder to hear--but with a good sub and speakers that have robust mid- and lower-bass capability, enough bass comes through.

I've owned equipment that for one reason or other only sounded good at higher volumes. That was a dispiriting, futile feeling..."chasing" volume is proof that you need better equipment IMO.

As has been mentioned above, if the mixing and mastering engineers had good ears, the recording will sound most balanced at the level they used in the studio. Usually pretty damn loud.

@ rvpiano
Do you have a radio shack SPL meter?  If not, download a free SPL app on your phone and measure the volume you were accustomed to and then this newfound sweet zone?  I am very curious as to the two levels where you found this improvement.  I am usually in the 80-85db zone.  Sometimes when I have had a few drinks and put on a record that I really love I will get up in the 90s, but rarely more.

@millercarbon 
What levels have you suggested to get the most out of recordings?  I don't recall seeing your comments on this.