How do you listen?

I listen as loud as the room will let me.
I got rid of the popcorn ceiling recently as it had some asbestos . I knew it would take the sound down a notch. 

It will be a challenge to get the room in order.

Each music experience is different, biologically we adjust to volume by concentrating on that part of the sound that includes voice. This makes us more able to distinguish voices from background noise.  In hifi terms however you lose upper level and lower level perception, hence the old 'loudness' button which increased these progressively as you decrease volume. Thus for each recording there will be an optimum. I have 2 subwoofers that can be adjusted from the seating position, on most recordings I end up adjusting both the cut off frequency and the volume of the subs, as well as the main volume. So comfortable and clear overall average volume varies between 75 and 88dB at my seating position.

I'd be curious to know how many among us experience tinnitus regularly.
While there are factors other than exposure to loud noises that can cause it (heredity, high blood pressure, etc), it appears that our ears tell us what a suitable volume level for listening is and it is very likely much quieter than we thought/think it is/was.

One of my frustrations with some live performances is that the volume level is too high for the room.  During those performances you can see the singer singing into the microphone, but can't hear the words, you can see the horns playing but can't hear them, etc.

The 2 last posts message above me are very important....Thanks orgillian97 and ejr1953


I cannot imagine listening over 80 Db regularly.....80 Db is my usual maximum....The line between NO and Yes...Most of my listening is under it....ESPECIALLY in near listening....In regular listening position sometimes for minutes i venture around or slightly over "for minutes"....


This is my anchor 80 Db....Over it, it is tempest in my head/ears/body...No more music....Under 80 Db, i navigate ALL the music in spirit form ; over it, it is gradually SOME sound that pilot my body no more my spirit...

I will repeat the gist of my point, if your system cant give you all acoustic factors rightfully under 80Db your audio setting system and controls in the working mechanical electrical and acoustical embeddings are wrong or at least lacking....This is one of the surprizing test you could make in audio....Listening at high level is compensation or intoxication, not so much music....



«Sounds could be a rainbow rain  or a fist punch, in the 2 cases we perceive colors»-Groucho Marx 🤓