What is the proper loudness for listening?

Are android spl apps accurate enough to be used in this discussion? 

80-85 db is as loud as I go and I'm happy to listen at way lower levels than that at night when the ambient noise level is lower.

Bravo barts, I agree. My system sounds best at 90-100db and does it easily at about 25 watts a channel. The key is very dynamic and bass heavy music. To each his own, but what I have come to expect from music is a connection that can only be had at higher volumes 80-100 dbs. As you said, the music and your ears will tell you what is enough.

Whatever you are comfortable with but be careful not to overdo 

’Round here, depends where you are in it....at my desk, 70~75 is topping out a small ss amp, and loud enough in an 8h x 8d x 20w, doomed to the center cross-wise, ultra nearfield....50~60 good ’nuff.

Approaching a major physical space reconfig, so the main is down for a count....🙁

Major upheavals with good intents pending, but hope an improvement will fit into the mix.

Annd, there’s always the phones... ;)

I've noticed an unexpected but delightful increase in 'perceived dB' within a simple 4ch 'surround' with the Walsh.....something to improve on in the next 'condition'. *S*

I have an Anthem STR Integrated amp and an Anthem STR power amp two speaker sets.  The Preamp preset volume by the factory is -35 on the "Volume knob".   Most often that setting is almost always good unless I am really jamming.   I do not have a Db meter.  The power and the ohm load and the speaker cone area give a good amount of presence. The SNR is very clean, likely class A.  I often listen to UHD or HD source or very good LP quality such as Miles Davis.   I tend to avoid low fidelity recordings, (most recordings).  Compression and noisy LP's have come to bother me so much that I limit my listening to such at below normal sound levels, if at all.  My 4 ohm Legacy 20/20 Focus speakers will put out the sound,but need 3 or 4 hundred watts.  My turntable must have higher end cart & stylus or the sound must be low volume.  Trash in, = trash out, the decibel level is not really the issue with me.

In my listening room my speakers are 9 feet apart 3 feet off the wall and my listening position is 11 feet away from the speakers I have no side wall issues and vaulted ceiling  I have a very powerful D class amp 500watts@8ohm 650@4ohms and 1,200 watts@1ohm  I typically listen to music around 75db with peaks in the mid 80's  My amp really makes the inner detail and dynamics come alive compared to my tube amp  I'm afraid if I played any louder my neighbours would be on my porch with torches 

My system seems to b able to play most jazz louder than rock, likely because it's recorded with less distortion.

65-85 here. Depends on the music. Sometimes rock has to be played louder though.😁

85 db or lower can be listened to for up to 8 hours without 

damage.  I listen at 85 average. Small or large room 85 db is 85db

small rooms just get there quicker

Good luck Willy-T

@stuartk 

+1 …. You never want to be even close to any OSHA or other government standards.. you can be sure they will be revised down many times as more data comes in. 

I have listened at very high levels.  Hovering ~100db.  That is as loud as I care to listen, my system will do that all day,,,,I like overkill.  But, as I age I prefer music that has a large dynamic range, so it peaks at ~100db.  There is no set rule, but having said that, a good db meter will tell you (no matter what room) that its overloaded, your ears should tell you first.

To answer your question: yes I agree that every piece of music has a "proper" listening level.  I'll only add "determined by you".

Regards,

barts 

In my house of stereo, 75 to 80 db is my range for a fully immersive experience. Less and I don't really "feel" it, and more is completely unnecessary and saves my hearing for more years of enjoyment.

There's a relationship between distance, volume, and reflected sound.  You can tell the difference between someone talking 3 feet away and someone yelling 50 feet away even if the volume is the same.  If what you're hearing sounds like someone playing an instrument 50 feet away but the volume sounds like it's 10 feet away that's an unrealistic element.  

@bobbydd   I agree with everything you said. I was very loudness sensitive. I would turn my system down to the lowest acceptable level. I recommend everyone to try to do this. Save your hearing and enjoy your listening, don't try to impress or shake the roof off. 

@ditusa 

Well, OK. When I worked as a baker in Eugene, our sole means of ventilation was  a small fan mounted in 3X3'  window. Standing over a mixer churning flour dust into the air all day, I was concerned about my respiratory health. I called OSHA  The first  thing the guy asked was "can you see across the room". With this question alone, he made it abundantly clear that the regulations (no doubt written by industry lobbyists and rubber-stamped by elected representatives on their payrolls) were a joke. As a consequence, I don't have a lot of faith in govt. guidelines. 

@bobbydd Wrote:

 

What is the proper loudness for listening?

Caution: The suggested maximum exposure is 115 dBA SPL for no more then 15 minutes. (Department of Labor bulletin #334). 😎

Mike

I have a big space and the system doesn't really come alive much under 75db.

Having read somewhere that listening above this level on a regular basis can lead to hearing loss, I don't exceed it.  I have no wish to compound the damage already done by guitar amps. There's no sense of "missing out" by not cranking it louder, though. 

I do automatically turn it down when my wife wants to listen. It only makes sense to  do whatever I can to ensure she enjoys the system.  

@kota1 Wrote:

Your spouse will let you know, don't worry.😲

You got that right. LOL 😁

Mike

Your spouse will let you know, don't worry.😲

It is completely dependent on the system, room, and your tastes. I have noticed that the better my system has gotten the lower the volume sounds best to me. Typically I listen at ~ 75db. Most of the experience audiophiles with good systems have seemed to converge on this volume. My system is shown.

@laynes that could be odd order harmonic distortion that makes the treble hard to handle at higher volumes. It’s an artifact of many older SS amps. Tube amps and most modern Class D amps are less prone to that issue. @atmasphere talks about that all the time here if you search out his posts.

Large room or small, the music sounds best to me when the measured peaks are coming in over 85 and under 90db. Loud enough for realism but not so loud that damage to hearing is a real concern. A sound meter app on your smartphone like decibel app is your friend both for determining good listening levels and frequency response aberrations from room acoustics, which in many rooms is quite significant, left unaddressed.

I'd say as loud as you like it before the room and/or componants become overloaded.

Right now on certain records above 83/84 DB, the treble becomes harsh. I'm 98% sure this is a room issue and I'm working on that now. I was listening yesterday to a record that doesn't have that issue and was 75-88 for the most part but a few peaks up to 96-ish and crystal clear.