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What Volume do you listen at?

When you sit and listen actively to your stereo, what volume do you like to set it at?

I am thinking about replacing my mediocre system with a new High Dollar System ($30K). My guess is that when you have High End gear, you naturally want to play the music at a higher volume. Is that true for you?

I have a RadioShack Analog Sound Level meter. It tells me that when I have music on in the background I set it at about 50 dB. When I set it at what seems right for serious listening, it is more often 75 or 80 dB.

One implication of this is where I will put my new listening room. I had intended to put it in our living room (pictured in the link above). However, if I will be always wanting to play so loud that my wife will complain, perhaps I should set up a room in our basement.
hdomke
egoss
124 posts
 
I find that my most enjoyable listening sessions are late at night when my house, the neighbors, and the electric lines are all very quiet. The background being much quieter makes dynamics greater - leading to reduced volume levels, but increased dynamics. Cost me many hours of sleep when everything is right...
The same volume during the daytime would be equal to background listening levels. So, volume is relative to the background noise. If you're within earshot of your kitchen, try listening with the refrigerator off. You might be shocked at the difference that type of background noise can make. Quality Hi-fi equipment should actually lead to reduced volume levels for most types of music - since you'll be able to listen into the music, not just listen to the music.

Cheers, Ed
tboooe's avatar
tboooe
1,009 posts
 
Ed, very well put! I also listen mostly late in the evening after my kids are asleep. I find that listening at low volumes given the right circumstances, provides me all the inner detail and subtleties that help to convey a sense of intimacy and realism that I am after. I go to a lot of small venues listening to acoustic sets so this is the environment I am trying to recapture. Of course at low levels you do not get the same bass slam and SPLs but for my musical preferences, this is not important. At the end of the day, like everything else in this whacky hobby, it all comes down to personal preference.
ras422
182 posts
 
usually 80-90 --also the more you can reduce the noise floor ie better pwr cords and pwr line conditioner--the less offensive louder volumes are --hey Ed --get a good pwr line cond and you can get more sleep :) I also went thru the late nite listening --now it doesn't matter---rich
nrostov
199 posts
 
Usually 80-95 db with a very low noise floor. For me it depends on the type of music and how it was recorded. I have some jazz albums where I have to turn down the volume because of the way they were recorded in the studio.
imin2u
392 posts
 
I listen at normal speaking volume plus a tiny, tiny bit. During the day, it takes a bit more due to all the extra environmental noise.

Egoss sums it up the best.
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