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Sound quality vs. volume

Looking for a bit of expertise here:

I recently made a few changes to my setup and while overall pleased with the results, I’m on the quest for better.  I’m hoping you all can help me diagnose an issue I’m hearing.

When listening to music at lower volume levels - say less than 1/2 total volume, the clarity, imaging and dynamics come across far more coherent and “in focus”.  To use an often over-coined phrase “It’s like I’m there in the room”.  As I start to push the volume up a bit, closer to live-performance levels, the sound becomes increasingly “mushy”.  I know, a highly technical term, but the best way to describe what I am hearing.  The bottom-end loosens up - getting a bit boomy, the crispness of the mid-range and highs fade and the imaging falls out of focus.  These are all incremental with volume until I get to the point where it’s just unbearable.   

I’m no expert by any means but feel it might be room acoustics.  I already know I have a less than ideal setup with a nearly square room (21x20ft) with 60% of the surface covered with clear birch wood paneling. Some things we can’t change (easily).  I do not have any acoustic treatment, just lots of soft furniture.  What I find interesting is that my old setup (Magnepan 1.6) didn’t suffer to such a degree.  Maybe with the new setup there is more to loose?  A mystery.  

For a bit more context:  
Speakers:  Dynaudio Contour 60
Streamer: SoTM sms-200 Ultra
Amplifier: Peachtree Nova500

Within the 20x21ft. room, my speakers are 4ft. from the wall, I am seated 13ft. from the front wall (a bit back from room center). Speakers are 9ft. apart.

Any thoughts?  


wanderingmoo
glupson
7,842 posts
 
wanderingmoo,

Just be careful. Music often feels good when it is a little louder while, in fact, it is already too loud. I am as guilty about it as anybody else. Get a measuring device, basic ones are less than $20 in the USA, and check the levels you are talking about. If for no real reason, but for fun. It gets interesting. At times, it gets you thinking. The quietest moment, middle of the night and windows closed, in my room is 35 dBA. The music, when it starts "being felt, but not appearing too loud" is around 70 (for me).
wanderingmoo OP
29 posts
 
Trying to respond to a few of the comments:

I’ll try experimenting with Rockwool panels.  Sounds like a fun way to spend a Saturday.  I will also try wiring in a power Amp to see if we have a power shortage/amp headroom issue. 

As for ports, they are are almost closed.  I tried sealing them completely and backed out a bit. Speakers are 4 ft from each side wall and 4 ft from the front wall and toed in so they converge about 5 ft behind my head.  At lower volume levels, this gave me the best of imaging and clarity without making them a tripping hazard to the kids.  

I don’t have much in the room except the necessities for family entertaining when we watch movies.  No musical instruments or other gear really. 

I have a sub (REL B3) but not for music listening.  Use it for movies.  

Steve 


gryphongryph
395 posts
 
As someone already advised you, don’t have the same distance to the speakers from corners and sidewalls, watch this, should give you a clue https://youtu.be/8b1W7QgqhR8
https://youtu.be/KE-AQZGUXTM
gosta's avatar
gosta
839 posts
 
"Life's too short to listen low"
geoffkait's avatar
geoffkait
23,365 posts
 
Problems with the system itself producing distortion or congestion is actually probably better described as a dynamic range issue as opposed to a volume or loudness issue. That’s the primary reason why CDs in particular are frequently overly compressed - higher loudness levels can be achieved without producing certain types of distortion such as clipping.
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