Glupson, actually our ears will tolerate 100 dB just fine as long as you get there correctly. Start off at 85 dB and go up in 5 dB increments every five minutes. This gives your stapedius muscles time to clamp down on the occicles, the three little bones that attach the tympanic membrane (ear drum) to the oval window of the cochlea (microphone). Impulse noise like a gunshot at 100 dB is far more damaging. No time for the stapedius to damp down the volume. Always warm up your guests accordingly.
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?
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?
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- 59 posts total
- 59 posts total