Just sell everything to someone more deserving of your gear. You didn’t need all this gear for it to squeal away at 45db.
Get a pair of in-ear earphones, turn the volume way down to 40 dB or whatever.... and let it squeal softly.
Nearfield Low-Level Listening : New Speakers or EQ? Thoughts?
In my main rig, I listen nearfield at low levels, and I do not feel the music sounds fully engaging until moderate-to-loud volumes. Have been told my speakers, Totem Forest Signature, "need power to sing". I have ordered a Schiit Loki Max EQ; wondering if that will do the trick or do I need to consider new speakers? I use the Loudness/Comp feature on my integrated amp, it helps some. Listen to 70s, Jazz, Americana, ...
My System:
At 80 dB, a fairly loud average level your ears are down about 10dB at 30 Hz. It's significantly worse at lower levels. It's not the equipment. What you hear is what happens at low loudness levels. You need to equalize to get the affects you want at low levels or listen at higher levels. By the way ears are essentially level at 100 dB, way too loud as an average level for ear health. |
@deep_333 always helpful. |
The issues are multi-faceted. Some speakers really do need to be played at a certain level before they "come alive" like Frampton. EQ can help your perception of certain frequencies, but if your speakers "don't sing" at lower levels with a decent dynamic range, then they will simply not sound their best. EQ is the first place to start by boosting lows and highs, but at the end of the day, you might have better luck with getting some more "lively" speakers that offer a dynamic range even at lower volumes. |
@OP. I have no experience of the Totems but it is certainly the case that certain speakers do not sound right at low volume levels and sensitivity measurements are not always a perfect guide to that. You could try something like a pair of DeVore O series - that will tell you if there is potential for a speaker replacement. I'm curious, given the room dimensions and the picture with the LPs, it looks like the speakers are about four feet apart. Are you really that compromised regarding placement? |