"It is said far too often that the louder speaker will sound better." Huh? I've never heard that, or at least don't remember hearing that...maybe it wasn't said loud enough. I have horn speakers that can go very loud without strain (hifi and pro stuff) so speaker distortion isn't an issue around here also since efficient speakers require less grunt from the amp. I listen at various levels based on how I feel but really not particularly loud, but so what? To each their own. And that concludes my statement of the obvious.
Perhaps the most annoying myth in audio of 2025? Talking about Loudness!
It is said far too often that the louder speaker will sound better, even by 1 decibel. I’ve found this statement to be supremely inaccurate. Anyone feels the same way or differently?
I feel the opposite to be true, once the speaker has reached a comfortable level, somewhere around 65-72 decibel, getting louder than that ought to sound worse for me. It usually sounds worse for a number of reason, room acoustic interactions, speaker cabinets, small distortion of drivers, etc.
Many years in this hobby has taught me to listen to things like smoothness, clarity, separation, microdynamics. An absolutely huge trait right now for me is how effortless is the sound. If it sounds strained, it’s not good to my ears, and many speakers sound strained to a degree even at average 70 db. After owning electrostats, I find many box speakers to lack the purity that I aim for. It gets worse the louder the box speakers get.
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The OP is confusing the use of volume in a/b demonstrations (where listeners will often prefer a subtly louder replay of a track) with listening levels in general. I have never seen in print or heard an assertion that a majority of people prefer louder playback on a sustained basis. On "loudness", there is quite a variation in the levels that different recordings are mastered at so even listening at a consistent average SPL can require quite different volume control settings. |
Do you use a potentiometer volume control? Most people do. Your amp runs full open and the voltage must be REDUCED to normal listening levels. Any type of potentiometer 'applies the brakes' to this signal by restricting voltage and losing resolution in the process. So, as you turn up the volume you are releasing the brakes allowing more signal to flow and sounds better. A pre-amp with lots of gain takes the 'reduced resolution signal' and then amplies it. You get loudness but with distortion added. Some people like the perception of added dynamics. I don't. A potentiometer directly affects the voltage level of an analog signal by acting as a voltage divider, while a digital volume control modifies the amplitude of a digital signal without introducing any additional noise. So, newer, more expensive digital volume controllers seem to be prefered in higher end gear. So, if you use a potentiometer the higher the knob the better.
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Potentiometers are limited by having sweet spot where both channels track most accurately, this generally somewhere between 10am-2pm, they also not greatest resolution/transparency. Resistor ladder, autoformers/transformer volume control has surpassed pots. Digital volume control not superior, in dac bit stripping. |
The main point to realise is that that no matter what volume control you use, the less you resist or "apply the brakes" the better. The main job of a pre-amp is signal resistance with as little degradation to the signal as possible. Matching a pre-amp to an amplifier is important. If you have a very powerful amp and match it with a pre-amp that has gain you may not be able to get the volume knob up past 9 o'clock position and it's blaringly loud. Especially problemamatic with very effiecient speakers. This is an example of a lower resolution, overly restricted signal. On the other hand, a lower powered amp used with a no gain, buffered pre-amp allowing the volume to open up to 12 noon position or higher, could sound far better. Higher power is not an indication of better sound and in many cases hinders the sound due to this, "heavy braking" volume knob restriction.
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