Are you operating in the correct SPL window for high-fidelity listening?


We spend hours and hundreds of dollars properly setting up our turntables (or have the dealer do it).  Do you spend any time setting the correct db level for listening?

The Fletcher-Munson curves, also known as equal loudness contours, illustrate how human perception of sound loudness changes with frequency and volume. They show that at low volumes, the human ear is less sensitive to very low and very high frequencies, making midrange frequencies seem louder than they are. Conversely, at high volumes, the ear becomes more sensitive to low and high frequencies, making them seem louder.  See the ISO 226 standard.

I listen at the volume recording engineers use for mixing:  80 to 85 db. Anyone have any thoughts?

markalarsen

It depends on the recording and my mood, but I typically listen in the 70-85dB range.  

When I was younger, and when my system didn’t sound like it does now, I played it much louder to get some sort of a sensation from it.   It had less resolution, more noise, less dynamic contrast , was less coherent, and had a less defined sound stage.  The current system no longer requires that volume level to float my boat, so I typically listen at lower levels.  Once in a while if we have a dedicated listening night, the volume goes up a bit, but I’d be surprised if we ever went over 90dB.

The gap between 70 and 85 db SPL is huge, which speaks to my point that we have no agreed upon standard for measurement in the first place.  So discussing in terms of SPL is meaningless.

Small room here I typically listen in the 55-70db range using sensitive speakers and low powered tube amps it's plenty loud for me.

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Depends much on ambient noise level, lower levels mean one can hear deeply into recording at lower volume levels.. I'm late night listener when ambient noise levels generally lower, so 70's  is my usual range.