2. amps-preamps
  3. 1408335704

How loud is loud?

Seems like a rhetorical question, but I'm curious what other folks think is "ok, now that's loud"

For me, if something's hitting 100dB as measured from where I'm seated while listening, and not just for a brief moments, but with some regularity, that's loud.

I used to listen at higher average volume than I do these days. Typically, I'm finding that at the right volume, the recording is more nuanced then when it's running full throttle.

If I'm not mistaken, the late Peter Walker observed that every recording has it's one correct or optimum playback level. I think generally he was correct, though once we are willing to forge optimum there's a range of acceptable.
128x128zavato
charles1dad's avatar
charles1dad
10,250 posts
 
Hello everyone,
I do get Bombaywalla's point, distance from the speaker is a factor and a relevant variable. If you sit 5 feet from your speakers vs say 12 feet, the SPL in db will change as a result of the distance. That's all he is pointing out.
mulveling's avatar
mulveling
1,895 posts
 
It's a point but it's not a relevant point. Wrong details like this drive me crazy at work! Distance would come into play if we were discussing the power required to achieve a certain SPL at a given seating distance. But that's not this thread -- plus that would require consideration of additional variables, and the math inevitably gets fuzzy when room boundaries come into play. This thread right here was SO simple; dB is really ALL you need, and why oh why do you/we audiophiles have to inject chaos and confusion into something so perfectly clear-cut!? :p
tls49's avatar
tls49
1,351 posts
 
Wrong details like this drive me crazy at work!
Then here is another one.
dB/W/m is an efficiency spec.
Actually, that is the sensitivity spec. And yes, I know many seemed to be confused about this, and even some manufacturers list it as efficiency, however here is the difference, Efficiency vs. Sensitivity.
charles1dad's avatar
charles1dad
10,250 posts
 
Hi Mulveling,
Ok, guilty as charged, you're right it is a simple topic regarding loudness
and nothing more. I do understand Bombaywalla's post in the technical
sense as he presented it. I have no intention to muddy the waters and
introduce chaos.
Thanks,
Charles,
deadlyvj
66 posts
 
Lol!
I do see a reason for the ganging up.

Here is a link from Wiki,

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sound_pressure

"The distance of the measuring microphone from a sound source is often omitted when SPL measurements are quoted, making the data useless. In the case of ambient environmental measurements of "background" noise, distance need not be quoted as no single source is present, but when measuring the noise level of a specific piece of equipment the distance should always be stated. A distance of one metre (1 m) from the source is a frequently used standard distance. Because of the effects of reflected noise within a closed room, the use of an anechoic chamber allows for sound to be comparable to measurements made in a free field environment."
More to discover