[milehighou]

Just curious, when listening at home through speakers, how loud to you typically crank it up? For me, it depends on the CD. Some are good louder, while others get a little harsh. Anyway, I busted out an old Evanescence album this evening and was listening at about -17.5 on my receiver. The Rat Shack meter says that's about 80-85 dB (peaks around 85/86 dB). In my average-sized living room, that seemed pretty loud, but still sounded good. I'd say -20 to -16 is a typical range for me, depending on my mood.

Also, should I be using the A-weighting and slow setting on the meter? I see OSHA gives some recommendations regarding noise levels, and they are based on A-weighting.

 

[RayDunzl]

Osha discounts the lower frequencies in the A weighting.

https://www.noisemeters.com/help/faq/frequency-weighting.asp

75dB average on most of the stuff I listen to gives me 95-100dB peaks here, with a peak reading meter, which the Radio Shack is not.

Try REW - calibrate, and use the SPL meter in it. A, C, and Z weightings available.

 

[jake9]

I listen anywhere from 65 dB to 85 dB average, peaks will go well above that, but that is an average. It depends on the time of day, my mood, the song, if I'm alone or with company, etc. I use an SPL meter bought on eBay to measure it.

 

[highfigh]

Not terribly loud, but at somewhat realistic levels for live music but not actually at live music levels. I wear ear plugs when I'm at a gig unless the level is comfortable and even then, they go in, but loosely.

I find that it's best to not answer when customer's ask "How does this sound, to you?" with "Huh?".

 

[citizen arcane]

I used my rat shack meter (C weighted/slow) years ago to track my listening habits over time and average about 80 dB with dynamics swinging the out put to around 100 or so.

As an addendum........I've been wearing ear plugs for years now when doing the lawn or riding the bike and carry a pair when going to concerts now. I'm sure I got permanent hearing damage from a few shows in the 70s - when my ears rang for days after the concert.

 

[ronny31]

About 70db. Raised voice talking describes the volume. Then when I'm alone in the building (no lodgers home downstairs) I can bring it up to whatever the stereo can handle for a few songs at a time. How loud the stereo actually goes I haven't measured but with my experience in db drag with termlabs I wager the sound level then is about 110db (I sit 1 meter from two cheap towers). Aching for a more powerful stereo, 110db on a stereo that can only handle 110db is very different from having 110db on a stereo that can handle 130db.

 

[unavol]

I turn the volume up until my wife makes me turn it down.

 

[Gary147852]

I listen at 75 with peaks around 90~

 

[HsuDreamTheater]

I myself was curious, months ago got out my RadioShack analog SPL and found the common volume I usually watch movies or listen to is 75-80...80 and up is when I really crank it and that's one more rare occasions and not for very long lengths. I do know my HSU can easily get 20 Hz at 100 dB w my room gain, which is a little too insane for casual listening lol

 

[soapdeity]

Just curious, when listening at home through speakers, how loud to you typically crank it up? For me, it depends on the CD. Some are good louder, while others get a little harsh. Anyway, I busted out an old Evanescence album this evening and was listening at about -17.5 on my receiver. The Rat Shack meter says that's about 80-85 dB (peaks around 85/86 dB). In my average-sized living room, that seemed pretty loud, but still sounded good. I'd say -20 to -16 is a typical range for me, depending on my mood.

Also, should I be using the A-weighting and slow setting on the meter? I see OSHA gives some recommendations regarding noise levels, and they are based on A-weighting.

I'm probably in the minority but I am extremely sensitive to sound so I don't listen to much at high volumes...probably the loudest I listen to any music is in the shower to hear it above the water.

 

[charmerci]

Anyway, I busted out an old Evanescence album this evening and was listening at about -17.5 on my receiver. The Rat Shack meter says that's about 80-85 dB (peaks around 85/86 dB).

-17.5? Why, I turn it all the way to 11!!!

(Sorry, but this never gets old! )

 

[milehighou]

-17.5? Why, I turn it all the way to 11!!!

(Sorry, but this never gets old! )

Haha, nice. I can't find those knobs on my AVR

 

[PrimeTime]

75-80 dBc, usually. Now that I'm getting old.

Louder when the wife isn't around.

Much louder thirty years ago (~110).

 

[lbrown105]

quality of the recording does play a big factor for me. For a good blu ray MC music I usually play 85dB with 105 peaks. When the party is rocking and the room is full of people we will hit 130-135dB peak C weighted but that is with about a 20dB house curve so peaks in the rest of the range is about 110-115dB.

It is very loud but I find if you can get the impulse response and FR in a good place then loud does not sound as "loud" or fatiguing.

 

[RMK!]

quality of the recording does play a big factor for me. For a good blu ray MC music I usually play 85dB with 105 peaks. When the party is rocking and the room is full of people we will hit 130-135dB peak C weighted but that is with about a 20dB house curve so peaks in the rest of the range is about 110-115dB.

It is very loud but I find if you can get the impulse response and FR in a good place then loud does not sound as "loud" or fatiguing.

You my friend are on a perilous path ...

Seriously, like Mr. Brown I like a system without limits but don't really pay much attention to the SPL meter. My listening levels depend upon mood and the source material. If I am watching a thoughtful movie, then dialog intelligibility is important with voices rendered at realistic levels. Big action movies require more power and SPL. Likewise music should be rendered appropriately from ethereal orchestrations to rock concert loud. I built a system with the fewest limitations in providing a realistic A/V experience. The subjective loudness is up to me and I never feel constrained by the sound quality or output capability of my audio system.

The specific numbers are irrelevant and thats the way it is ...

 

[Gooddoc]

You my friend are on a perilous path ...

Seriously, like Mr. Brown I like a system without limits but don't really pay much attention to the SPL meter. My listening levels depend upon mood and the source material. If I am watching a thoughtful movie, then dialog intelligibility is important with voices rendered at realistic levels. Big action movies require more power and SPL. Likewise music should be rendered appropriately from ethereal orchestrations to rock concert loud. I built a system with the fewest limitations in providing a realistic A/V experience. The subjective loudness is up to me and I never feel constrained by the sound quality or output capability of my audio system.

and thats the way it is ...

Yes, well said. It is source and mood dependent for the most part. Sometimes I just want to feel the music wash over me and feel it physically resonate my body. That takes some serious SPL, no way around it. Not many speakers can pull this off.

Other times I have the volume super low and I enjoy the concentration and immersion of leaning forward and experiencing the elements of those songs perfectly and delicately reproduced. I find this listening just as captivating since it seems it should be impossible that the low level elements of those songs could possibly be heard at such remarkably low volumes. It's like I'm listening into a tiny 3D world. I know, sounds stupid, but that's how it seems.

I'm cognizant of the potential for hearing damage at spirited levels and I limit it to very short sessions to mitigate this, but the low level stuff is often for hours and is my therapy after a long day.

 

[Five28]

Damaged my hearing at age 22 by firing a shotgun without hearing protection. I've regretted that each and every day of my life ever since as I hear a constant, never ending high frequency ringing in my ears. Tread lightly my friends.

 

[RMK!]

Yes, well said. It is source and mood dependent for the most part. Sometimes I just want to feel the music wash over me and feel it physically resonate my body. That takes some serious SPL, no way around it. Not many speakers can pull this off.

Other times I have the volume super low and I enjoy the concentration and immersion of leaning forward and experiencing the elements of those songs perfectly and delicately reproduced. I find this listening just as captivating since it seems it should be impossible that the low level elements of those songs could possibly be heard at such remarkably low volumes. It's like I'm listening into a tiny 3D world. I know, sounds stupid, but that's how it seems.

I'm cognizant of the potential for hearing damage at spirited levels and I limit it to very short sessions to mitigate this, but the low level stuff is often for hours and is my therapy after a long day.

As usual, you said it much more eloquently than me and have the speakers/setup to make it happen.

 

[kj4unx]

I mostly listen at lower levels. The room where I put my old pioneer receiver is the same room my ham radios are at. So if I am in my shack working on one of my many radio projects. I turn the radio on but keep it low enough to still hear if anyone keys up the local repeater. Unless pink Floyd, ac/dc or def leopard comes on then the volume goes way up.

 

[Gooddoc]

As usual, you said it much more eloquently than me and have the speakers? to make it happen.

Ha, thanks Rob! But the truth is that your posts never lack for style or substance and your system is currently one of the most lust worthy setups on this forum IMO.

My system is currently compromised without a center channel. And I want Atmos....bad.