I can tell you the SPL in my 4200 cu.ft. room becomes unbearable very quickly. This isn't just the result of the actives. The triple sealed subs in the room pressurize it to uncomfortable levels even at low volumes. It would be even worse if the room was sealed. This is a relatively new experience for me as of a couple of weeks ago when I managed to sync all my subs and the mains. I am finding I'm listening to music and movies at around -25 to -30 from 15 feet away. With the M100 and single 800, I was listening at about -15 to -20 and with the M5s at -5 to -10. I have a ridiculous amount of headroom that if ever fully utilized, would surely send me to emergency.

Originally Posted By rrlev
Originally Posted By Mojo
118dB. In my 1900 cu.ft. living room, at 10 feet away, on a 1000-8 and a 1000-2

that's up in the loud rock concert territory ...

Note: common opinion is that prolonged exposure to sounds over 85db can cause hearing loss. Where prolonged means >8hour a day. The louder something is the shorter the exposure needed to make it permanent. charts give 110db for 2min before loss can occur. Just an FYI for those who like to continue their listening enjoyment for years to come.

That said ... hitting 120db for a second or two of dynamics is acceptable in my book ... but you wouldn't want to go much higher or longer ...

House of the Rising Sone
Out in the mid or far field
Linearity and mid-woofers are over-rated