A thought on what is loud. . .
Loud, being a subjective thing, seems to happen when a speaker begins to distort. You suddenly feel like you need to turn the volume down, you cringe away and say, "dude can't you hear that? It's too loud. Turn it down some." (for some reason there are people that are oblivious to the distortion level of a system and think that it is cool because it is "loud".)
When I got my new set up including axioms all around minus sub, I kept feeling like, "man this isn't THAT loud". That is until I did a couple of things.
1. Tried singing along with the song in my living room (20X16 with vaulted ceiling), and it was as if I was waiting for the echo of my voice to come back across the grand canyon . . .(if you've ever been there and tried this you know what I mean, it ain't gonna happen). . .in other words, I could not even hear my own voice! And I have a really loud voice.
2. I broke out the SPL meter. Yup, its loud!
3. I made the mistake of seeing how loud it was outside the house. . . ooops that was a mistake. Now I just feel guilty playing my music even half this loud. My poor, poor neighbors.
Good thing I only play it loud for a little while then get up and leave the house and lock the door behind me. Small bursts of loud seem to be the way to go. No police at the door yet. Least not while I've been there. Ha ha
Anyway, what I am trying to say is that a level of 100db on a nice system with plenty of power and of course a nice pair of axioms, sounds way, way, way less "loud" than 100db on an underpowered or weak speakered system. But it is still the same level. Our ears just like it clean and sweet. So be careful out there all you axiom listeners. Don't damage those ears thinking, "Hey this is not THAT loud". Cause it more than likely is already too loud for our sensitive little ears.
Short bursts. . short bursts
