Axiom Home Page Forums General Discussion The Water Cooler Listening levels: How loud do you listen?

Driven by both curiosity and the quest to see how much I was damaging my ears, I whipped out my SPL meter to see what kind of levels I was listening to my music at. I noticed that the -40 db level on my receiver was my, "Studying or quiet music level," -35 db level was my "roomate is here and I want to have loud but not so loud music", -30 db level was my "roomate might be here but I want to listen to music loud", the -25 db level was my "absolute perfect level to listen to music, anything louder seems too loud to my ears, anything lower lacks the punch I like."

So, on my SPL meter the -25 db level was checking in at about 87-92db, mostly around 90. The -30 db was almost exactly 5 db less, so on and so forth.

For movies I have discovered that -15 db is the sweet spot, but movies are quieter than music.

However, I am about 1-2 feet (essentially computer speakers) from my M22's, so that effects greatly how they would sound if I was sitting further away, but I noticed I can adjust the receiver level to about -22 or so, get the same loudness and imaging, but then everyone else can hear my music a ton louder. It's nice because I think my music is really loud, but when I stand up and get out of the "sweet spot" of my M22's pointing at my ears, the level goes down quite a bit, so I'd be curious how loud you guys listen.

Anyways, I am quite satisfied that at 90 db I can listen to music safely for 8 hours without "losing" any hearing. That is why I think it is boardering on pointless to get a ridiculously good car stereo because of road noise and the ridiculously loud (~120 db) levels that you have to play it at to get the same experience in a quiet environment. After about 10 minutes at that level hearing loss starts to occur. And honestly, if I'm going to be in hi-fi audio all of my life, I'd like to keep my hearing.

Here's an image of my setup to give you an idea what my setup is:




How about you guys? How loud do you like it?

I don't remember offhand but there was a thread on this several months ago where a number of us posted our typical values for quiet listening, "serious" music, "kick ass loud music", "typical" movies and "show off the system" movies.

With a few exceptions, they were all under 100 dB. I think I only went over 100 dB for "kick ass loud music" and "show off the system movies". A few people consistently run at 100-115 dB but you can guess that from their systems

My impression of pretty freakin' loud is around 92-95. I've sustained around 105 or so but that was "a drink or 5 watching Stop Making Sense" loud, which I haven't done since. Perfect movie level is about -12 on my 2805, music usually is about -20. Really loud music is -5, and super bangin' movies run about unity.

Ahh, here we go...

http://www.axiomaudio.com/boards/showflat.php?Cat=&Board=Advice&Number=97101&page=&view=&sb=&o=&vc=1

http://www.axiomaudio.com/boards/showflat.php?Cat=&Board=ST&Number=105835&page=&view=&sb=&o=&vc=1

http://www.axiomaudio.com/boards/showflat.php?Cat=&Board=HT&Number=110423&page=&view=&sb=&o=&vc=1

The record seems to be 117-119 dB, and the average seems to be 90-95 dB. Casual listening tends to be quieter.

http://www.axiomaudio.com/boards/showflat.php?Cat=&Board=tech&Number=124932&page=1&view=collapsed&sb=5&o=0&fpart=

What a trip! I posted the above about two weeks ago. My SPL meter is pegged right at about 90db at what I call good and loud. The needle sweeps from about 85 to 93 or so so it sounds like we are right no. I would only ever listen at this level for 30 minutes or so. My HK receiver is at about -20db depending on which song as recording levels vary.

I agree that movies need a higher receiver setting with the exception of Fellowship of the Ring. That one seems pretty loud at -25db. Also, most of what we hear in movies is dialog. When music and SFX kick in, I don't think the difference is as great. Also, you have to listen to a movie for 90 minutes so the level can't be as loud as a 3 minute rock song.

I also linked to a website that echoes your comments about being able to listen for many hours at 90db without fear of hearing damage. Here is what I don't get. When people listen at 105db for extended periods of time and get hearing loss, how can they take those levels for that long? Must just be dumb kids I guess.

Greg

Dan, what I usually refer to as "comfortably loud" is an average listening level of about 80-85dB, which is in fact loud. Some of the classical items which I listen to are very dynamic and might have split-second peaks 20-25dB above that, but as best that I can tell 110dB(or using 100 watts)has never been hit.

Most pop music has a rather low dynamic range(note the +/- 5dB figure Axiom mentioned for the range of the pop items that were used in their distortion tests), but if that -15 figure on your receiver does roughly correspond to 100dB at your listening position(except that you did say that the movie level was lower at the same settings), be careful.

In reply to:

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The record seems to be 117-119 dB

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This was likely measured right at the speaker itself and possibly exaggerated somewhat.
I've had the M60s hooked up to a 350W amp, Class A into the first 20W and they started to hit their excursion limits around 110dB peaks at 6 feet.

Dennis was running 5 M80s, 2 EP600s, 2 QS8s and a big stack of Parasound Halo amps. I haven't had a chance to hear it myself but several people from the forum saw the system in action...

I was one of those people. I don't remember if we checked it out on the SPL meter, but it was very, very LOUD. As in "I would never listen to my system this loud" loud.

I was there in 2005 the day Dennis blew our ears out.

I was there when we peaked at 100 dB or so, which we were informed was "not that loud."

Heh. I've soundproofed the door in my dorm room. That way my "loud" listening levels don't bother everyone else.

When playing the Blue Man Group:Audio DVD-A album, people all around the dorm could hear my sub.

I measured outside my room once with the door open, 70 db.

Wait, wait... you're in college and you listen to the Blue Man Group? Isn't it in the dorm contract somewhere you HAVE to listen to Op Ivy or Sleater-Kinney?

Bren R.

I'm late to this post I guess. As John, Peter, Ken, and Adam state, I do tend to run the system at levels that most seem to consider very loud. However I do have a number of friends that listen to the system and are comfortable with the level.
In the size of area we have here, if I run the system at the 75 - 85 level that seems to be the most common level, when seated, the investment in the sound system has been a waste. I may as well put back in the cheap boxed HT system.lol In normal listening its running between 85 -95, with peaks of 100 or so. If I'm in other parts of the house or the back yard, ya I push the volume up beyound the 100 level, have had peaks of 115-120, but I'm not sitting right in front of the speakers.

See, the rest of us would just get other speakers... say, a set outside, in our car, etc.

Dennis took a different (epicentre) approach - if he's in the house, he plays his system in the 85dB range, if he's outside, he plays it at 115dB, when he visits Seattle, he turns it up to 400dB.

Bren R.

LOL You figured out my reasoning, good one Bren !

Also the system here runs more than what may be considered common, the Halos are rarely shut down ( I'm doing my share to bail out PG&E here in CA), and muisc is usually going 10 - 12 hours per day. So the sound systems here do have a lot of use, I'm not just collecting components.

I'll have to post some pictures of the system in my workshop, not a real expenisve system..................5.1 with a 15" Sharp LCD, and the old Tivo unit. But lately I never have time to work on the hobbies in the barn.

I'm just bass-ackwards I think... I sit in front of computers for 16 hours a day and have Edirol Monitors on those (MA-15D and MA-20D), but the TV I sit in front of for 2 hours a week has the home theatre.

And yes, decided I'm moving up to M60s sometime (maybe fall?) so I may repurpose the M3s into computer speakers. Now where are those Axiom electronics, Ian?!?

Bren R.