Axiom Home Page Forums General Discussion Stereo decibels

For anyone that has a spl meter, how hard do you push your speakers?

Larry, sure I occasionally measure this, but keep in mind that it's more important to watch how hard you push your ears, rather than just your speakers. A comfortably loud average level, which is safe from the standpoint of long-term hearing damage, is around 80dB and in casual listening I might use about 10dB lower than this. Some of the highly dynamic classical recordings that I listen to would have very brief peaks as much as 20dB above the average level, resulting in a peak level of about 100dB when I'm listening "loud".

My usual listening level is in the 75-80db range and when I really want to feel the music, I will run in the 95-100db by then I am starting to hear the limits of the amp and some minor distortion during peaks, so it doesn't sit there long.

Jason, that is sort of me too, I will listen to classical or acoustic at probably 80 db but if I am listening to rock or something I frequently push to 95-100db.

Being that my room is almost 8,000 cubic ft and my pool table is across the room, I usually crank it up at times, on good old rock and roll songs in the 90-100dB range. When sitting in the primary seat about 13ft away I would say I'm normally in the 85dB+ or so range.

I also listen loud on occasion, in the 90 plus db range.

And you and I have the power to do that without and clipping/distortion because we use big a$$ amps.

Sure, rub it in.

just wish I had a 1400-8

Not me, I like my Rotel

Yeah, I suppose the 8 channels would be overkill for 2 channel listening...you could double bi amp those 80's ha ha