Axiom Home Page Forums General Discussion Home Theater Help Me Break My Axiom Cherry

My understanding is that you DO have to have the levels closer than that...i.e., that difference is something you can hear.

Yeah, Mark; one of the requirements for a properly controlled blind listening test is that the overall volume levels be matched to within 0.1dB. This isn't because a difference anywhere near that small is detectable as a loudness difference, but because in tests with certain material overall differences of just a few tenths of a dB were detectable, not as loudness per se, but as "clarity", "sound-stage", etc.

In the M60/M80 case, with the M80 being a couple dB more sensitive, not matching volumes as closely as possible(among other factors)might lead to describing as a qualitative advantage what was just a quantitative difference.

Ok, so based on the info I'm now receiving, I guess in this case he should go with the M60's since there is little to no differences between the two speakers and his Emotiva amps will have no issues driving them..... right?

Somehow I can just feel that I'm still not going to be right.

Now you're right.

In my case it was not blind, but was level matched as Axiom has the ability to do that.

Yes, Mark and Sir Quack,

A 1-dB difference in loudness is the smallest increase or decrease in level that humans can subjectively perceive.

A 3-dB difference = "somewhat louder"

2 dB = "a little bit louder"

1 dB = "barely detectable" (you have to listen really closely to detect it)

5 or 6 dB = "clearly louder"

10 dB = "twice as loud"

Smaller differences in loudness JohnK has already described.

Cheers,
Alan

Aaaaahhhhh..... FINALLY!!!!!!