How loud do you like your music?

[Multicore]

It depends. Am I at a Merzbow gig or at home? Are we hosting a game of Doppelkopf? Are the dogs at home or out? What time of day is it? How drunk am I?

 

[killdozzer]

There is a specific measurement unit called Equivalent Continuous Sound Level Definition (used to be called Leq) which is designed for what you had in mind. Slow and fast are a legacy settings carried over from the VU metre days. I think it’s better if we use modern measurement units.



Having said that, the Leq I measured was 79dB over the length of the said song. The mean value was around 75dB. A weighted slow reading was within a few dB of Leq value.


I agree with you and voted accordingly. SPL over 90dB is a health hazard. This is what the UK regulations say.

Do Leq and A-weighted often overlap?

 

[Sokel]

Do Leq and A-weighted often overlap?

You can see it in the logger chart,it's the deep purple one.
Seems like a good way to see the average level.

 

[killdozzer]

It depends. Am I at a Merzbow gig or at home? Are we hosting a game of Doppelkopf? Are the dogs at home or out? What time of day is it? How drunk am I?

No, it doesn't depend! You're at home, it's your regular listening session, you're not drunk, you're not lowering volume bc of the dogs, we already established that. It's your day, all about you. The only criteria is the loudness you really enjoy for a decent listening session, at least an album. It's your preferred volume.

 

[sarumbear]

Do Leq and A-weighted often overlap?

Leq is A-weighted. (Unless otherwise stated.) The difference is in averaging. Leq gives results that are repeatable, averaging differs from device to device (or app to app).

 

[Multicore]

No, it doesn't depend! You're at home, it's your regular listening session, you're not drunk, you're not lowering volume bc of the dogs, we already established that. It's your day, all about you. The only criteria is the loudness you really enjoy for a decent listening session, at least an album. It your preferred volume.

So, purely hypothetical :P

 

[Sokel]

A beautiful Swan Lake starting at 55(!) db(A) (starts at 00.00.30)
(It's nice and quite here now so a low test comes handy)
See how nice escalates...

 

[Sokel]

averaging differs from device to device (or app to app).

You can use all 3 with REW.
The only one that is fixed to (Z) is LZpeak.

 

[posvibes]

I can't provide a measurement outside of an Ipad at the listening position that rarely gets above mid 50'dB's in the peaks and a "soft whispers" comment. I can get somewhat beyond that.

That said after years of living closely to neighbours and fundamentally in houses that were never built for the purpose of keeping noise in or out I have learned to listen at low levels, and even at those kind of background levels when distracted, if something grabs my attention I listen in and at the same level it is still involving, a dB or two extra and the focus is heightened, as long as the tonal balance is correct and the sound power to the LP is consistent it is still very enjoyable. The downside is very soft passages can get lost especially if there is some extra noise outside masking those sounds and usually there is.

For all the artificiality of headphones I like them very much and for sheer enjoyment and hearing the "construction" of the recording process or the the composition of a piece of music and the intricacies of arrangements etc I prefer headphones these days, a different but equal pleasure.

 

[Philbo King]

Mostly I would be playing at 70-75dB average (all evening music enjoyment) or even lower (background level) but can also enjoy music (shortly) even at around 90dB (= comfortable loud) or even louder for short moments (95dB) depending on the recording.
So... no idea how this would work with this poll. My 'range' is roughly between 70 and 90dB with some (short moments) above that level.
There would have to be an option:

I enjoy music level independent.

Those 'SPL' meters are not really suited for determining SPL levels with music so would not trust the numbers coming from those (unless they are real meters) nor the apps in phones.
These might work fine to determine average noise levels but not music levels.

During mixing music I listen at 60-65 dBSPL, with occasional checks at 80 dB and 35 dB. (It's amazing how well 35 dB tells you what elements of the mix are too quiet. I do have a very quiet mixing space...).
The 80 dB previews let me know how well the bass and 'air' frequencies poke out due to equal loudness curves.
Listening louder than 65 dB to a single song, a few hundred times in a day, causes hearing fatigue and a very real loss of objectivity in my experience.

 

[Holmz]

Yes, as @Sokel said, I'm expecting people to measure roughly where their head is.

That might be hard for some people.

 

[antcollinet]

That might be hard for some people.

Do you mean the SPL meter won't fit up there with the head in it?

 

[killdozzer]

That might be hard for some people.

Hey, hey now! I'm only interested in SPL. What you do while listening to music is completely up to you!

 

[killdozzer]

I voted 80dB, but thinking for a few seconds after, I reckon that's absolute peaks now I have a person called a 'Next Door Neighbour' who tells me if she ever hears the stereo playing, even if it's only for half an hour per week (yes, really!) Any other listening is via headphones and it just ain't the same...

Sorry to hear that. If I can judge by your avatar and you do indeed have ATCs, they've grown lazy by now from all the silent listening. I don't know what I'd do if I was you. It's almost a reason good enough for moving. I must be lucky with neighbors. I'm one of those who approached tenants first and asked if my music is bothering them. Perhaps that disarmed them... No one ever said a word, not one word about my music listening, but I never play during the afternoon siesta and past 22:00. I guess that helps.

 

[killdozzer]

So, purely hypothetical :P

Well... If you put it like that, let me rephrase my question - what is the SPL you wish for? Play your system while your lady walks the dogs for a few songs at the loudness you like, but don't drink on that day or take any medicinal marijuana and let us know what was it.

 

[Chrispy]

No, it doesn't depend! You're at home, it's your regular listening session, you're not drunk, you're not lowering volume bc of the dogs, we already established that. It's your day, all about you. The only criteria is the loudness you really enjoy for a decent listening session, at least an album. It's your preferred volume.

That still depends somewhat. I'm always at home pretty much these days, I listen all the time at the volume that pleases me at the moment. Some music just needs to be played louder than others due genre or just a particular recording.....

I guess a generally representative answer would be about what I'm doing at the moment....average 75-80 dB. If I play something really loud it's rarely more than 85-90dB average. Used to be louder in my younger days more often, tho

 

[DSJR]

Sorry to hear that. If I can judge by your avatar and you do indeed have ATCs, they've grown lazy by now from all the silent listening. I don't know what I'd do if I was you. It's almost a reason good enough for moving. I must be lucky with neighbors. I'm one of those who approached tenants first and asked if my music is bothering them. Perhaps that disarmed them... No one ever said a word, not one word about my music listening, but I never play during the afternoon siesta and past 22:00. I guess that helps.

I had this model of ATC's in piano lacquer black and sold them to a dear friend (now deceased) when I married. He had the SL main driver and port mods done and subsequently used them daily up until his passing as he wrote TV scripts (there's a video series on the making of the 1980's Robin of Sherwood and he's being interviewed with one of them skulking behind him). He sadly passed away ten or so years back with his widow a few years later so no idea if they were sold or passed down in the family (they're VERY big and heavy). I've had sarcastic comments about playinjg these too loud which caused the hearing issues, but we're talking twenty five years or so, so I ain't having it

Go 2:00 in

My Harbeths don't have what I'd call a tight bass although to be fair even this old 2007 era model doesn't boom like Rogers and some 'classic' Spendors do with good drivers where the surrounds haven't hardened. I was going to sell them but the 'bionic ears' have restored the highs to an acceptable degree.

 

[Aerith Gainsborough]

I voted 80dB, but thinking for a few seconds after, I reckon that's absolute peaks now I have a person called a 'Next Door Neighbour' who tells me if she ever hears the stereo playing, even if it's only for half an hour per week (yes, really!) Any other listening is via headphones and it just ain't the same...

Give her a choice: tolerate occasional music listening or you start learning the Saxophone. :<

I will measure when I get home and edit this post but my gut tells me that long session enjoyment lies at or below the 75dB (A) mark.

 

[ZolaIII]

I usually start around 74 dB average or a little more if in the mood. From there I go about one or two levels higher (1.5, 3 dB) every hour regarding speakers. Rarely listen more than 3 hours without resting and rarely listening casually (as a background) for which lower levels are good. Thing is my brain adapts relatively fast (30~60 min) to the level subjectively identified as loud enough for focused listening. I used to do critical listening on hedaphones on higher level's and for a shot duration of time (about 30 minutes) but that whosent often and now it's very rare.

 

[killdozzer]

Two thirds of votes are 75-80dB. One third spreads acros other choices. Not what I expected, but it's very interesting.