What volume level do you use for classical music? Loud or quiet? What are your opinions regarding relaxation and volume?

[Doodski]

I'm just getting into classical @ a late age and I'm a bit confused if it is better really loud or very quiet. I know many like it very subtle and others are head bangers. What is going on here for you peeps? How loud is it in concert usually and what should I expect from my headphone gear to make it like a real life concert? Is it normal to go really loud like I do for rock and pop music?

 

[Mikig]

With headphones I don't know!

If we speak about large orchestra, I fear that reproducing it well, is truly difficult. The impact, the dynamics, the size of the sound stage and the number of instruments in play make faithful reproduction an achievement.
To date, speaking of reproduction with speakers, I have never heard a piece of classical music in 2 channels really well enough to be able to say "like being there". Maybe better with 5 and more channels.
on the contrary, it is much easier to hear classical music well with small ensembles.

 

[Mikig]

However, the level would necessarily be strong with the orchestra and, depending on the mood, adequate with melody and small ensembles…

 

[Doodski]

However, the level would necessarily be strong with the orchestra and, depending on the mood, adequate with melody and small ensembles…

I find I am encountering very loud dynamic transient peaks that are virtually impossible to predict. I have the classical music pieces playing as I do stuff on my desktop PC and am commenting here @ ASR and it is good for background listening but as I said it can be overwhelming in comparison to rock and pop that maintains a steady beat and power output level most of the time. It's a totally different vibe for sure. I think my typing is better with classical too... LoL.

 

[kemmler3D]

I find that most classical recordings don't sound very good unless you turn them up quite a bit. In fact, I think I underappreciated classical recordings for a long time because I didn't turn them up much. Most of the recordings I come across are quite dynamic and so the baseline loudness is low.

While some pieces are written and recorded to be quiet, a lot of times the appropriate thing to do is crank it up.

If you actually go to the symphony, it gets pretty loud.

 

[rdenney]

I have different reasons for listening to classical music. These are really use cases. One is to revisit a favorite work while sharing my focus with something else also mentally entertaining, like reading fiction. For that, volume can be low. I don’t have to hear details, because they are already in my memory and just need to be triggered.

Another use case is that I want to play along on my tuba. For that, it needs to be about as loud as on stage, though it will never be as dynamic. I’m looking for peaks well in the 105-110dB SPL range for the loudest bits. Obviously, this depends on dynamic recording—brick wall gain-riding as with current pop music would make intolerable and even dangerous. But I don’t want to hold back, and I still want to hear the orchestra while putting out a fortissimo on the tuba. I don’t get to do this unless I’m home alone and have some time, so it’s a rare pleasure.

Listening to a new work is another use case, and for this I want it to be loud enough to hear the details with the expectation of focusing on listening. I adjust depending on the nature of the music, though in general I would describe it as comfortably loud.

Many have the background music use case, but that doesn’t usually work for me. If I’m doing something else that requires real concentration, like work, I can’t often listen to classical—it’s usually just too compelling. But for that I’ll maybe tune to the local classical FM station and turn it down low. The FM station will provide enough processing to keep it from disappearing. I might also hear something new, though only rarely does it make me want to hear it again. If the music becomes too compelling and therefore distracting, I usually turn it off for a while.

Rick “so: it depends” Denney

 

[Doodski]

I find that most classical recordings don't sound very good unless you turn them up quite a bit.

I asked the original question based on my experience that I have from visiting peoples' homes. They had speakers in many rooms of the house at a low power output and it was exquisite to be able to walk from room to room and have such quality speakers and carry on with the same pieces of music. All at a very subtle power output that was catching to the mind. So the low output power level if done right can be cool too and enveloping and omnipresent.

 

[Chrispy]

Don't listen to classical often but when I do it's generally for relaxation (reclined, eyes closed type of situation), so more low/medium volume range while I drift off. No headphones, tho.

 

[Alexander Gödde]

A symphony orchestra can get really, really loud, and playing it back at low volume you lose both detail and impact. My speakers can get close to the volume, but then my neighbours in the apartment below can hear what symphony I'm playing.

 

[Doodski]

A symphony orchestra can get really, really loud, and playing it back at low volume you lose both detail and impact. My speakers can get close to the volume, but then my neighbours in the apartment below can hear what symphony I'm playing.

Is there supposed to be a large quantity of bass/low frequency response? I ask because I have the bass backed off and the top frequencies very much boosted so as to make the instruments more live sounding.

 

[Chrispy]

Is there supposed to be a large quantity of bass/low frequency response? I ask because I have the bass backed off and the top frequencies very much boosted so as to make the instruments more live sounding.

I'd think a good part of that is the particular piece being performed? Generally I find classical a bit light in the low end in general.

 

[RDoc]

I listen to a lot of classical music of many different types, usually with a cat in my lap, a glass of wine in my hand and my wife next to me. In those cases I keep it pretty low, medium loud conversational level.
When I'm listening alone I generally turn it up to very loud conversational level. The higher level really does bring out more of the music because classical music has a very wide dynamic range and it seems to me that there are a lot of subtle tone effects with many of the instruments that are more easily audible if it's played pretty loud. That also allows the quieter parts and instruments to come through.
As for bass, yes, depending on the piece, there can be a LOT of bass with very sharp transients. Listening to a good orchestra in a decent hall is a dynamic experience. Try Scheherazade by Rimsky-Korsakov for some really rich bass notes that are very much in control.
Thankfully, there doesn't seem to have been a "loudness war" in classical recordings.

 

[Mikig]

Is there supposed to be a large quantity of bass/low frequency response? I ask because I have the bass backed off and the top frequencies very much boosted so as to make the instruments more live sounding.

there are some beautiful tables with the fundamental frequency band of orchestral instruments not amplified: the piano is the most complete, between 27.5 and 4186 Hz. All the others are between 40 and 1000 Hz, with the exception of the violin and the flute which reach well above 3KHz but start from 196 and 260 Hz respectively. Clearly not considering the harmonics.

 

[kemmler3D]

Is there supposed to be a large quantity of bass/low frequency response? I ask because I have the bass backed off and the top frequencies very much boosted so as to make the instruments more live sounding.

I don't think there's supposed to be a ton, all the instruments are acoustic, after all. But it depends on how they mixed it. A naturalistic recording will be much less bass-heavy than even a lot of Jazz recordings, but they might mix the bass higher if they feel like it.

 

[Sokel]

Posted it in another thread some time ago,so start with this.

It goes low at 30's and with an average of around 80db (C) SLP expect the peaks to be at 105-110db (C) at least.
I hope you got your answer.

Note,that this is not a DR champion,rather a modest one.Scheherazade that was proposed in another post can go from really low to really high,depending the version.
So,as much power as you can get.

 

[Doodski]

there are some beautiful tables with the fundamental frequency band of orchestral instruments: the piano is the most complete, between 27.5 and 4186 Hz. All the others are between 40 and 1000 Hz, with the exception of the violin and the flute which reach well above 3KHz but start from 196 and 260 Hz respectively. Clearly not considering the harmonics.

OK, I adjusted for listening pleasure this way and yes it is much more full bodied and the piano comes across as more live.
Old setting.>>>

Today's setting that is better.>>>

 

[DVDdoug]

How Loud Is Loud?

I don't listen to classical, but the full sound of an orchestra (or rock band) in my living room. Something about the smaller space makes it uncomfortable or claustrophobic to me. Plus, I have nearby neighbors. But I do appreciate dynamics.

One of my vehicles has a "killer sound system" and awhile back brought my SPL meter on a trip (I didn't want to play around with that near my neighbors either ). When I was "having fun" with classic rock cranked-up I was around 95dB. Then when I backed it back-down I think I had a "temporary threshold shift" (temporary slight hearing loss) ...hopefully temporary. The short-term loud parts in classical music could probably be that loud, or louder, more comfortably and without any unfortunate side-effects.

The most-dynamic music I have (that I actually listen to) is some Broadway soundtracks. Once when I was listening to Les Miserables in the car I found myself turning the volume up-and-down because I couldn't clearly hear the quiet parts over the road noise. and then it was too loud or distorted when the loud parts came-around. At home when "seriously listening" the dynamics are fine. It's not the kind of music I'd listen to as background music.

From what I've read, most classical recordings have some compression but obviously not as much as popular "loudness war" releases.

I've never used it, but there is a "famous" old plug-in for Audacity called Chris's Compressor and from what I understand he developed it for car listening so it should also be good for background listening. But Audacity is an (free open source) audio editor, not a real-time processor, so you'd have to make compressed copies for situations where you don't want the full dynamics. Audacity also has own compressor and limiter effects, or there are tons of 3rd-party plug-ins and some of them should work in Audacity.

 

[Doodski]

Posted it in another thread some time ago,so start with this.

It goes low at 30's and with an average of around 80db (C) SLP expect the peaks to be at 105-110db (C) at least.
I hope you got your answer.

Note,that this is not a DR champion,rather a modest one.Scheherazade that was proposed in another post can go from really low to really high,depending the version.
So,as much power as you can get.

OH yeah baby. This is bassy and my new today's PEQ setting demolishes the old PEQ setting.

 

[Doodski]

It goes low at 30's and with an average of around 80db (C) SLP expect the peaks to be at 105-110db (C) at least.
I hope you got your answer.

Note,that this is not a DR champion,rather a modest one.Scheherazade that was proposed in another post can go from really low to really high,depending the version.
So,as much power as you can get.

My PEQ level meters are perfectly set now with the new bassier PEQ settings of today. No clipping and I think I can even get better low end response if I fiddle with it some more. That track you linked is a excellent tool. Thanks muchO! My ears are feeling the pressure now.

 

[Daverz]

I'm just getting into classical @ a late age and I'm a bit confused if it is better really loud or very quiet. I know many like it very subtle and others are head bangers. What is going on here for you peeps? How loud is it in concert usually and what should I expect from my headphone gear to make it like a real life concert? Is it normal to go really loud like I do for rock and pop music?

I hope it goes without saying not so loud as to risk damage to hearing. Beyond that, I'd say you want it loud enough for the quiet parts to have an effect but not so loud that climaxes are unpleasant. So the level also depends on the quality of the recording. In general, I suggest turning up the volume until the instrumental timbres sound right (full and saturated), but then turn down the volume a notch below that to reduce stress on your ears.