What's your average SPL for music listening

[patate91]

Reading some comments here about SPL and a couple of people say that they listen at 85 db average.

I took my Umik-1 out again and I played music and pink noise at 83 db Z and C weighting and I found it's way to loud for listening more than 15 to 30 minutes.

During the day 75db seems good for me, and 65 to 70 db at night is enough, especially with young kids.

A thing I noticed is that at 65 to 75 db I prefer a *flatter in room frequency response. (*there a "natural" 20 to 65hz boost in my room that I appreciate). But pass 75 db flat frequency response is way to bright (very apparent with vocal). I guess the Harman curve is less critical at my "normal"/low level. I guess that bright speakers can sound great at those SPL too.

What about you guys ?

 

[MarsianC#]

About 80-85 dB (peaks 5 dB louder), short term a bit louder. Depends on the music/dynamic range. Measured with a Umik too, room is treated, RT60 ~0.3 s down to 80 Hz. Listening distance 2 m, pair of Event Opal's.
While watching movies it can get pretty loud, 100+ dB in bass happens. Master and Commander, first battle at 10 min

 

[patate91]

About 80-85 dB (peaks 5 dB louder), short term a bit louder. Depends on the music/dynamic range. Measured with a Umik too, room is treated, RT60 ~0.3 s down to 80 Hz. Listening distance 2 m, pair of Event Opal's.
While watching movies it can get pretty loud, 100+ dB in bass happens. Master and Commander, first battle at 10 min

My room is treated too, a little bit more dead between 0,2 to 0,3 and deep bass no more than 0,6 (no EQ, better with EQ).

Movies is the pretty the same SPL, kids don't like too loud for movies too.

 

[CDMC]

I have calibrated my systems using Bob Katz recommended monitoring levels for mixing. See here:

https://www.soundonsound.com/techniques/establishing-project-studio-reference-monitoring-levels

https://www.digido.com/portfolio-item/level-practices-part-1/

https://www.digido.com/portfolio-item/level-practices-part-2/

As these are target levels for mixing, playing back at these same levels (assuming that most engineers follow them, which more and more are), results in a reference level that is the same as used when mastering. The following caveats apply:

1) Use 500-2000 hz pink noise, c weighted for setting the reference level.
2) I use volume leveling set to -20dbfs so that all my music is adjusted to the reference level.
3) You must adjust your reference level based on room size. In my large living room this means 78dbc at -20dbfs per speaker at the listening position. On my office desktop system, it means 74dbc at -20dbfs.
4) This is a reference level, not an absolute. I find for listening sessions, it is a great starting point, but with compressed music tends to be too loud, with dynamic music, too soft, but always pretty close.
5) This is not a long term listening level. I listen to music all day long while working at my desk, but at an average level of 60-64dbc at -20dbfs. I find 74dbfs too loud to listen to at my desk for extended periods.

 

[MarsianC#]

5) This is not a long term listening level. I listen to music all day long while working at my desk, but at an average level of 60-64dbc at -20dbfs. I find 74dbfs too loud to listen to at my desk for extended periods.

Same, critical listening is not possible (at least for me) for more than ~2 hours.

 

[lukyjohnson]

I generally keep the average in-room SPL about 75-80dB, with peaks close to 100dB. I agree that you need at least this much SPL for music to come alive. With classical music, the average is much lower and the peaks higher.
I was experiencing muddy sound when cranking up the volume. The bass was overwhelming my smallish (14x15x9 feet^3) dedicated room, but after putting in significant acoustic treatments, now the limit appears to be hearing safety and how much my ears can tolerate.

 

[Sgt. Ear Ache]

Never much above 75dbs.

 

[Wombat]

I have no idea. I turn the volume knob to a position that suits my mood and time of day constraints and just listen and enjoy.

 

[mil]

In my "office" room, for most of the day 40 db on average with peaks of 50 db, during the night I may go up to 60 db. I have treated the room with around 70 foam panels though and that helps clarity I guess.

 

[FrantzM]

70~75 dB... I can tolerate peaks at 100 dB+ if the music calls for it..

 

[digitalfrost]

System is calibrated to 78dBC, but I often also listen at 83dBC. Rarely more than 86dBC.

 

[Robh3606]

Depends on what I am listening to I would say in the mid 80's average. I have more than one system and my HT does both music and movies. In the HT I typically am under reference level by a good 10-15db as I find reference level a bit much. I am powered to hit 115dB clean no accounting for headroom but the the way I listen only the subs would get close to that.

Rob

 

[Pluto]

Pink noise … 70dBA
Pink Floyd … 110dBA
Pink … 20dBA

 

[Balle Clorin]

Be careful to compare,,,,The db values you get from REW can be absolute rubbish, the same with iphone/androut apps and cannot be compared
Calibrating with proper dbMeter is required, and even after that the values are easily screwed up by your PC settings.

A classic Radioshack digital reading db meter will do...

and with that I listen at 75-82 db on average, on rare occasions I have a party for my self at 82-90

 

[MattHooper]

About 68 - 75 average from the listening spot. (I have sensitive hearing).

My listening room is on the main-floor of the house, with a wide room opening to the rest of the main floor, so when I really want to blast the music I crank it up and listen from my computer room, or from the kitchen while making food or whatever.

 

[Canuck57]

about 80 db to 90 db, sometimes I really crank it up!

 

[patate91]

Be careful to compare,,,,The db values you get from REW can be absolute rubbish, the same with iphone/androut apps and cannot be compared
Calibrating with proper dbMeter is required, and even after that the values are easily screwed up by your PC settings.

A classic Radioshack digital reading db meter will do...

and with that I listen at 75-82 db on average, on rare occasions I have a party for my self at 82-90

Why REW with a microphone like the UMIK would provide rubbish data?

 

[Taddpole]

How are people measuring these, with dedicated meters? At the point they usually listen or nearer to speakers?

I used a few different apps and all gave different answers and then a few different phones with the same app and they were pretty different too. I'm thinking this is not the way to do it.

 

[patate91]

How are people measuring these, with dedicated meters? At the point they usually listen or nearer to speakers?

I used a few different apps and all gave different answers and then a few different phones with the same app and they were pretty different too. I'm thinking this is not the way to do it.

I measure with a Umik-1 with his calibration file loaded in REW (computer software) at my listening place. You can toggle the weighting between A, C and Z

 

[Robh3606]

I have a digital SPL meter. I also have a speaker measurement system that is calibrated I can use as a reference.

Rob