Volume Level Sweet Spot

[Snooker]

Might sound obvious but the higher you go in volume the better the track sounds so long as it is not too loud would you agree, in other words there is a sweet spot you need to reach to maximise the quality of the recording which in my case is around volume level 14 for internet radio

But as I live in a flat I typically have it at 8-11 volume level out of 60 (and it still sounds good at lower volumes), but am therefore limited to go any higher to maximise the listening experience, must be good for those people with a detached house etc

Obviously I can wear headphones but the sound sounds better through the speakers which I believe is normal and as expected

 

[Petherick]

I live in a detached house and sometimes I turn it up to 11.
It didn't used to be detached..

 

[ID.]

I find the more powerful the amp the bigger the sweet spot. Also depends on how the volume dial is calibrated.

My little Genelecs have a similar size sweet spot to amps I've had in the past, but my A7Xs just seem to get louder and louder without getting harsh for a long run. The actives also allow me to adjust how quickly it gets loud using the volume *** on my pre by adjusting the trim on the speakers, which can make it easier turning them up to the ideal volume.

 

[bluedroog]

Volume can be quite misleading between kit with a meter, distortion sounds louder. My Event Opals can go pretty loud without distortion but often it isn't till you try and talk can't hear yourself you realise how loud it actually is. At the moment I'm using an M-DAC as a pre-amp which isn't ideal at lower volume, I find my speakers sound better at higher volume but the range is pretty big.

 

[chebby]

As someone who cannot bear really loud volume levels (and has 90dB speakers about 10 feet from my chair across the width of a 14' x 22' room) then I can't relate to this thread. My 50wpc amp is probably overkill!

When turned up a bit beyond the level I normally listen at (measured with a rudimenary dB meter from my listening distance), the very loudest peaks are - momentarily - about 85dB but that seldom happens. I value my ears and I don't like to have to raise my voice to talk when playing music.

 

[BigH]

I don't entirely agree, yes some systems have a sweet spot, often around 10 to on the volume knob. However some sytems just get louder or quieter. Be interested to know why some sytems have a sweet spot, is it because of relative low power amp. and has the passive crossover got anything to do with it?

 

[BigH]

I don't entirely agree, yes some systems have a sweet spot, often around 10 to on the volume knob. However some sytems just get louder or quieter. Be interested to know why some sytems have a sweet spot, is it because of relative low power amp. and has the passive crossover got anything to do with it?

 

[matthewpiano]

I've found this issue varies considerably between different combinations of kit. Some systems I've had have indeed sounded somewhat lacking in detail, openess, and depth until they are turned up, and this is one of the things that has prompted by box swapping over the years.

Like you, Snooker, I live in a flat and have to be careful about volume levels out of consideration. I'm also like Chebby in that I can't stand excessively high volume levels.

Luckily I've ended up with an affordable combination that doesn't suffer these issues and remains engaging and involving even at very low volume levels. In general, my volume control sits between 8 and 9 o'clock positions, needing nearer 9 o'clock for most classical music due to the very wide dynamic range and the need to hear the low level dynamics.

 

[nopiano]

It took me many years of listening to fully realise, that for unamplified music at least, there is an absolute or 'correct' volume. Ideally, that is the same as the instrument or group in the original venue. Quieter than that can seem weedy and undynamic; too loud means the focus is too close-up and with excessive noise e.g. Keyboard clatter or breath intakes.

If you enjoy flute sonatas or harpsichords that can be domestically quite acceptable. If you favour Mahler or rock bands, it probably isn't!

The trick for domestic hifi at home to be successful seems to be a system that replicates most of the audible cues from live music, but without needing every last dB of the absolute volume or SPL. Nice as it is to occasionally rock out, something that can kid you it is accurate at slightly lower levels does the trick for me.

 

[steve_1979]

Volume can be quite misleading between kit with a meter, distortion sounds louder. My Event Opals can go pretty loud without distortion but often it isn't till you try and talk can't hear yourself you realise how loud it actually is.

As you say, many people don't realise that a distorted speaker playing at low volume actually sounds louder than an undistorted speaker playing at high volume. Distortion is one of the main ways that our ears judge volume levels so it's normal for them to give an inaccurate perception of the true SPL because of this. That's just the way ears work.

I sometimes have the same issue with my DM10s that you do with your Opals. When turning them up loud the sound doesn't change in any way it just gets louder. Even at uncomfortably high volume levels there's never any compression, distortion or any other sign of stress like most hifi systems have. This makes it all too easy to play them at too high a volume level without noticing it (usually until someone walks in the room to say something and you suddenly realise that you can't hear your own voice over the music).

Only a few days ago I was listening to music at 3am in the morning at what seemed like a sensible level. It was only when I continued playing the same album several hours later (without touching the volume) that I realised just how unsociably loud it was.

 

[steve_1979]

I don't entirely agree, yes some systems have a sweet spot, often around 10 to on the volume knob. However some sytems just get louder or quieter. Be interested to know why some sytems have a sweet spot, is it because of relative low power amp. and has the passive crossover got anything to do with it?

My guess is that the sweet spot is the point where distortion really starts to kick in.

Most people dont realise that distortion levels can get suprisingly high before it actually sounds distorted. With lower levels of distortion the music still sounds clear but it's just not as pleasent or smooth. Basically it's just not as nice or easy to listen to even though you can't noticably hear any distortion.

Again most people don't realise that they're listening to destorted speakers even at relatively low volume levels. Unless you've actually lived with high clarity, high powered (and preferably active) speakers such as the Event Opals you'll probably never appreciate how easy it is for distortion to fool your ears into misinteperating the true volume level due to them wrongly interpreting rising distortion as rising SPL.

 

[Gazzip]

11.

 

[Snooker]

I think I got a little bit carried away with the volume level yesterday as 14 is slightly too loud really, so 12ish is about right, and can just about get away with this level of volume in my flats

To maximise my units performance in the future when I have some money will buy some Dynaudio Emit M10 Speakers in place of my Dali Zensor 1's and Sennheiser Momentum 2.0 Wireless Headphones (Although my current headphones are excellent, and would have to get the Denon Ceol N9 which has bluetooth, but will probably always stay with the Denon or Marantz all in one unit as I like them)