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
