How loud do you like your music?

[valerianf]

I am living in an apartment, also I am careful with the neighbors.
My sound meter gives 75dbA peak on Shakira music, so the average level is under 70dbA.

This last month I have to push up the volume of my AVR.
Or I am becoming death, or the streaming sources have lowered the average level, or my AVR is dying...
I hope that the Onkyo RZ70 will arrive soon...

 

[Dal1as]

I am living in an apartment, also I am careful with the neighbors.
My sound meter gives 75dbA peak on Shakira music, so the average level is under 70dbA.

This last month I have to push up the volume of my AVR.
Or I am becoming death, or the streaming sources have lowered the average level, or my AVR is dying...
I hope that the Onkyo RZ70 will arrive soon...

Ate you using Amazon music or a firestick per chance? My signal using them just dropped quite a bit recently. Still sounds fine. Not my AVR as the db level never change on my roku, blurry, plex.

 

[valerianf]

Yes, my measurements were made using a Firestick and Amazon Music HD.
My AVR is >10 years hold so it may aging.
I compensated using the Trim command that adjust the reference level.

 

[ZolaIII]

It's probably their pre broadcast adoption of equal loudness normalization in form of EBU R128 and adoption to - 18 LUFS from - 14 LUFS (as R128 is - 23) which should be relatively reacent.

 

[valerianf]

I got them same issue of lower sound level with the Vizio TV internal Amazon app.

 

[Sokel]

Let's have some fun now.
That's exactly the level I listen this time of day,it's night and it's nice and quiet.
Gave it a minute before the song so the noise floor of the room can be visible as well.
The 11 minutes and 27 seconds of sheer beauty and passion is Bedřich Smetana's - Má Vlast: Vltava.

So: What level am I listening too?

 

[Axo1989]

... What motivated me; I've seen people throwing around numbers like 90-96dB and even higher, yet, nearing 80dB average is simply too much for me. I wanted to see the real-world numbers.

Great discussion in both threads btw. First, some caveats: if we use the mandated Steely Dan track I'm going with < 70 dB. And I'm not making it through a whole album—at least it wasn't Eagles but no insult intended if that's your poison, obviously, I'm answering "how loud do I like my music?"

If we use something fun with hardcore/industrial pretensions then I'm going with > 90 dB. Not quite "has to be" but certainly "best above". Can't really answer with numbers that are genre-independent. Some music doesn't make sense at high levels, some you just keep dialing it up, absent constraints. On a very good system I've been happy at 95-105 with certain albums. If it was compressing/distorting before that, not so much.

In my relatively quiet locale my guidelines are 55-65 dB background music, 65-75 dB casual listening (where Steely Dan would come in, if I listen to it) 75-85 dB getting into it, 85-95 dB is loud (as many have observed) above that is rocking out (and exposure limits, I still want to hear things when I'm crusty). That's dBA via Decibel X on iPhone at LP (~2 metres from speakers in a fairly dry room) with EQ. I go through phases where I check levels pretty obsessively.

 

[Axo1989]

Let's have some fun now.
That's exactly the level I listen this time of day,it's night and it's nice and quiet.
Gave it a minute before the song so the noise floor of the room can be visible as well.
The 11 minutes and 27 seconds of sheer beauty and passion is Bedřich Smetana's - Má Vlast: Vltava.

So: What level am I listening too?


View attachment 251388

View attachment 251390

Well, if the purple line is dBA then you'd be listening at ~70 dB. It's a bit nonsense to use dBA for music though, I'd be using C or Z to get my averages, unless we really wanted to restrict it to easy listening genres and give those pop/rock songs from the time before bass some sort of parity.

 

[killdozzer]

Great discussion in both threads btw. First, some caveats: if we use the mandated Steely Dan track I'm going with < 70 dB. And I'm not making it through a whole album—at least it wasn't Eagles but no insult intended if that's your poison, obviously, I'm answering "how loud do I like my music?"

If we use something fun with hardcore/industrial pretensions then I'm going with > 90 dB. Not quite "has to be" but certainly "best above". Can't really answer with numbers that are genre-independent. Some music doesn't make sense at high levels, some you just keep dialing it up, absent constraints. On a very good system I've been happy at 95-105 with certain albums. If it was compressing/distorting before that, not so much.

In my relatively quiet locale my guidelines are 55-65 dB background music, 65-75 dB casual listening (where Steely Dan would come in, if I listen to it) 75-85 dB getting into it, 85-95 dB is loud (as many have observed) above that is rocking out (and exposure limits, I still want to hear things when I'm crusty). That's dBA via Decibel X on iPhone at LP (~2 metres from speakers in a fairly dry room) with EQ. I go through phases where I check levels pretty obsessively.

I really don't listen to Steely. I was looking for an universally available song that has high quality production but is not bass heavy. Although, I listen to my music at those levels as well. Thanks for your input.

How is your hearing? I'm really asking, I'm not teasing. 95-105?? Is that even possible?

 

[Axo1989]

I really don't listen to Steely. I was looking for an universally available song that has high quality production but is not bass heavy. Although, I listen to my music at those levels as well. Thanks for your input.

How is your hearing? I'm really asking, I'm not teasing. 95-105?? Is that even possible?

Haha I understood the method behind the madness. We did see @restorer-john mention belting out some Steely upthread.

To put things in perspective, that high level listening is special occasion, not on the regular. I have a couple of favourite bands that sound really good up there. I don't get to sit on front of Grande Utopias every day, but when I do it's best to give them a run. You are getting a bit of body slam, which is what you want. Surprising that you can actually converse while that's playing, presumably there just isn't much compression/distortion happening to fill things up. Dry rooms help of course. Extended listening you'd want earplugs.

Consider also something like BMTH's Suicide Season doesn't really have peaks like say classical would, there's not that much headroom above the average (I haven't run a session through REW like @Sokel was doing so I'm guesstimating). As I said, 85-95 is loud and the most I'd manage with any regularity at home (still talking dBA not C/Z). And hearing-wise that's pushing it but I watch the dosimeter calculations and don't appear to be doing too much damage.

 

[killdozzer]

But you're not in a line of work that would damage your hearing?

It surely sounds tempting. I'll have to try it some time. Anyway, what I wanted to ask you is is your 85-95dB session at least the length of an album?

 

[hege]

It's a bit nonsense to use dBA for music though

No it isn't, it has a clear function in the context of this thread: to enable more fair comparison between different people's setups and music, as bass can vary a lot. I think even mobile apps commonly default to dBA.

 

[Sokel]

Well, if the purple line is dBA then you'd be listening at ~70 dB. It's a bit nonsense to use dBA for music though, I'd be using C or Z to get my averages, unless we really wanted to restrict it to easy listening genres and give those pop/rock songs from the time before bass some sort of parity.

I did test with db(Z) also,different song who has some low too:

Let's get honest with SPL

personal preferences (dBSPL measured by Genelec GLM): ca. 60-70: "home-office-volume" 80-85: comfort-zone for enjoyment 85-95: extended comfort-zone (up to 30 minutes) My perception is a certain volume (> 80) is needed to appreciate bass while loud music (> 90) can be exhausting/uncomfortable...

www.audiosciencereview.com

 

[izeek]

i voted 80db. its been several months since i last took a reading using rew.
i like that levelish.
unless im playing summer madness by kool and the gang. then its going to be 90.

 

[Axo1989]

But you're not in a line of work that would damage your hearing?

It surely sounds tempting. I'll have to try it some time. Anyway, what I wanted to ask you is is your 85-95dB session at least the length of an album?

I do software and field ecology, my work life is made up of quiet environments!

Length of listening is an interesting question: as Apple Music was thrilled to report a week or so back, the album I played most the past year was Poppy's Flux. It's short and sharp at 32 minutes, so I can run it flat chat and want a bit more. Suicide Season is 42 minutes, which I can manage, but not often. That's about the limit. I tried a track to compare A with C and saw ~5dB difference in "average" and 10 dB difference in "max" (not the same as REW peak) using Decibel X. The way I'd usually express it, 85-95 would be a rough ave-max range if that makes sense.

My next 5 most played were new-ish stuff from yuele, MIA and FKA twigs, I don't play them so loud. Rounding out the top 10 was on old one, My Bloody Valentine's Loveless, which got a good run because they sorted out licensing and it became streamable. To do that authentically you'd want >120 dB if reports of their live gigs are true. I'm getting tinnitus just thinking about it. But they reckon they gave out earplugs at the door.

 

[Axo1989]

No it isn't, it has a clear function in the context of this thread: to enable more fair comparison between different people's setups and music, as bass can vary a lot. I think even mobile apps commonly default to dBA.

I understand @killdozzer's logic and that was fine. Just saying I don't use dBA for exposure personally, it ignores the impact of loud bass.

 

[Axo1989]

I did test with db(Z) also,different song who has some low too:

Let's get honest with SPL

personal preferences (dBSPL measured by Genelec GLM): ca. 60-70: "home-office-volume" 80-85: comfort-zone for enjoyment 85-95: extended comfort-zone (up to 30 minutes) My perception is a certain volume (> 80) is needed to appreciate bass while loud music (> 90) can be exhausting/uncomfortable...

www.audiosciencereview.com

Interesting, That's dBZ average along the purple line then. Makes sense. Also, the peak level looks mad. I knew Decibel X wasn't showing true peaks at "max".

Btw if you like that sort of thing (linking to an Evanescence track) Amy Lee did a nice duet with Oli Sykes (from BMTH) not so long ago:

 

[killdozzer]

I do software and field ecology, my work life is made up of quiet environments!

Length of listening is an interesting question: as Apple Music was thrilled to report a week or so back, the album I played most the past year was Poppy's Flux. It's short and sharp at 32 minutes, so I can run it flat chat and want a bit more. Suicide Season is 42 minutes, which I can manage, but not often. That's about the limit. I tried a track to compare A with C and saw ~5dB difference in "average" and 10 dB difference in "max" (not the same as REW peak) using Decibel X. The way I'd usually express it, 85-95 would be a rough ave-max range if that makes sense.

My next 5 most played were new-ish stuff from yuele, MIA and FKA twigs, I don't play them so loud. Rounding out the top 10 was on old one, My Bloody Valentine's Loveless, which got a good run because they sorted out licensing and it became streamable. To do that authentically you'd want >120 dB if reports of their live gigs are true. I'm getting tinnitus just thinking about it. But they reckon they gave out earplugs at the door.

Some damn fine music right there!

 

[Sokel]

Interesting, That's dBZ average along the purple line then. Makes sense. Also, the peak level looks mad. I knew Decibel X wasn't showing true peaks at "max".

Btw if you like that sort of thing (linking to an Evanescence track) Amy Lee did a nice duet with Oli Sykes (from BMTH) not so long ago:

I do like some of them (otherwise I'm all for classical).I'll give it a listen,thanks!

 

[Axo1989]

So I discovered (after all this time) that the Decibel X app has a toggle between "max" and "peak". D'oh. Tried it with another album out of curiosity ...

This time Jack Off Jill's Clear Hearts Grey Flowers (alt-grunge circa 2000) turned it up to pretty loud. That panned out around 90 average 103 peak dB(A). Which would've been ≥ 95-ish average dB(C). And yep, true-er peaks were higher than my usual "max" readings. That was was about as loud as I'd go with my (pretty tolerant) neighbour home, I might go a bit harder for myself but not too often.

Dosimeter was interesting, I turned it on a bit after starting so reading for 37 mins of the 50 minute album. NIOSH dose was ~29% so safely under 50% for the whole thing. So two full albums at that level would be a practical limit.

Spoiler: relevant Decibel X screens

As an aside, I (re)discovered JOJ after Poppy did a nice cover of their Fear of Dying. So I played that version then her new EP Stagger at the same levels. Turn-of-the-century JOJ isn't bass-shy: we're not talking about the anemic tosh that passed for rock in my parents time but twenty years on we have better (re)production: the bass guitar line is entirely distinct even though the general mid/treble cacophony is similarly intense. We also get sub-bass synth well below that—absent in the earlier period—which I got a taste for in certain electronic stuff, it's super nice that it's used judiciously across a range of genres now.