HiFi Subjectivist ¦ Audio Forum ¦ NVA User Group

I downloaded an app for measuring decibels and after listening to a five minute track, it would appear I'm averaging 80 db from my chair at my usual levels. I guess some recordings are louder than others though. What about you guys?

Yeah similar levels to you, rarely goes above say 85db.

The same with me as an average, though often quieter and sometimes louder for short listening sessions.

Once again the question is wrong, lack of understanding. Loudness is a factor of distortion not power, so no one should listen too "loud".

A half watt portable radio can go too loud.

Dr Bunsen Honeydew wrote: ↑Fri Dec 29, 2017 10:34 am Once again the question is wrong, lack of understanding. Loudness is a factor of distortion not power, so no one should listen to "loud".

A half watt portable radio can go loud.

Are you saying if you were listening to half a watt and then turned the volume up to give one watt, you would not be using anymore power?

I don't understand the question. Half watt is half watt, it wont go to one watt.

There is a basic misunderstanding, I have written about it many many times here. It is very simple "loudness" is a factor of distortion not power. For the opposite of that half watt radio, if I had an old Tresham SR402 in bridged mode into 4 ohms it would be giving over 1k watts before it went loud in itself, but your ears would go loud (go into distortion) due to bone whip and your ears would be bleeding.

I think the OP intends to ask:

What sound levels are you guys listening at?

Loudness = distortion:
A half watt radio may be 'too loud' at 70db
A biamped 80w system may not be at all 'loud' at 85db

Although I dont have a sound pressure meter my estimate from SPL tables of common sounds is I listen at a pretty low level probably in the 60-85Db range depending on the music as to me that is the range within which the music and soundstage seem less messed up.

I am not an electronics or acoustics engineer but I have begun to wonder if SPLs rise so does the probability of non linearity? Within an amps designed Voltage/Amperage envelope it should be fairly linear so I have become to suspect as SPLs rise any non linearity is more likely caused by the room acoustics and speaker design and/or interaction between the two or even perhaps a non linearity in my hearing? Is our hearing linear at all SPLs?

Anyway whatever it sounds cleaner and more engaging at lowish SPLs to me.

The whole thread I linked to is relevant.

https://hifisubjectivist.org/viewtopic. ... t=loudness

Notice a good intelligent and sensible contribution from Macca, before he was conned into being a Marco arse licker.