Background noise.

Ambient noise is a number one priority with me. I’ve been in some very nicely constructed radio station studios, and have been amazed at how quiet, quiet can be. There’s a radio station studio that I sometimes still step foot into, and I’m always completely blown away by how quiet it is (without question, it is the quietest place I know of on this earth). I was not involved with construction of it, but I know they went to great lengths to soundproof it - you can’t even hear the air conditioning in action. If I somehow step into a very quiet public space (like maybe a museum of some sort), my ears and brain immediately recognize this, and bask in all of its unintended glory. Many of us just don’t realize, on a daily basis, how we’re constantly bombarded with noise.

I too try and strive for quiet home listening environments, and even though I’m most times able to achieve that (thankfully most times my neighborhood is quiet too), I still prefer my headphones when critically listening. I even go a step further, and darken my listening environments. Many times I will also close my eyes when listening, and try and tune everything out, except the music I’m listening to. It’s not always easy creating a quiet home listening environment, but with all of the great sound systems many have assembled on this site, attaining an ultra-quiet listening environment should *also* be a top priority.

@twoleftears 

Yes!  And that n-th degree of blacker black that reviewers talk about as attributable to expensive components, doesn't matter that much if you have any significant degree of ambient noise.

You got it! 

Even if you don’t have any SPL meters, it’s really as simple as just sitting in your listening room sweet spot, and for a few moments, listening; with no music playing. If you hear your refrigerator running, or your furnace running, or neighbors outside, or even audio equipment transformer mechanical hum; this background noise, in essence, is raising your *perceived* listening room noise floor. You may tune it out when music is playing, but it’s still there. You may find (I know I do) your listening experience, better, or improved, by trying to lower the ambient noise level in your listening area. It goes without saying that so much about achieving and reaching audio system performance nirvana is about listening - buzzes, hums, wall reflections, dead acoustics, cold acoustics, the difference in cable choices, etc. (keeping the good, while eliminating the bad). In my particular situation, my furnace and refrigerator are the loudest in my home. If I’m in a serious listening mood, and want a really quiet listening environment, I will temporarily turn them off.