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Does It have to be loud?

Are you also under the impression that when people (or manufacturers) demo their equipment, they maintain sound pressure levels between 90-100 Dba. In general this is done in rooms being too small, and therefore the room will heavily interact with the sound heard in that room. Often, when you ask to lower the volume, the actual result is better, and –most likely- provides you with the information you were looking for. So, my question here is, do you also prefer to listen in the 90-100 dba range? Or do you –like myself- like to listen in the 70-90 dba sound pressure range? Of course, I’m referring to sound pressure levels at the listening position, which –in my case- is about 4 meter away from the speaker. 

128x128han_n

Showing 1 response by hifibouncer

hifibouncer
29 posts
 
As amazing and sensitive our sense of hearing is, it is insensitive to certain aspects of music at low volumes.
1. Dynamic range - when you listen at low volumes, loud passages aren't loud
2. Frequency extremes - our ears can't' hear deep bass frequencies or extended high frequencies at low volumes very well. 
3. Harmonic overtones - harmonics, and the "feel" of the space of where the music was performed is lost at low volumes. 
This is why music is played loud at shows and for demo purposes. Although I agree that most tines the "demoer" overdoes it.   
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