Low Volumes

As an audiophile, you have one, and only one, option. Move. All that expensive equipment isn't noticably better than a boom box when played at a whisper.

Believe me, I know. I moved into a paper-walled condo in 2006 and I think I actually popped the housing bubble with my pen as I was signing the mortgage. So I'm stuck there. I listen to my stereo for an hour or two if I'm home on Saturday afternoon. Anything outside of that is going to generate complaints. An SPL of 70db or higher will get the cops to my door pretty quickly. I've begun to sell off my stereo components, as their capabilities are completely unrealized.

Since single family homes are not plentiful in Manhattan, I'd suggest looking for a concrete loft. That will be my destination once I am able to sell.

Cheers.

OK, I just listened to some again, at a buddies in the Village, his place is pretty small, and he has rebuilt Quad 57's running off of a McIntosh MC275, it's a perfect set up for your place, from what you say, and it sounds GREAT.

Low Volume:

This is the whole concept of my set-up, heck neighbors

where I live comes over, and NEVER dreamed I had

the number of speakers I have, how the music

is so "FULL!" and "DYNAMIC!", yet they were NEVER

even aware that I played music at "all"?

My premise was, If the Music is "close" to my ears,

it will NEVER have to be loud.

First Impressions: People see All the

the Loudspeakers, so they expect "LOUD!" but are

pleasantly surprised when the sound is "FULL",

but NEVER Loud.

Klipsch are a part of my loudspeaker arsenal.

When you can carry on a conversation, speaking in

a "normal tone" of voice, while a

song is playing, and everything sounds "FULL",

and you can hear each other "clearly", it's ALL

Good!

High Power, does not equal "HIGH" volume.

Just "Smooth Dynamic" Music that fills my "room"

without abusing my neighbors.

"SYNERGY" is the "Key" element to ideal "low level"

enjoyment.

"Hearing IS Believing."

I Love Music!

Your concerns were my concerns when I designed my system (albeit for different reasons). Check out my system for some commentary.

However, you may also want to think outside the box to help solve your problem. What does your listening space look like? Do you generally listen near-field or far-field? Could it benefit from acoustical treatment? Sound-absorbing panels may help decrease the noise floor while containing your music from reaching your neighbors. How about a good headphone setup for late-night listening? $4k to $5k could hire a mime to entertain you on the weekends and after-hours. At this point, I'm not sure new equipment is the solution to your problem.

About your before 10PM question - you need to look up what your local law is about the acceptable decibel level of noise. You will almost certainly find out that unless you are playing your system ridiculously loud, that the level you do play it at is FAR below the legal limit.

As a professional horn player, I used to be very concerned about this when I lived in apartments, until I figured out that the legal limit in my area was far higher than the decibel level that any brass instrument is capable of creating. That said, I never did have a single complaint about my practicing, no matter how loud it was, but I never played after 9PM out of courtesy to my neighbors.