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Sound quality vs. volume

Looking for a bit of expertise here:

I recently made a few changes to my setup and while overall pleased with the results, I’m on the quest for better.  I’m hoping you all can help me diagnose an issue I’m hearing.

When listening to music at lower volume levels - say less than 1/2 total volume, the clarity, imaging and dynamics come across far more coherent and “in focus”.  To use an often over-coined phrase “It’s like I’m there in the room”.  As I start to push the volume up a bit, closer to live-performance levels, the sound becomes increasingly “mushy”.  I know, a highly technical term, but the best way to describe what I am hearing.  The bottom-end loosens up - getting a bit boomy, the crispness of the mid-range and highs fade and the imaging falls out of focus.  These are all incremental with volume until I get to the point where it’s just unbearable.   

I’m no expert by any means but feel it might be room acoustics.  I already know I have a less than ideal setup with a nearly square room (21x20ft) with 60% of the surface covered with clear birch wood paneling. Some things we can’t change (easily).  I do not have any acoustic treatment, just lots of soft furniture.  What I find interesting is that my old setup (Magnepan 1.6) didn’t suffer to such a degree.  Maybe with the new setup there is more to loose?  A mystery.  

For a bit more context:  
Speakers:  Dynaudio Contour 60
Streamer: SoTM sms-200 Ultra
Amplifier: Peachtree Nova500

Within the 20x21ft. room, my speakers are 4ft. from the wall, I am seated 13ft. from the front wall (a bit back from room center). Speakers are 9ft. apart.

Any thoughts?  


wanderingmoo
geoffkait's avatar
geoffkait
23,365 posts
 
Some things off the beaten track to reduce compression, distortion and congestion at moderate-high volumes:

1. Remove all unused electronics and cables from the room.

2. Remove all musical instruments from the room.

3. Remove all CDs and LPs from the room.

4. Remove all books and magazines from the room.
waterclocker's avatar
waterclocker
11 posts
 
Improving my amp did reduce distortion at high levels, but the room is still the main issue.  Simple music sound amazing, but complex and loud overloads smaller untreated rooms in my experience.  In an open space the complex music sounds much cleaner and less muddied, but bass response is much lower also.
glupson
7,842 posts
 
wanderingmoo,

"As I start to push the volume up a bit, closer to live-performance levels, the sound becomes increasingly “mushy”."
I would take that as a warning. Turn the volume down. Not many things are better at destroying hearing than some live-performance sound pressure levels.
wanderingmoo OP
29 posts
 
@glupson: definately not that loud. About the place on the knob where you start to feel the music but way before my ears start to bleed ;-) 
glupson
7,842 posts
 
wanderingmoo,

Just be careful. Music often feels good when it is a little louder while, in fact, it is already too loud. I am as guilty about it as anybody else. Get a measuring device, basic ones are less than $20 in the USA, and check the levels you are talking about. If for no real reason, but for fun. It gets interesting. At times, it gets you thinking. The quietest moment, middle of the night and windows closed, in my room is 35 dBA. The music, when it starts "being felt, but not appearing too loud" is around 70 (for me).
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