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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
jkbtn
71 posts
 
It's the amp that causes 'mushiness' at higher volume levels. Upgrade your amp.Some big/heavy "high current" mono blocks.
mijostyn's avatar
mijostyn
8,152 posts
 
The last three posts are correct in their own way except newtoncr 105dB is pushing the danger point for your ears. Tweek the bass and the treble up just 1-2 dB and 95 dB will sound just as good. Elliot you can have a marvelous sounding system that will not push comfortably beyond 85 db. But id you have a system that will do 95 db comfortably that is heaven for some music not all. A string quartet at that volume would sound rather ridiculous. jkbtn right on.
geoffkait's avatar
geoffkait
23,365 posts
 
Unfortunately, distortion sets in way before high volumes are reached. There is distortion even at moderate levels. But the higher the volume the higher the distortion. You’re just used to it, that’s all since it’s always been there. You’re unaware of the distortion until it’s removed. It doesn’t have anything to do with amplifier distortion. It is more mysterious. Much more mysterious. it’s not really a secret because no one knows about it. 😲
wanderingmoo OP
29 posts
 
Been away a few days - I pulled out my SPL meter and mushy stars right around 80db. (A-weighted) I know someone asked.  

I took your advice and plugged the ports completely and the sound improved.  Less but much tighter/cleaning up the lower few octaves.  

I also played around with poor-man sound treatments.  This also seems to help.  I put egg-crate foam behind a few paintings and prints on the back of the room.  This reduced reflection.  I was getting some “slap” from the back wall.  No doubt more can be done here.  Wondering if ceiling treatment might help?  It’s the easiest place to treat without disturbing the look of the room. I’ll keep at it.  I have a 110” projector screen between the speakers - maybe sound panels behind the screen?  

As for the Amp.  I have no doubt mono-blocks carved out of mountains of billet aluminum would yield an improvement.  I haven’t tested that theory yet.  Stay tuned...  and thank you for all the advice!
viber6
2,438 posts
 
wanderingmoo,
No, room treatments may help, but you will still find that the sound is clearer and more focused at lower volumes.  Even in my dead room due to clutter, this is the case.  The ear is less sensitive to bass, so it takes higher volumes to give a sense of loudness in the bass.  The whole spectrum of freq is downshifted to give more emphasis to the bass than higher freq.  More bass does give more fullness, but with sacrifices to clarity and focus.  Even with live unamplified classical music, these statements apply.  In audio systems, the lower volume you listen at, the more you have to listen carefully, so that is also a factor in your perceptions.  There is a tradeoff at what volume you choose to listen--too low, you hear less of everything but it is all focused, and too high, you hear bloat and lack of focus.  Also, since all audio systems are veiled and distorted compared to live unamplified music, trying to get live volumes out of an audio system will doom you to mushy sound.  It is better to accept the facts of reality, and get more clarity and focus from your system at lower volumes.
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