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What is the sound level of Your Listening Room?

I am curious about what the sound level is at your listening position with your system turned off. I have checked mine and during the day it is about 43 dB and at 1:00 a.m. it can be as low as 28. I can improve the daytime level to 35 dB by turning off the refrigerators and air conditioner. What have you done to improve the sound level of your room?

I am considering adding a listening room to the back of my garage (wife is on board because she needs more storage space) and if you have made improvements that have reduced your ambient noise, please share them.
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hilde45's avatar
hilde45
4,783 posts
 
Such a great question! My basement listening level when the house is quiet is about 38 db. I'm in Denver but not in the city, but pretty dense. We have a small place in the mountains and I did an SPL (above ground) there just to see what it was -- 18 db! There may have been snow on the ground, I'm not sure, but what a striking difference.
baclagg's avatar
baclagg OP
147 posts
 
@hilde45  Wow, 18! I haven't measured mine when there was snow on the ground or while it was snowing. I'm sure it makes a difference. I hear so much more detail and my sound stage is wider when my room is at 28 at 1:00 a.m.. I am guessing there are some power grid benefits at that time as well.
mahgister's avatar
mahgister
12,536 posts
 
At night when no car pass by 20 Db...With a car passing by at 20 feet of my house add around 10 Db...More for a truck and way more for a motorcycle...

At day when no car pass by and my ionizers are off; 25 Db

With my 2 ionizeers working: 30 Db....

My audio room is on the second floor, not near the kitchen appliance for sure....

It feel "relatively" silent.... If not for some traffic in day time few cars each 5 minute relatively to the hour of the day....I am used to and it is not bothering me but any noise decrease the  audio quality....


The only way to compensate is some isolation of the room.... But mostly increasing the S.Q. with ACTIVE room controls...

My last discovery is how to use Helmholtz diffusor engines....The gained level of details i gain with these is staggering and compensate for the 10 DB in excess with the traffic....
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