Are you operating in the correct SPL window for high-fidelity listening?

@gdaddy1

”Quality over quantity might be something to consider as an audiophile.”  I am looking for the quantity that gives the best quality.  45db is not it.  110 db is not it. What is your preferred db range?

I know there are some purists who advocate building a system such that no or nearly no attenuation is needed. And certainly most CDPs and DACs make enough gain to drive most amplifiers without an active linestage. So putting such a high level signal thru a linestage that adds gain is unnecessary and probably adds very low level distortion to the signal, but it’s not the attenuation per se that does that; it’s more the gain device in the active linestage. In all my experience I have found that vinyl is different in practice. There you want the phono stage to have a bit more gain than is absolutely necessary or you can get there with an added linestage. This gives a better signal to noise ratio and a fuller sound compared to living on the edge of just barely enough phono gain where you hear more noise and the sound thins out. Attenuating a robust signal always has sounded better to me than barely enough signal, no matter how good the attenuation may be. 

On my setup, the sound stage gets bigger with volume. The sweet spot is around 95db, it's crystal clear great dynamics, and you can start to feel it. 

Most of time, it's around 65-70db to not disturb the rest of the house. But when I'm alone, it's 95db and above. Have had it over 110db a few time, my ears don't like it, but the whole house can feel it. 

IMHO, if you have a volume knob that changes resolution of the signal, you have a crap pre-amp and should get a new one. The volume knob should just adjust voltage gain to the amp, it should not change any part of the signal other than gain.

I generally listen 65 to 75 db. My wife likes it a little louder. I recently went to the Show in SoCal. I was amazed at how very loud the exhibitors played the music. Some of the rooms were just too loud to enjoy. Particularly in the smaller rooms. The Show was very good and a great learning experiance. 

Style  of music matters. An acustic guitar or violin around 70/75. A female Jazz singer or trio,,,75 to 80 db. Some rock or EDM 85 to 90.