How loud do you listen to your music?

[doctor fuse]

Hey, music lovers.
Just wondering (for no useful reason) how loud others out there listen to their music. I do not own a decibel meter, so your responses will be almost meaningless, BUT PLEASE RESPOND ANYWAYS!
On my bi-amped system, using a NAD 3020 as preamp and tweeter amp, and a 110w/channel Nikko Alpha II as woofer amp, I usually set the NAD's volume dial between 12 and 2 O'clock. 3 O'clock is insanely loud, neighbours-calling-the-cops loud.
OK, off to drink another glass of red wine - Cheers!

 

[Daunia 70]

I play my Led Zep vinyl's as loud as my ears can withstand... hardly good for your hearing but you only live once

 

[Erik Tracy]

Sometimes I get the urge to go 'scare the neighbors' loud.

But that isn't often.

Most time I listen to my music it is either low level for when I multitask around the house, or room filling for sitting in the sweet spot to the point where normal conversation with someone across the room is juusst possible.

 

[knockbill]

Depends on the lawn mowers, leaf blowers, etc here in "pleasant valley" suburbia... But, loud enough that I don't notice them anyway!!!

 

[SuperLead100]

Going strictly by VU meters (not sure how accurate that is) I'd say the sweet spot for me is 20-30 watts.

 

[stereofanboy]

I listen with the volume low enough to carry on a conversation with someone else in the room, but high enough that it would be irritating to do so. Luckily I live alone and it isn't often that I have to turn it down. Occasionally I crank it enough to easily be heard from the road, but not from inside the neighbor's house.

 

[Blast]

I like rock music and I like it loud! When our band plays in bars I keep it under 110dB in about the front of the stage area. At home, and during the times I want to crank it, I often put the stereo AT 110dB using my ported speakers and Carver M-1.0t (200w/ch). Good times...

 

[parman]

Well that all depends on if the wife is home or not doesn't it

 

[sqlsavior]

Usually under 70 dB (peaks). Maybe 60 dB average.

Edit: today I cranked it!

Min: 28.9, Leq: 69.8, Max: 84.3

dbA, from listening position, playing Eva Cassidy.

 

[Pio1980]

80dB-95dB, 'C' weighted measurement taken at my seated position, depending.

 

[Renegade]

I play my Led Zep vinyl's as loud as my ears can withstand... hardly good for your hearing but you only live once

Yeah, the bitch is when your hearing don't live as long as you do,,,,,,,,,, once it's gone it's gone.

 

[sKiZo]

90 +db SPLs on average peaks ... I'll see my trusty old analog meter go to 105 on crescendos ...

PS ... for me, it's not about loud ... it's about impact. There's a certain point ... the perfect storm as it were ... where the music saturates the room, suspends belief, and blows you away to your happy place.

 

[noogies]

11.

 

[JoeESP9]

Anything other than a measurement in dB means absolutely nothing. For those who don't own a dedicated SLM there are numerous free SLM apps for every smartphone in existence. So, if you have a smartphone you have no excuse not to give a specific and relatively accurate answer.

I agree with sKiZo. Every individual musical selection has a specific volume at which it sounds best on your system.

FWIW: ~80 to 85dB is my usual and normal listening level. With classical music 95dB peaks are a normal occurrence. Once in a while I really rock out with SPL levels above 105dB.

 

[mkane]

Nearest neighbor is 1.7 miles away. Blast away. No smart phone here.

 

[JoeESP9]

Nearest neighbor is 1.7 miles away. Blast away. No smart phone here.

Neither you, I or anyone else has the faintest idea how loud that is.

 

[mkane]

3.5 w loud

 

[Doghouse]

This of mine can be cranked up really loud. I've two I keep in our summerhouse at the bottom of our garden., quite far away from the neighbours

 

[JoeESP9]

3.5 w loud

That means absolutely nothing.

 

[BOUXY]

WHAT?CAN'T HEAR YOU!