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C´mon, someone own up. What´s the secret of good sound at lower volumes ?

Chris

pfm Member
My system sounds ace at reasonable (for me) volume (unreasonable for SWMBO) where it really comes alive but flat as a pancake if I turn it down to her reasonable, namely where you can talk and be heard (God knows why people want to do that when music´s playing).
I am no headbanger, I´m talking about Armatrading, the Dan, Patricia Barber and Bill Evans etc. for God´s sake. Is near field listening the answer, in a tiny room, on my jack´s ? Are standmounts likely to improve things ?
Am I the only one with this existentialist problem ? Is hifi really for nerds only ?
 
You'll hear all sorts of answers, but the real truth is, It's in the thiele small parameters of the drivers.
 
My system sounds ace at reasonable (for me) volume (unreasonable for SWMBO) where it really comes alive but flat as a pancake if I turn it down to her reasonable, namely where you can talk and be heard (God knows why people want to do that when music´s playing).

It would be useful to put some db figures on this before going further, i.e. what is your favoured median level, what is hers? By saying that both high-efficiency monitors and near-field minis work for me at levels I could certainly hold a conversation over.
 
The physiology and ingrained habits of the listener plays a major role in this IMO. I'm so used to listening to music at my preferred levels (75dB/C average) that listening significantly quieter than this just doesn't engage me as much, and it doesn't matter whether the speaker is a 83dB/1W JR149 or a 95dB/1W Tannoy MG15. I experience the exact same thing with headphones so it's not a speaker-only phenomena.

You also have to take into consideration the ambient noise floor of your room. e.g. If you listen at say 60dB/C and your room's noise floor is 45dB/C, then you're going to be missing out on a LOT of low level detail and dynamic range, and that's before you even consider the ear's decreasing sensitivity at the frequency extremes as the SPL is reduced.

The only time I enjoy listening at 'elevator muzak' SPLs is when I'm physically ill with a cold or flu etc and have a heightened sensitivity to light and sound.

EDIT - Perhaps SWMBO would appreciate a pair of ER20s or similar for her Christmas? ;)
 
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If heightened sensitivity speakers can improve it, doesn´t that reflect negatively on most amps and their delivery ?
 
Mine is a Sugden A21Se, by the way and the speakers are WD25TEx. Can anyone recommend a freebie sound meter phone app, just to get an idea of levels.
 
Mine is a Sugden A21Se, by the way and the speakers are WD25TEx. Can anyone recommend a freebie sound meter phone app, just to get an idea of levels.

I follow you on the WD forum lol. I can't help you with talkative intruders, maybe wine? Now I have to start building mine as I've had the drivers for oven 10 years. You still happy with the 25's?
 
Yes, my 25s are the floorstanders with the Seas Millennium tweeters. My great advantage is that I live in a hifi desert so only very rarely get the opportunity to listen to anything else. They do need a bit of welly though.
 
Active or Horns
Active monitors taller than me with 4000wpc @ can play at 130db
Dynamic at High or low volumes even from 1metre in Nearfield
 
Mine is a Sugden A21Se, by the way and the speakers are WD25TEx. Can anyone recommend a freebie sound meter phone app, just to get an idea of levels.
Decibel X is pretty good, accurate enough to give a benchmark. Volume is such a subjective thing though, if it’s music you are choosing to listen to as opposed to hearing it through the wall?
 


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