SU listening level - how loud?

Revmis,

It is very difficult to define a standard listening level as the cd rips vary enormously as does what you consider to be an ideal listening level.  I have a similar sized room to you and Bach's Goldberg Variations at 30 is fine.  As a comparison I then tried  King Crimson's 21st Century Schizoid Man.  At 30 it was at a level that was fine for a long listening session: 35 was OK but not for a long session: 40 was OK for 10 minutes but then I wanted to turn it down.  Very often in the evening as I start to relax I find that I tend to turn the music down and an average level of 25 is about right.  For information my speaker sensitivity is 90 db.

The volume level on the display is basically irrelevant to anyone but you really. There are too many variables involved for anyone else's 'volume number' to be comparable to yours. My room is less than 3m square, but the lowest level I listen to my SU at is about 35 for streamed music ('speakers are PMC Fact 3's).

As far as quality at 'low listening levels' is concerned, again, the phrase means different things to different people. There is always going to be a minimum volume level below which things don't sound quite right on any system. I don't listen below what I consider that level to be for any particular track.

I love my SU & Kudos S10's in my dining room, however they seem to have a fairly small sweetspot. I listen at 36-38 generally and sometimes up to 42-44 after which point things get muddy fast - albeit dependant on the recording. This is with lossless Flac via home plugs. For non music radio I listen at 26-30.

I agree that at low levels a lot of detail is lost.

I don't think there is any such spec. Afraid trial and error is the only way to find out. I agree with jobseeker that this is pretty meaningless, depends on speaker sensitivity amongst many other things, but I sometimes hit 48-50 on classical material, rarely more than say 38 on popular. But maybe my Audiovector Si3s are a bit less sensitive than others. This in a medium sized room. Does it matter?

If you all are using an iPad to run nStream, then you might also be interested in downloading the inexpensive "SPL Meter for iPad" from the app store.   I found that it reported almost the exact same results as my Radio Shack SPL meter, and so it has now replaced it.

In this way, you can move this conversation from what the SU volume dial says, and to what the SPL level is at your listening position.

Hook

Jason, I think that first you'd need a standard / spec for such attributes as "detailed" and "clearer," for which there can be none as such really is quite subjective.

Even speaker sensitivity specs seem barely more than relative.

I have learned that this is a multivariate equation, with the variables including but not limited to many amplification variables (Naim 80 watts are much different than Denon 80 watts), speaker variable, room variables and listener preferences and hearing/perception variables.  Trying to solve for any one or a few of those leads down paths of no return, or at the least dissatisfaction and brow-furrowing

Hi all,

Thank you for the reply. So, my level at 30-35 daytime and 25 night time seems very common here.

I just found another thread here: https://forums.naimaudio.com/di...1269501473359/page/2

May be my Proac D18 is the culprit.

revmis: My SU/Guru combo is a week old now and I am sure somewhat stiff--but beautiful.  The speakers are rated by the designer at 86-87 db.  My listening level is complicated by several factors, not the least of which is the fact that we are living in a very small apartment with people on two sides and upstairs.  That having been said, most of the area is located in the room with the system, which is carpeted, with 9 foot ceilings and about 7 X 8 Meters, and filled with furniture but no drapes.  As I say below, I do not attenuate any of the source, so it varies all over the landscape.  And in the apartment, just the dynamics of music--especially symphonic, makes me turn the volume up to hear the pianissimo, then scurry frantically back to the remote to crank it down when it begins to turn forte on me!  In answer to your question, with normal recording levels, I keep the volume at about 30-35 during the day and 25-30 at night.  Right now it is 10:15 p.m in the Central U.S. and I am playing Linn Classical at a level of 30/100.  It is not "loud", however, it is loud enough that were it after midnight, I might decide to crank it down a couple of notches. 

When testing to hear what the system can really do, during the day, I frequently crank it up to 40.  And for very brief periods, just long enough to prevent my neighbors from fetching their shotguns, to 50.  It has never been higher than that, and at the 40-50 level, I hear things "going on" in the background that were not there at lower volumes.  I don't really know PR&T when I hear it, but it sounds crisp--and together.

Jasonf: I do not use volume compensation---yet.  I also have some hearing loss, especially in the uppre registers--and that has to be a major variable among all listeners, at least where lowered volume affects--not just the volume at which you hear the music--but the content as well.  I don't know where it is on my dial, but with my setup, I find with all music if I don't have it cranked up to 25/100, it can be pleasing, but there may well be things going on back in the (I am going to use a term that may not be correct, here...) soundstage.   

Regards,

Russ