[Mag]

When analysing recordings I tend to crank it so that I can hear nuances. Sometimes it reveals flaws in a recording and other times it sounds great.

But maybe it should sound good at low volume even if it distorts at high volume.

So which is a better indicator of a good recording, how it sounds at low spl or high spl?

[Grit]

I've never heard that there is a correct answer.

What I have heard/read is that most amps have a "sweet spot". Bryston SST2 amps though, are supposed to have the sweet spot all the way through the power band. So, I'd guess you'd want to hit your amps sweet spot (typically 1/3 power??) to test.

The practical side of me though says that the answer to your question depends on how you do YOUR critical listening. I don't have a dedicated room, and now I have my first child (he's 13 months old). I don't usually take a sound meter with me, but I know that I calibrate the pink noise at 75 db, and that seems to be the max level I can live with for sustained volume. Frequently, I use even lower volumes. So for me, I'm really concerned with how my system performs at modest levels. It sounds great louder (I get to dabble on rare occasions when my wife and son are away on errands), but most of my time is lower volume, so that's my focus.

Speaking of which, I currently have a Krell S1500 amp, but I'm hoping to sell it and get a 9b-sst2 soon. I used to be concerned about the 200 watt/ch @ 4 ohm limit on the 9b-sst2... then I did some math and found out there's probably no way I'll ever drive my speakers loud enough to use that, and that without a dedicated circuit, i'll never even be able to pull 200 watts/ch x5 anyway.   But I DO want to obtain that whole power range sweet spot goodness so i can enjoy the best my system has to offer even at low levels.

- Garrett

[gdayton]

I'm not sure that either is necessarily a sufficient test. But, given the choice of the two, I would say listening loudly but within the confines of your system's ability to play the demanded dynamic range without distortion. The reason being is that a recording with sufficient dynamic range, details should be discernible even when they lie beneath more dominate sounds. Think cymbal decay being heard through driving electric guitar (bad example!). When listening quietly, that cymbal decay could still exist even if it lies below the actual ambient noise level of your room or the noise floor of your gear though with Bryston gear at least (noise levels are virtually always below 100dB) that's not a practical limitation.

I believe that every recording has a target playback level - a level at which the recording is intended to be played. Whispering folk should be played at a low level, and metal should be thrashed. I once worked an audio trade show and a speaker company that makes these super powerful theatre speakers was playing a solo Lindsey Buckingham concert at 115dB! It sounded like dog's breakfast, but if he had come down about 30dB it might have been alright