[Big Red Machine]

Congrats to you guf on attaining audio nirvana.  Ignore Big Red's recommendation to measure your room; it's a whole other can of words, and sometimes ignorance is bliss.

He did say he wasn't sure what to take on next.  Why not a little paranoia to drive you crazy?  Give me ambiguity or give me something else!!

[Quiet Earth]

quite earth (is that the Genesis song reference?)

try the phone app    db Meter Pro   it captures, average, peak and max peak and holds the max
very dynamic

Thanks, I may check into it. I just got the free one that Geardaddy recommended, so I will compare it to my RadioShack meter later today, just for fun.

FWIW, the old digital RadioShack meter that I have will hold max and avg. levels too. Plus, you can choose either A or C weighting and fast/slow response times. I doubt if the microphone in my meter or any cell phone is all that accurate, but it doesn't really matter. It's just the idea of making a repeatable measurement that counts.

(I don't remember why I chose the name Quiet Earth anymore . . .  it's been so long.  )

[jimdgoulding]

I'm with you moderate listening level folks for most of my musical tastes.  But, it's nice to be able to crank it for music that benefits from being played loud.  My room is usually tolerant.  Happy camper here.

[bpape]

Some speakers like to be played louder certainly that others.  Personally, I listen to the level that I think would be relatively the same as if I were listening to it live.  If I have to listen to Greg Brown,etc. at 90db to get it to sound good, I have a problem......  Not referring to Jim's speakers specifically.  I have found them to sound good at a variety of levels.

Just my 2 cents.

Bryan

[Nuance]

He did say he wasn't sure what to take on next.  Why not a little paranoia to drive you crazy?  Give me ambiguity or give me something else!!

LOL - fair enough.

[martyo]

Personally, I listen to the level that I think would be relatively the same as if I were listening to it live. Just my 2 cents.

Bryan

 

[Kinger]

When you guys are checking for levels do you use A weighting or C weighting on your Iphone apps?  Slow or fast response?  To this point I had been using an app called SPL meter on my Iphone, but it doesn't capture peaks and average to my knowledge.  Might have to spring for one of these "pricey $.99" apps to see what's going on

[Quiet Earth]

Not sure what the app guys are using, but on the shack meter I use fast response, c weighting, and press the max button to hold the peaks.

[jimdgoulding]

Some speakers like to be played louder certainly that others.  Personally, I listen to the level that I think would be relatively the same as if I were listening to it live.  If I have to listen to Greg Brown,etc. at 90db to get it to sound good, I have a problem......  Not referring to Jim's speakers specifically.  I have found them to sound good at a variety of levels.

Just my 2 cents.

Bryan

I'm definitely with you on that, B!  For classical music, where am I likely to be sitting in a concert hall?  Well, not in the first ten rows, season ticket holders got those or they are reserved well in advance.  I set my volume control in general for a row M thru R perspective.  Get lots of hall sound from there, too.  For music recorded in clubs, well, I've been all over the place so in that case I take liberties at will.

[tnargs]

Hi Jim, doesn't playing at home give you the chance to 'move a few rows forward'? Like you say, those are the choice seats!

Or you could set the hifi so you are the guest of honour, standing by the conductor's side, from time to time being handed the baton!     

[Nuance]

When you guys are checking for levels do you use A weighting or C weighting on your Iphone apps?  Slow or fast response?  To this point I had been using an app called SPL meter on my Iphone, but it doesn't capture peaks and average to my knowledge.  Might have to spring for one of these "pricey $.99" apps to see what's going on

I use C weighting, but on my SPL meter from Radio Shack.  The iPhone app isn't nearly as accurate, and doesn't it also need to be calibrated first?

[jimdgoulding]

Hi Jim, doesn't playing at home give you the chance to 'move a few rows forward'? Like you say, those are the choice seats!

Or you could set the hifi so you are the guest of honour, standing by the conductor's side, from time to time being handed the baton!     

Welcome, youngblood.  Right you are, tho for me, I prefer the live experience with which I am most familiar.  You know, fidelity to the source .

[tnargs]

Compared to live, we are doomed to some disadvantages, but we can make the best of a few advantages of home listening.

[jimdgoulding]

I have no sense of doom sitting and listening.  Bet you don't either, really.  Just being rhetorical are we?  For the stuff I listen to mostly, seems very live in my room.

[guf]

so now its a week later. I'm auditioning a 500 watt solid state amplifier that i got this afternoon. I have to say that I pushed the limits for what i thought was possible with the listening levels with peaks right above 100. I was listening to a live recording and honest to god i felt like i was on the floor of the theater. I had a moment today that i never expected to have. I was a bit scared. wow. amazing. a ah-ha moment. I'm not sure if my current amp was capable of the levels i was at. Maybe i never tried. Is there warnings I need to look out for listening at a 80-90 average and peeks over 100? Can i blow my speakers? does that happen? looking forward to discovering more tomorrow.

[tnargs]

Congratulations on the great hifi experience, guf. 

No need to take dramatic precautions at that volume level, assuming you are an average listener in terms of hours a day.

[OgOgilby]

I regularly listen at levels from 70 to 85db, but when I want to show off the HT2's I tend to bump the volume up about 10db higher.