I like my 707's better

afterburnt

Playing Leeann Womack on her HDCD album. Sounds fantastic played on 0!

nooshinjohn

Would be fun to compare the 707's with the 1.2TL's. Glad they are working out for you.

rpf65

Glad you're finally enjoying them. Think a while ago you were slightly disappointed with them. What changed?

afterburnt

Since I got them out into the room and up on spikes they are much improved but they don't play very loud

Emlyn

I have noticed they take a long time to break in and really open up, and placement away from walls works best for them. One of the reasons I kept SDA speakers as long as I did was because of close placement ease against a long wall. Very few speakers can get away with that and sound good.

erniejade

@afterburnt, do you have a DB meter? The reason why I ask? I have the 705. Because they are smooth sounding, they don't seem like that it's loud but, I cannot hear myself talk if my wife comes into the room. Sometimes when something is smoother we don't think its loud and want to turn it up more.

mhardy6647

someone say "707"?

shelfies1 120315 by Mark Hardy, on Flickr

afterburnt

I will check em with the meater

heiney9

erniejade wrote: »

@afterburnt, do you have a DB meter? The reason why I ask? I have the 705. Because they are smooth sounding, they don't seem like that it's loud but, I cannot hear myself talk if my wife comes into the room. Sometimes when something is smoother we don't think its loud and want to turn it up more.

Yep, just had this happen this weekend. Tried talking to my GF right next to me on the couch while listening to music that I didn't think was very loud. We could barely hear each other.

Effortless is my favorite word to describe audio, and I strive to make my system(s) as effortless as possible. It can play loud w/o strain or grain or compression, etc. Hard to believe I was listening to a 30 wpc amplifier. Didn't seem that loud to me.

I was breaking in some new discrete op-amps in the dac this weekend and they really shine.

H9

afterburnt

What is the max to keep from wrecking your ears?

txcoastal1

afterburnt wrote: »

What is the max to keep from wrecking your ears?

I believe when you get above 92 for long time periods

tonyb

How about the max to keep from wrecking your gear ? I 'm not so sure 0 on the volume dial would be considered safe.

This is what we talk about when your system reaches a level that plays clean and clear at higher volumes. It gives you the impression it's not loud because it isn't hurting your ears yet....but it is.

I'd back off that volume dial some pal, for your ears sake and the gears.

mhardy6647

afterburnt wrote: »

What is the max to keep from wrecking your ears?

Like most things, the criterion for damage is dose-dependent. Time and SPL are both important variables.

Here, e.g., are some NIOSH standards (EDIT guidelines):


Some of the damage is reversible, some is irreversible.

Looks like the industry standards are based on A-weighting.
I will say that the character (frequency distribution) of the noise (ahem, "sound") has some psychological impact on how well tolerated it it -- I THINK that's part of the complaint folks have about large wind turbines, e.g.

I will also say that, in my opinion, a really well-balanced audio system will sound very satisfying at (even) very low SPL. This was one of the revelations I had when I started to spend quality time with low-powered amplifiers and very sensitive loudspeakers. One may listen deep "into" the music even at fairly low levels. Virtually all of my listening is in the 80 to 90 dB (tops) range at my chair (based on the little R/S analog SPL, so we're not talking OSHA-compliant data!).

I will also (finally!) say that, as mentioned in another post to this thread, "effortlessness" (again, in my opinion) is what it's all about -- soft or loud. I find "effortlessness" to be an innate quality of the classic Altec components (and their modern-day GPA descendants).

There's a significant subjective component to all of this, though.

heiney9

I have a db meter app on my phone. I need to start using it again. I used to listen between 88-92 db as a comfortable range. Pushing it to 95-100 db when really rockin'. Not sure how accurate the apps are, but they get you in the ball park.

H9

voltz

My Router's at work runs at around 108 db's between guns music and 30 years next to a drop hammer and well crickets don't talk to me anymore!

afterburnt

great with vinyl so far

afterburnt

Getting better playing them through this P5, not as congested and better sound stage.