Avg Listening Level

Maestro
Maestro Posts: 92
edited January 2006 in Speakers
I'm just curious: :rolleyes: I would like to know at what volume level do you listen to your HTs while watching a DVD and/or playing CDs? I've been averaging between -35 to -30db volume level with DVDs and CDs (the loudest when the family is out is -20 db). Any louder, my ears would melt (and the cat attacks the PSW12 face grill - it has no claws)! The room acoustics is very "live." My EQ is flat. The R/C/L levels are set at 0/-1/0; surrounds are at 0; rears are at 1; and the sub is -10.

I do recall recently going to see King Kong and I literally had to walk out a couple times to rest my ears. It was rediculous how loud that film was shown. But I still thought it was great.
_________________________
Main: Polk R50s
Center: Polk CSi3
Surround: Polk R30s
Rear: Polk R15s
Sub: Polk PSW12
Cherry Wood Edition
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Harman/Kardon AVR635
Harman/Kardon DVD 27
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_________________________
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Comments

  • cfrizz
    cfrizz Posts: 13,415
    edited January 2006
    For cd's I listen in the early morning hours -40. During regular daytime hours -35 to
    -30.

    For movies I listen @ -30 to -20.
    Marantz AV-7705 PrePro, Classé 5 channel 200wpc Amp, Oppo 103 BluRay, Rotel RCD-1072 CDP, Sony XBR-49X800E TV, Polk S60 Main Speakers, Polk ES30 Center Channel, Polk S15 Surround Speakers SVS SB12-NSD x2
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  • Skynut
    Skynut Posts: 2,967
    edited January 2006
    Movies -25 +/-5
    Music -40 to -20 in the house and -10+ if outside.
    Skynut
    SOPA® Founder
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  • lanion
    lanion Posts: 843
    edited January 2006
    I go down to -18 for movies rather often, but it really is never that loud at all, and that's coming from someone who hates loud things. I have a low powered reciever with LSI speakers, so that probobly explains it.
    My Iron Man training/charity blog.

    HT:
    32" Sharp LCD. H/K dpr 1001 to Outlaw Audio 7900 to Polk LSi + Paradigm Studio center. Hsu DualDrive ULS-15. PS3/Wii. Outlaw 7900.
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  • cnjvh
    cnjvh Posts: 253
    edited January 2006
    Family time: -20 w/80dB @ 0.
    My time: -10

    :-)
    No earth robot is going to tell ME which button to press!!

    --Stuff--
    Front: Polk Audio RTi12
    Center: Polk Audio CSi5
    Surrounds: Polk Audio RTi8 (x4)
    Sub: SVS PB10-ISD (Dual)
    AVR: Denon AVR-3805
    Blu-Ray: Panasonic BD30
    Display: Sony KDL-55NX720B
    STB: Xfinity X1DVR
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  • seo
    seo Posts: 305
    edited January 2006
    "Mine goes up to 11"

    ;)
    Signature goes here
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  • Shizelbs
    Shizelbs Posts: 7,433
    edited January 2006
    Screw numbered readings. I listen to my Carvers with 8 clicks of the Dodd pre.
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  • VR3
    VR3 Posts: 28,779
    edited January 2006
    Depends...
    -8 to -12 for movies or music...

    I dont find it all that loud, while it is loud - the ones in the den go about 20 db louder... lol
    - Not Tom ::::::: Any system can play Diana Krall. Only the best can play Limp Bizkit.
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  • gregure
    gregure Posts: 871
    edited January 2006
    DVD's: -20 to -15 depending on the film.
    CD's: -20 to -5 depending on the music/recording. Usually around -20 to -15 for rock, -15 to -5 for classical.
    Current System:

    Mitsubishi 30" LCD LT-3020 (for sale**)
    Vienna Acoustics Beethoven Concert Grand (Rosewood)-Mains (with Audioquest Mont Blanc cables)
    CSi5-Center (for sale**)
    FXi3-surrounds (for sale**)
    Martin Logan Depth-Sub
    B&K AVR 507
    Pimare CD21-CD Player
    Denon 1815-DVD Player
    Panamax M5500-EX-Line Conditioner
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  • dudeinaroom
    dudeinaroom Posts: 3,609
    edited January 2006
    -60 to -40 for music and -40 for dolby digital, and -42 for dts( better dialouge clarity on dts tracks (imo)
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  • audiobliss
    audiobliss Posts: 12,518
    edited January 2006
    Ok, what are all these numbers from? Just what your receiver or pre-amp displays? Why are we going by that? It's different for every piece of gear, no?

    Anyhoo, music comes alive for me at -4.
    George Grand wrote: »
    Jstas wrote: »
    Simple question. If you had a cool million bucks, what would you do with it?
    Wonder WTF happened to the rest of my money.
    In Use
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  • Nelson57
    Nelson57 Posts: 190
    edited January 2006
    For music: -35 to -30
    For Movies: -20 to -15
    Main theater: Paradigm Studio 100's v4 L/R, CC690 Center, ADP 590 x4 Surrounds. Dual Outlaw LFM-EX-1's, Yamaha Aventage RX-A1010 as Processor, Anthem PVA-7 Amp

    Secondary System: Polk RTi 6 L/R, CSi3, Center, FXi3 x4 Surrounds, Def-Tech Supercube II, Pioneer Elite VSX-23 Receiver
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  • gregure
    gregure Posts: 871
    edited January 2006
    If only we could all answer in SPL measurements. Oh well.
    Current System:

    Mitsubishi 30" LCD LT-3020 (for sale**)
    Vienna Acoustics Beethoven Concert Grand (Rosewood)-Mains (with Audioquest Mont Blanc cables)
    CSi5-Center (for sale**)
    FXi3-surrounds (for sale**)
    Martin Logan Depth-Sub
    B&K AVR 507
    Pimare CD21-CD Player
    Denon 1815-DVD Player
    Panamax M5500-EX-Line Conditioner
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  • Holydoc
    Holydoc Posts: 1,048
    edited January 2006
    -10 for HT
    -5 for Music
    Holydoc (Home Theatre Lover)
    __________________________________________
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    Onkyo -TX-NR901 Receiver
    Oppo -Oppo 980HD Universal DVD Player
    Outlaw -770 (7x200watt) Amplifier
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    PolkAudio - FXi3 (Back and Surround)
    SVS - PB-12/Plus (Subwoofer)
    Bluejean Cables - Interconnects
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  • pjdami
    pjdami Posts: 1,894
    edited January 2006
    audiobliss wrote:
    Ok, what are all these numbers from? Just what your receiver or pre-amp displays? Why are we going by that? It's different for every piece of gear, no?

    Exactly. All these numbers are kind of meaningless for comparison because of different receivers volume display, room volumes, and speaker combinations with different sensitivities.

    A better way would be to state how many dbs below a calibrated "reference" that you listen to movies. In my case, my system is calibrated using Avia and I watch movies -15 db below reference.
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  • HiPerf360
    HiPerf360 Posts: 436
    edited January 2006
    or we could just answer in db as mentioned before...

    lessens the variables
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  • speakergeek
    speakergeek Posts: 555
    edited January 2006
    Music -30 to -20 below reference level. Movies, usually -20 below. At reference level tis too loud.
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  • Larry Chanin
    Larry Chanin Posts: 601
    edited January 2006
    -15 dB below reference for movies (DVD's or satellite TV)

    -5 dB below reference for symphonic music (CD's)

    Larry
    Larry's Home Theater
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  • Tour2ma
    Tour2ma Posts: 10,177
    edited January 2006
    Just call this "The Random Number Generating Thread"...
    More later,
    Tour...
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  • audiobliss
    audiobliss Posts: 12,518
    edited January 2006
    ^^ Ha....yup...
    George Grand wrote: »
    Jstas wrote: »
    Simple question. If you had a cool million bucks, what would you do with it?
    Wonder WTF happened to the rest of my money.
    In Use
    PS3, Yamaha CDR-HD1300, Plex, Amazon Fire TV Gen 2
    Pioneer Elite VSX-52, Parasound HCA-1000A
    Klipsch RF-82ii, RC-62ii, RS-42ii, RW-10d
    Epson 8700UB
    In Storage
    [Home Audio]
    Rotel RCD-02, Yamaha KX-W900U, Sony ST-S500ES, Denon DP-7F
    Pro-Ject Phono Box MKII, Parasound P/HP-850, ASL Wave 20 monoblocks
    Klipsch RF-35, RB-51ii
    [Car Audio]
    Pioneer Premier DEH-P860MP, Memphis 16-MCA3004, Boston Acoustic RC520
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  • speakergeek
    speakergeek Posts: 555
    edited January 2006
    Yeah -80 is REAL cold.
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  • pjdami
    pjdami Posts: 1,894
    edited January 2006
    Here's an old but good thread about reference levels:

    http://www.polkaudio.com/forums/showthread.php?t=10628&highlight=reference
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  • cfrizz
    cfrizz Posts: 13,415
    edited January 2006
    LOL! Well I know that for Denon's reference levels =0, which I have calibrated my speakers for which = 75dbs.

    I also know that with Denon's, I can't listen to my system @ 0 because it is TOO LOUD! so when I start to turn it down it goes into the -catagory.

    I find that I can comfortably listen at anywhere from -40 to -20.
    Marantz AV-7705 PrePro, Classé 5 channel 200wpc Amp, Oppo 103 BluRay, Rotel RCD-1072 CDP, Sony XBR-49X800E TV, Polk S60 Main Speakers, Polk ES30 Center Channel, Polk S15 Surround Speakers SVS SB12-NSD x2
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  • dudeinaroom
    dudeinaroom Posts: 3,609
    edited January 2006
    my guess would be 80-90 dbs
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  • aaharvel
    aaharvel Posts: 4,489
    edited January 2006
    too close for missles i'm switching to guns
    H/K Signature 2.1+235
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    "People working at Polk Audio must sit around the office and just laugh their balls off reading many of these comments." -Lush
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