I recently experienced the impact of bass currents on upper frequencies as volume is raised. I switched from using one treble and one bass active module per 2-channel amp to using one amp for both treble modules and the other amp for both bass modules. Same amount of cabling in each setup. But now when the volume is increased the sound stays clean the entire way up, whereas before it would become very slightly compressed the higher the volume was increased. I’d read about it before but interesting to finally hear it. The penalty is a slightly less cohesive overall sound.
Thanks for sharing.
I think I might be 80 - 85 db, a calibrated device should be used though.
I think what might be happening is you are loading the room with oodles of high power reflections…making the experience shouty. My small room was exactly the same - when I installed quite a bit of room treatment the result was quite profound. The sound became more relaxed yet more detailed…the speed of the bass improved…and if I want I can listen at pretty high levels - ultimately if I have a bass heavy track…I can still overpower the room… Generally the acoustic treatment has been a revelation - my wife does not think so!!! … it’s all a question of balance. Adding more room treatment actually gave me more perceived bass … not sure why. Hope this helps have a chat with GIK…
Obviously this is with the proviso of having tried speaker positioning and listening positions…mine was easy…I only have one possible listening position due to room layout. You could try dsp … but once you start tweaking the mid-band you kinda loose more than you gain - I tried that and got the measured response pretty good…but the music was not quite the same…very un-engaging with some loss of stereo effect as well…you sort of lose all the Naim goodness…
Thats a pretty healthy volume…you have a superb system…I found the better you make the system the more relaxed the delivery - but still retaining the clarity and speed. But in terms of VFM performance the room treatment was amazing value…I believe you use some is that right?
Thick rug, that’s it!
G
For those who wish to know the inner details, I ran the same session today at the same volume P.O.T. level as it had not been moved from the night before. Please see the below screenshot.
Warm regards,
Mitch in Oz.
Interesting using Z-weighting, rather than the more conventional A, though the NIOSH TWA is presumably corrected to A, so that would enable comparisons with people using A. Out of curiosity, what meter did you use?
Decibel X App on my iPhone.
I hope that is of help.
Mitch in Oz.
Thanks. I don’t recall it giving all that info - I’ll have to have another look!
The volume on our Linn Selekt is usually set at 60/100, which gives a a range of 63-72 dBC.
DG…
From the Audiophiles Guide Book 1
…adjust the volume level to mirror how loud an actual person might be in the room. Volume is extremely important. The louder the voice the bigger its apparent image size, and vice versa. Within your room, do your best to keep the level at about what you imagine that same person might actually sound like, if they were playing live in the room.
Sorry to hear about folical issue…
That’s my view, too. At one time I thought of labelling every recording I had with the ideal volume so I could set it before starting playing. But it never happened; I’m not that organised.
Roger
If you have do have tone controls, you could do your pwn crude loudness compensation at lower listening levels, but only valid with a volume control marker as well… And for Naim amp owners, the balance control settings for different volume control settings also needs the VC marker!
This is like speed. Everyone else is going too fast or too slow. The only right speed is yours, irrelevant of the road, of the time of the day, of the weather, of the car…
The only best listening volume is yours.
Well yes, and no.
I guess I started this as a way of seeing how we can evaluate the best volume, given the variables that influence that. It is true to say that the volume I set will only ever be correct for me, and probably no one else. However the sub text for me is ( over ) thinking about the best setting in any given amplification system. From this forum I get the impression that most of us rarely use a volume pot much past 9 o clock position. If the design allows a movement from 7 o clock to 5 o clock, where is the sweet spot? Is it in the middle at 12 o clock? Is the amplifier not at its best at the extremes, 7 or 5 o clock?
Once I have stablished my personal volume level, should I now find an amplifier that is ‘normally’ operating at the 12 o clock position? Would a nap 140 at 12 o clock give me my sweet spot, rather than a 250 at set at 9 o clock?