What volume do you listen at?

[Fing]

Results for anyone to see.

Asking because I know that not a lot of people listen to music as quietly as I do. I find it essential to listen at this volume however otherwise I get fatigue.

I know the o'clock ratings are fairly arbitary since there's no accounting for source, amp or headphone and is thus merely a rough guide.

Cheers!

[spritzer]

With most of my listening done of the SRM-T1 it is set at between 9-10 o'clock with a slightly less then 2v source so that would be normal loudness for most. At this volume level I can listen for hours.

[n_maher]

The o'clock measuring system is pretty much worthless. Sorry to be so harsh but since the actual volume level will depend on the source, headphones and amp there's absolutely no way to make any sort of meaningful comparison from someone telling you that position their attenuator is at. Unless they happen to have the exact same setup that you do, which seems pretty unlikely.

For what it's worth I usually listen with average db's in the low 70s as measured by a Ratshack SPL meter.

[Assorted]

Using an SPL meter, I generally listen around 70-80 dB. Study music is around 50 dB.

[apnk]

Mid 60's to mid 70's, peaks of 80db's.

[philodox]

This is a retarded poll, but I voted for 12+. I only say it is retarded because every amp will have different gain at different settings with different headphones, and not all sources output the same voltage to begin with. Knowing what you turn the knob to tells you absolutely nothing.

[postjack]

I listen so loud that up to a half hour after finishing a session, I can go to the bathroom and pee decaying transients.

[MaloS]

My amp's volume control is not even the pot itself...and volume positions are more like modular arithmetic. 7 o'clock entails many possibilities.

[ph0rk]

I like low 60's db, c-weighted, with the rat shack meter jammed flat against the earcup/driver.

I find that with higher volumes I just get used to it after a short time, anyway, so I like staying low. Though, ambient noise is more of an issue at these levels.

[catscratch]

Pretty bloody loud. I have no idea how loud exactly since I don't have an SPL meter handy. But, it is basically the minimum volume you need for the music to really open up and bloom - which does vary from system to system.

The thing is, loud as I'm listening right now, it is much, much quieter that I used to listen, and it is also much, much quieter than most people around me (who listen to deafening levels, in my opinion). So I don't know if it's me merely perceiving an average volume level as loud or others simply cranking their music up to 11 regardless of what it does to their ears.

I suspect the latter.

Anyway, I gave myself tinnitus in the first few months of this hobby, and I've since cut down my volume by a lot. In the last year and a half, it virtually disappeared, and my current listening levels - which I still think are pretty loud - haven't caused it to recur.

Yes, this doesn't make me seem very brilliant does it...

Then again, with my listening preferences, which include psytrance and death metal, I would want to understandably crank it a bit.

But just a bit.

[nelamvr6]

I listen at what I guess I would call a "moderate"level, but my volume pot is usually about 2 o'clock.

[aerius]

Then again, with my listening preferences, which include psytrance and death metal, I would want to understandably crank it a bit.

But just a bit.

I know that feeling well. Every time I listen to metal on my Grados, I have to fight an urge to crank the volume up to "11". I'll listen a bit louder than usual, and then I'll crank it way up for my favourite song on the album. Then I take a break, cause if I don't my ears will ring all night.

[Salt Peanuts]

Without SPL meter, I don't know the exact dB level, but my listening level is rather low.

[milkpowder]

According to the poll, I listen at earbleed levels. My SRM-006t isn't exactly a powerful amp by electrostatic standards (a measly 300V swing) so I usually have to get the volume control to 12 - 1 o'clock.

[Duggeh]

Around 10 o clock on the SRM-717. I listen louder on speakers than on headphones.

[JBLoudG20]

My volume pot is around 4 oclock or so. Shows how useful this poll is

My amp is tuned for my clost AT's: not much gain.

I listen at moderate levels, with the occasional foray into loud for a song or two.

[ojnihs]

not sure because i don't have a meter, but i keep listening levels quite low

[Uncle Erik]

The "o'clock" varies by what headphones I have plugged in; they all have varying sensitivity.

I keep it pretty low with headphones. My test is speaking a few words at a normal level with the music playing. If I can hear myself about at regular conversation level, I leave it there. If I'm hard to hear, I turn it down. I'm also careful with classical because of the huge dynamics.

Occasionally, I have to crank it for a song or passage, but I usually save loud listening for the speakers or in the car.

[Dusty Chalk]

The o'clock measuring system is pretty much worthless.

Agreed, and it's not harsh to give someone knowledge.

[kitaoji]

How about the ipod as source? Straight out of the headphone out, I listen with my E500s and the volume bar at 0.

Like what everybody's been saying, it really is dependent on the music, the source, and all components. I'm usually around 9 o'clock with my Mapletree HD150.

[ojnihs]

How about the ipod as source? Straight out of the headphone out, I listen with my E500s and the volume bar at 0.

well with my iPod and my ety er4s, i have the volume at about 25% usually

[Nanoha]

Wait, does that mean I listen to music at louder-than-average volumes? No way...

I don't remember quite exactly, but something along the lines of:

~2V source, 8/9 o'clock on PPX3 SLAM, K701

Maybe?

[Iron_Dreamer]

[needs to buy damned SPL meter one of these days....]

It's 8-9 o'clock with my Apogee and L3000 these days, depending on recording. I remember needing about 12 on the DAC1 with HD650's.

[ojnihs]

i have the volum with my E5s and iPod at about 75%. i guess that's pretty fucking loud, but it's not as loud as i used to listen, and my tinnitus is fading.

75% with IEMs? good lord.

[ojnihs]

yeah, still not Ray Samuels loud, i bet

well that guy is nuts. my ex said that when she bought the hornet for me, that she nearly blew out her eardrums after ray let her listen to the hornet after he did before buying it.