Listen to a level that don't destroy your hearing is the first factor. Much music is much louder than is good for the ears.

Watching this 2 years later... THANK YOU for that last bit at the end. Truly shows you are a compassionate human being.

Peter Walker of Quad used to state that there is only one sweet spot setting volume for each recording or type of music. He also stated that we should think of the volume ( gain ) control like the lens of a good camera . Get the volume correct and almost everything should clearly be in focus . Stay safe and keep your hearing healthy too .

People adapt. If you are used to listening at one level, and you increase it, it sounds too loud. Above 80dB and your hearing will get affected. The louder, the more damage, until you can't enjoy the music the same way. I use a SPL meter at the listening position and go for between 75 and 80 dB. I then just get used to that level. The frequency also makes a big difference. I played a WAV file of pure frequencies starting at 24Hz, going up to 200Hz on my system. My speakers go down to 20Hz. Even though I had set the volume level to be 75dB with regular music, these low waveforms caused the walls and ceiling to vibrate (It freaked me out the first time I experienced it). When I used to turn the volume up (a long time ago), it was because I wanted to physically feel the music, not just hear it. When the drum got hit, I wanted to feel it in my body. That feeling was great. However, I get that feeling even at 80dB with the speakers I have (which includes two 12 inch subwoofers in each speaker enclosure). I do hear the size of instrument based on loudness. The problem with music being too loud is that you have less and less separation between the instruments. It is neat to be able to tell where every instrument is in the sound stage. I guess that this is why we spend a lot of money on such systems.

Loudness for me is neighbour dependant and not music :-)

Great message. On volume and even better your sincere encouragement for people to contribute to the good of the community. I live north of the 49th parallel where things are OK. I wish all the best for my American friends, and your message is spot on.

Well said Paul, love your work! 👏👏👏

Thanks for continuing to make informative videos during this difficult time. Just wanted to say that I totally LOVED your trade in commercial! Your line was perfect! I wish you only health and success.

Well explained Paul! When I go to jazz live in a hall, 80dB is the measurement I get from row 7 o 8.

Thank you very much for this advice about the reproduction sound volume in a listening room. I can follow your reasoning, which seems logical and coherent to me. Thank you also, for expressing yourself in an understandable, clear, calm manner, unlike some of your colleagues whose ideas are not really emerging (especially for people whose English language is not the first language).

If it's Wagner, it should be loud. If it's Miles Davis loud and daily. If it's DIO, turn it to eleven.

This is a great explanation of what it sounds like to adjust the volume properly. You described what I do on a daily basis!

Superb answer to an exceptionally difficult question.

Thanks always for the tech talks and explanations, and thanks for the encouragement to do right by our neighbors. Be well.

What a great question. Nice video and sensible advice. Especially at the end 🎭

Excellent topic for discussion. The goal of reproducing music as if the performance was live is just not possible unless it really is live. Best we understand that and move on with listening to music to enjoy at whatever volume we are comfortable with and not imagine being at an event.

Interesting question and video, thanks!

Love this channel

Great, great video and subject. I have recently done a big upgrade of my stereo system on its critical components and I was actually experiencing what you describe: turning level too high on many songs that I know for years, simply does not sound "right". It sounds clean and tidy, but now I understand it sounds simply out of scale and my previous system was not able to reveal this. Fantastic topic that I have never found documented until now. Thank you very much for sharing this! Kind regards.

As someone who is used to working and going to live events, I think music is good between 70 dB to 100 dB. 70 to 80 dB seems like a good range for listening on one's home system, especially if one listens for long periods of time. I think the only time it is usually appropriate to listen to music above 80 dB is if you're at a live concert or big party. For live concerts, anything above 100 to 105 dB is superfluous and can cause hearing damage.

If I can hear myself talk out loud then it's not loud enough.

I listen around 75-80 db peaks about about 85-90 db its loud enough for me and most hifi floorstanders can handle that volume levels

There's no absolute answer to this question. Some people when attending a concert like sitting right in the front rows where they get the full blast of a large symphonic orchestra. They also get maximum stereo effect, where violins come from the left and chellos on the right. On top of this, they're subjected to very high SPL that can reach the 100dB mark. Other folk prefer sitting right at the back of the concert hall and so, the level they are listening to music is much lower, as well as, the stereo effect is minimal. So who's wrong and who's right? The way I understand it is, matter of preference, just like when you buy those tickets, front rows or way back.

What a great explanation. I have thought that in order to get good dynamic range and fully immerse myself that I had to play it at 85 db or higher, though of course it also depends on the age of the recording and how much compression as used.

Too often, when we go to an amplified live performance, the sound reinforcement system is set to play louder than the room can accommodate, and you can see the singer singing into the microphone, or the horn playing, but you can't hear those performances, as they are "drowned out" by the volume level.

In the balcony at Carnegie Hall, it is very easy to hear the toe tapping, humming along with the orchestra and candy wrappers (although the last time I was in CH, they gave out free cough drops with wax paper wrappers). These are not audible in the orchestra.

Exactly right. I hear this daily but you put what you say is so right both sound and health.

Well said Paul!

Paul's a good little Lefty

I tend start my listening sessions with music that works well at lower volumes, or try to. Then through the session I tend to play stuff that sounds best louder. The other way around and I get , not really listener fatigue but sort of become numb to subtleties in tone an sound stage.

Should the goal really be to be as if the musicians are playing live in MY room? I don't think so. The goal should be to transport ME to the location of the original musical event. Why would I listen to Jimi live at Woodstock, and want it to sound as if he is in MY room? Or, why would listen to a Bartok piano concerto recorded at Disney Hall by the LA Phil, as if they are all in my room? I don't want it to sound like the LA Phil is in my listening room (that just sounds like a silly goal to me), I would much rather have the reproduced audio sound as if I was transported to the original venue. Doesn't that make much more sense?

I tried what you said, and it really works! :-) Thank you, Paul! I am really learning a lot from you. :-)

I average around 75 to 80 dB. If a song needs to be louder I turn it up, if not turn it down. with 650 watts per channel RMS I can blow everyone out of the room if need be. I have found with more power I can actually listen at lower levels

I haven’t cranked my system until I recently heard The Mahotella Queens “Safari Yangu” - whoever produced/engineered that song deserves an award.

When next door bangs on the wall I know it’s to loud🤣🤣🇬🇧. Very well explained Paul👍

I have a very effective sound level meter. We have been married for 18 years now...

I have been enjoying your videos very much since recently coming across them and subscribing. This question reminds me of Peter Walker's (as you know the designer of the original Quad electrostatic speaker a.k.a. ESL57 as the original design goes back to 1957) statement that each performance has only one level of volume that will help it sound most real. As a seller and owner of Quad speakers I can vouch that in my experience it is mostly true and it was no surprise to me that you response was very much in the same direction. I still find this to be true and additionally find that quality headphones can be another example where this can apply albeit with some slight differences in presentation. I actually just saw David Hardy's comment, did not mean to tread on your toes David. Very well stated. Thanks, Joe G.

Hey, Paul, I recently read your book. It was a fantastic read.

This was an interesting question. I went back to my old Gary Davis & Ralph Jones Sound Reinforcement Handbook. In section 4, they begin by evaluating the problem looking at the dynamic range of a (in this case) “Rock Concert” and subtracting the noise floor. So if a rock concert has a noise floor of 40dB SPL and the show tops out at 130 dB SPL, that gives the performance a dynamic range of 90 dB. If your knew this number and took it back into your listening room which say has a floor of 20 dB SPL, your peak listening volume would be 110 dB SPL which is somewhere in the range of what a typical recording studio monitor level is. I have always sat my listening level where the quietest part of the piece is just audible 1-3 dB SPL above floor. If I can resolve those inner parts, then I should be able to sonically understand the dynamics of the piece. Note: system design in room is important. My go to is that a system running at 0vu should output between 110-120 dB SPL at the listening location. Don’t over or under power a room. You want that system to live at nominal to overcome frequency variations during attenuation.

Loved the bit at the end - the pain is real.

Thank you!

I like your loudness to size analogy. Yes I find there is a right volume level for every music. I enjoy being able to turn up the volume until it just sounds right. And yes size of the sound stage is part of that. The only problem being, yes my Maggies, which when those right conditions are met, just disappear and the performance is in front of you, but the power needed at times..... And thanks for trying to add some sanity into the crazy mess.

I find the 85db is really the loudest I really want to listen to anything. Especially anything complex/full scale/full compliment. Sometimes the recording just has some really loud peaks but overall isn't very loud so those get turned up without issue, but sustained >85db isn't for me. That isn't to say I don't rock out to a few tracks now and then.

I wonder in the future we will be able to mix what we are listening to on the fly? Kind of like a graphic equalizer but for each individual instrument on the stage.

The quantity of volume that makes sense for the space we're in. Very well said.

Dr Frankenstein exclaimed “It’s Alive!!!” when he finally took the dead and gave it life. Most systems sound dead at low to moderate levels. I have learned through years of experimenting that it takes more power, finesse, and money to listen at lower volumes. It’s easy to build a loud system but making a system sound great with full of life dynamics at low to normal volumes took me years to crack. It’s ALIVE!!!

Good question Paul... If you love music, take care of IEM headset, especialy in lood and noisy environnement like streets, trains etc... It can REALLY damage your ears for ever... It doesn't feel lood at first but days after days, it will damage your ears in a way no hifi system can do ! When you realise the problem, it's already too late ! The music should never cover the street noise... My 2 cents...

I have a very specific question, I have a pair of bookshelfs on top of my tower speakers which I use to add too and augment the sound of my system at times. If I were to take these bookshelfs and face them backwards, attempting to do something similar to what the IRS speakers do, do I need to reverse the phase? Or should i even do this at all since my speakers are only 2ft from the wall behind(i have space constraints.) My system isnt quite audiophile, but it's been a long term audio experiment platform for me. I suppose I should just try things out myself to see what happens. I've had them pointing to the ceiling before to simulate omnidirectional speakers

Thank you for the "be safe and do the right thing, and not to be stubborn to be useless ..."

I am 100% glad I spent my money with Paul. I got a tv3612 it sounds amazing. Your message at the end of the video just made me even happier spending my money with you! I also won't get political but some of these people man... Unbelievable!

Recorded music Volume is like spice in food. It’s personal yes. I find myself lowering or raising volume carefully until the sound just feels right for the particular music. My system is no heck. I’ve heard music on systems that cost more than my car. I know the difference. Mine ......is a bicycle.

Paul is absolutely correct in this episode. Extremely well described. The effect is real.

One thing I wish he did mention is dB - as more people should have familiarity with this. Normal conversation is around 60-65 dB, easy listening music in the 70s, generally adequate loudness in the 80s for home listening for good dynamic range, and over 90 dB for too long can begin to cause hearing damage. (The OSHA charts show SPLs and max listening time to keep hearing safe and 90 dB can be 8 hours but is cut in half for every 5 dB increase). Of course every 10 dB is 2x louder. Live pop / rock can be 100 dB+ and this gets in the danger zone. So while going out to a live event on occasion is fine, you don't want to do this at home every day. There are many apps you can download onto your smartphone that measure dB. It's good to keep in mind that when we go to restaurants that are crowded and it gets difficult to take at the table without almost shouting, the noise level can be 80 - 85 dB, and that can be too loud to make dinner enjoyable. So when listening at home, this is a good reference.

Some years ago I started writing the volume setting for each CD on the case.However ! If I upgraded any part of the system ( speaker cables or interconnect) I found that I had to alter the volume levels up wards.Which shows the benefit of cable upgrades.Perhaps ! Paul, you could explain why that is so! I'm a Brit I live in Wales.🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿🤔👍

Hey Paul, what's the brand and model number of that turntable next to you?

Hey Paul, when's that new book release date? Sign me up. Also, you should have been a diplomat. "Stubborn." Good one.

I had never thought about the volume influencing the size of the image. That's a good one. I do however think there is a limit to volume at both ends high and low to replicate the original. Take an orchestral piece for example. In a live program the volume of output can vary from a single instrument to a swell and crescendo of most instruments that is truly ear bashing if one is in "the good" seats and different if one is in the gods seats. This means that the record replay volume should ideally be loud enough to give freedom to a single instrument but not loud enough to do damage when there is a whole of orchestra crescendo. Striking that balance I believe gives the best loudness, making a choice of amplifier and speakers matched to the room quite critical. Along with the genre used. An orchestra requires clarity at all levels to cover a single small instrument to a full blast from the whole orchestra, which may be over a 100. A rock band however is mostly just loud if instrumental and many bands have vocalists, some of which sing in a language called incomprehensible. Having said that it is the minority, yet strangely a popular minority.

As a semi retired guitar player , playing levels can differ alot . Thts done by the front of house person , the band has a sweet spot , and foh took tht up or dwn . Now i listen at home at 80 db to 105 db . I live in the country 4mi outa town . Yes i have tinnitus tho not bad . It is a real thing if anyone was wondering .

Don't forget the ISO 226:2003 equal loudness curves. Basically the human ear has different frequency response at different loudness. At a low overall level things will probably sound a bit thin due to the bass having less apparent volume, etc.!

70 to 75 db for me. At night 60db max coz i want to be at least a decent neighbor.

How large would the guitar of Hendrix be? :) Or should we listen to the size of his speaker cabinets ?

BTW saw Jimmy Hendrix in Memphis in spring of '69. Just before Noel Redding left the group and formed Fat Mattress. Still have the vinyl.

The type of music matters if it's an orchestra with a wide dynamic range you could safely have a crescendo over 100 db so long as most of it is around 80 db as some quiet passages could be down to 60 db , some uncompressed progressive rock from the 70's likewise may have such a wide dynamic range while modern highly compressed music with little dynamic range 80 db is fine for short listening periods . It also has a lot to do with the length of time you listen so occasionally cranking it up to 100 db for one song probably won't hurt. Many smart phones have a SPL app or get a SPL Meter for around $ 20. and use it.

Regarding this subject, we also have to consider the nature of the recording being played, some require more juice others don't, maybe is a CD, vinyl or premium recording on any given medium, in other words the pre-amp volume has to be tailored taking into consideration all the aspects that Paul mentioned on this video, but also the type of medium and recording at play.

What's the model of the turntable on the rack?

I have a question about stereo image. I know that it is posible with two speakers to "simulate" movement of object side to side, or even front to back, but my question is is it posible to simulate up and down motion of virtual object in stereo image?

Image becomes large with higher volume is due to vibration feedback from the room to equipment. System with good vibration isolation will not have significant enlargement with louder sound.

I was at an Amos Lee concert last year and I measured with my iPhone 103db maximum, and he’s not a headbanger at all. Was about 12 rows back.

You mentioned you are writing a book on how to get that holographic sound. When will the book be released?

I feel I understand what you mean. I am currently building a system my self. i would love to have chat further about this topic,

I could listen to Paul talk for hours!

I assume sound follows the inverse square law, so in a music hall (with only the rooms acoustics to carry the sound, no amps), those in the front row will hear the music much louder than those in the 'nose bleed' section up in the balcony. Who hears it 'correctly'?

That’s my question too..

hi Paul is your book availbe in the Philippines?

Watching football playoff games 7.1 channel this weekend at about 70dB, very comfortable for hours and hours. Switched to 2.0 channel music also at roughly 70dB during commercials. We could carry on conversations during either. The noise floor in the room with everything turned off is about 40dB.

When will the book be out?

I'm not kidding, this is the best explanatory sonic encyclopedia in existence. My apologies about the--potentially--(un)necessary alliteration. (😉)😉 ☣☔🎤🍂

I wil help you out Paul and give my quickest answer for everybody to understand. Every piece/track of music has it's own perfect volume, and you can easylie try it out for yourself. Listen to where your MAX volume is, on a specific track, and turn it a bit down from there, and experiment within that "frame". One could right it down for every track, so there is a kind of reference. Good hunting for that perfect volume. Cheers from Denmark

I've often been accused of demonstrating a system at a volume that is too high since I believe they all sound the same at very low volumes and higher volumes reveal the differences more starkly. My wife, however, believes all systems should be played just above a whisper since they all sound equally "good enough" at this volume.

What is the current state of your loudspeakers? Any idea when they will be available?

equal distance between your speakers with you sat in the middle.there the words you need to set up your speakers..

85 db (A weighted) as the human hearing response is flattest/most linear st that level as demonstrated by fletcher/munson's research but if there's acoustic treatment (and proper speaker placement!) then it's necessary to take some acoustic measurements. Trained ears and a little knowledge can bring out the best.

Dear Paul. My best thoughts to you and your fellow citizens. Hope the US gets through the crisis soon. And then I hope the country learns a lesson about the importance of acting as a we.

As far as orchestral recordings go, it's completely artificial because of where the microphones are placed. Usually from above and not from the perspective of an audience seated further away at ear-level.

Oh Paul.. You're by far my favorite liberal

Most music studios mix/master at reference level of 85db. You can calibrate your system by playing pink noise and using a db meter to set the level at 85db. Of course in reality things aren't that simple.

I measured it and it’s barely 80db on my normal volume more 75db with some peaks.. I am glad I am not to deaf yet, I had people that blast their set to ridiculous levels

I like Paul, he is a no nonsense sort of guy

Please include USB or download link in book, not many people still have a CD player!

Just like it is in the UK everybody has gone back to as it was before the outbreak back to normal.

I find one sign of an excellent system is that ti sounds good at low volume. With music playing at what sounds like a good level, I will speak naturally and see how loud my voice sounds. If it's playing at a satisfying level, and I can hear my voice that's agood sign. Also, it's good to spend soem time at a live symphony performance, They will sound plenty loud, but you can hear every littel cough and chair creak in the hall.

If it is Einstürzende Neubauten that you are listening to, then you should be able to feel sound waves moving through your body. Needless to say, you should also be wearing hearing protection. Interesting post, one other thing that should be mentioned is that audio/hearing perception and sensitivity is not linear and varies across frequencies and volumes, or, so I understand it. Also, with respect to live music and performance venues, the sound levels and tone are balanced and are a mean for the room. Being in the front rows or backs rows are not necessarily how the performance was meant to heard. In fact, being around where the mixing board is, is most likely where you will be closest to what they sound engineer was trying to achieve.

Typically l listen to all kinds of music around 78/80 db based on my room configuration and music source. I have a very powerful amp (1,200 watts@1ohm) that drive my Maggie's So I don't think it's all about db levels. With my audio rig I have so much energy and dynamics within the music, even at lower db levels that l just find amazing So close to the live event. So I guess what I'm saying is, it's not just the loudness, but the quality of the loudness

loud is the metal state of mind. everyone is at different level.

Whatever is the most pleasant volume level for whatever occasion is the proper volume level. If I listen to music before going to sleep, while doing work or while reading a book, I need low volume. When I’m having a party or just in the mood for loud music, I crank up the volume. Then there are moments where I adjust volume to what sounds best to me with no sound settings. Of course, my ears perform different when I play at low volume, thus I need loudness compensation to accommodate for my hearing characteristics depending on volume setting.

Hello from my fellow Queenslander :-)

To create a Soundstage to make an attempt to recreate the moment of recording. How loud is too loud? I've been to Concerts where the music was soo loud we couldn't actually hear it. We felt it through the floor of the garden. That's Madison Square Garden! Now explain that we are trying to recreate what the artist intended? How many Mics are being used? How many instruments are plugged in? How many tracks are being used to record that sound? Isn't it a 16 Track Tape Deck? Being compressed into 2 tracks? How about a chorus if there is one. How many are miked?

Thank you... The most I crank up to 9

I think that as long as your sound is not to shrill it should be fine for most, If I'm gonna crank up say Purple or Zeppelin then there needs to be plenty of trouser flapping bottom end, I have to say that only on the odd occasion I really blast it loud, even then I would say 60% volume and two large subs billowing forth is loud as hell. The real danger is headphones especially those in ear tinny things, be very careful with those. Use good pair that have plenty of bass, and its better to hear it at a volume that's comfortable, your gonna get ear damage, headphones will do it at constant loud levels. As rock fan I've been to some loud concerts, Motorhead were so loud from 20 ft you could not hear the instrument separation, they could have been playing tip toe through the tulips for all I know. I had to stand way back to hear the music, but I wouldn't swap those days for anything, right now how great it would be to be back in a hall enjoying the music.

Mr. PS Audio, I've been watching your videos for a while. Most of the times I learnd something new some time I don't 'cos I just don't understand (ja ja ja yes shame on me) but "How loud SHOULD listen to music"? Well, my opinion: How much vol do I need to FEEL my music?. If we do listen, we know when the sound is not right (distortion). The only moment I feel the I need to blow my room it is when I get drunk (ja ja ja once a year). Thank you for your videos . Be safe.