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85 - sometimes less

Below that, you ear starts to miss bottom end that's in the recording. Above that, you start hearing bass that actually isn't there; Fletcher-Munson works both ways. So for most pop/rock, I keep it around 85. Much less for string trios/quartets etc. Big orchestral slams might be above that somewhat, but not much. In my studio-assistant career (now retired) all the good engineers kept the steady-state levels pretty close to 85. They knew that's the level where you hear it as it is. Some hotshot hip-hop engineers blasted away, and their recordings always ended up extremely bass-shy. When we would hear the boom-boom coming from a soundproof room, the old-timers would smile, because they knew what the end product would be. (The clients were always impressed, feeling the shock waves in the control room pounding on their chests, but that changed when they heard the lean, wan end product outside the studio.)

I rarely listen louder, but once in a while it's fun. I've had Tannoy Stirling GR's for a few months now. They are the only dynamic speaker I've heard that are as good at whispering as Quad ESL 57's. Really. Strangely, they are also sound wonderful blowing the walls down. Tonal balance and presentation (row A vs row ZZ) are absolutely unchanged from ppp to ffff. Every other dynamic speaker I've had sounded distant and veiled below their "good" level, and sounded hard, glare-y, too in-your-face as they got too loud. These don't; the whispers are exquisite and can give goosebumps. As the volume increases, the sound just gets BIGGER, which can be thrilling with the right music. I've had these for a few months now, and am learning from them every day. They have changed the game for me completely, which is unexpected after forty-odd years. I'll do a review, but it will take a few months more before I really understand what's going on with them.

WW
"Put on your high heeled sneakers. Baby, we''re goin'' out tonight.


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  • 85 - sometimes less - Bill Way 19:38:40 02/03/17 (2)

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