How loud do you play your music?

[Mike Blakesley]

Time for another mindless summer poll.

Is your music so loud that you make your own ears bleed on a regular basis, or are you the background-listening type? Or somewhere between? Tell us about your listening habits.

 

[seashorepiano]

I have to say it does depend on whom I'm listening to. If it's an artist whose music I'm really into, like a roaring brass solo, the volume can go way up. Other times I like making the music fade into the background as I'm driving, as with Oscar Peterson Plays the Harold Arlen Songbook.

 

[Captain Bacardi]

It depends on what I listen to. Fortunately for me, I live alone, my house is well insulated and my neighbor's house is a good distance from me, so cranking it up is not an issue. The only time it might be an issue is when it's somewhat cool enough that I open my windows. But since those days are rare down here I don't worry about it.

Now my dog may have a different view point....


Capt. Bacardi
...who also plays my trombone loud, offline...

 

[Dave]

I play my music at "A Nice, Comfortable Level" and at where I don't even need headphones after going through such a large and expensive succession of 'em (including extension wires)...

When I played my guitar along with my records I think that my axe was louder than the music and it didn't help that I was a beginner --and spent more time playing along with my Eumir Deodato records than ever practicing anything in my Music Book... (Mel Bay, Book 1, Volume 1; never got anywhere past that and left while stuck between "Shenadoah" and "Red River Valley"...)

I had a "mini speaker" I played my guitar through; plugged into the amp, it sounded awful and only did it once though one of my albums... (Deodato's Nightcruiser, on which he ditched his regular and best guitar player, John Tropea, still my idol...) I didn't like listening to my guitar through my headphones, either... ('Specially when that was how I learned back then that my playing stunk!)

--Which I also did another time, while playing along with Herbie Mann's Glory Of Love but by then, I could play my records and tapes at an "agreeable volume" through the speakers, so it then, used to depend on who I was listening to...

As for when I'm driving, it depends on 'who's out there', though suprisingly when I play something "obscure" the heads don't seem to turn...



Dave

 

[Dave]

Well, c'mon, now! --Make Some Noise!

I live in my own place...; an APARTMENT, and so far, No "Turn Down That Racket!!!!"...!!!!!



Dave

 

[Vinylalbumcovers]

I love my ears and want them to last as long as possible. Given that, I refuse to listen to anything louder than what would be considered a comfortable listening level.

Ed

 

[Harry]

It's time and place dependent. Working in a radio group of five stations, there's no single choice for the office, so everyone pretty much listens to their own station at their desk. I have mine on, usually at a fairly low volume, cranking it up every now and then to just a comfortable level. If a DJ happens upon a song they like, the studio monitors can get a workout. I've walked in there on occasions and been in discomfort.

In the car, I tend to have "my music" on at a comfortable level above the road noise. I never blare things to the point of distortion. But it's always funny to get *back* into a car you left some time ago, and have the radio or CD player come at you with more force than you remember.

At home, I can crank things if I want to. The neighbors are far enough away that they won't hear it. But I usually keep the levels comfortable enough to hear the power and subtlety of the recording, but again never to the point of any distortion.

Harry

 

[Mike Blakesley]

I guess I should respond to my own question.

I like it nice and loud, but am comfortable with a "nice comfortable level" too. In the car, I tend to blast away if I'm alone, but if I'm with my wife we usually have the music very low or even off, so we can talk. We'll crank it up occasionally for a favorite song, but inevitbably one of us wants to say something so the volume gets reduced again.

I'm with Harry on the distortion issue. I remember Cerwin-Vega's old slogan, "Loud is beautiful, if it's clean." I've never blown a speaker, and probably never will (at least not for that reason).

 

[Captain Bacardi]

We'll crank it up occasionally for a favorite song, but inevitbably one of us wants to say something so the volume gets reduced again.

You obviously haven't been married that long. Usually, the volume starts going up when the wife wants to talk!



Capt. Bacardi
...providing more evidence as to why I'm not married, online...

 

[Rudy]

I sometimes listen loud, but having a lot of power, it never sounds strained or clipped (distorted). I can peak out at over 250 watts and it doesn't really sound "loud", so it's deceiving. Well-recorded music can be very dynamic, and having it up to a certain degree will sound fantastic as long as your amp can deliver the current to prevent clipping.

Loudness is deceiving in another way too: it might sound "loud", but when you measure it with the sound pressure meter, it's not really all that loud in terms of ear damage. Sometimes I think I have it too loud, but I look at the meters and I'm only putting out about one watt on average from my power amp, which is about 90dB at one meter away from the speaker.

 

[Mike Blakesley]

Usually, the volume starts going up when the wife wants to talk!

What's funny about my wife is, she can sleep through any kind of noise. So if we're coming home late from out of town, she'll go to sleep and I'll crank up some Herb A. or something. The louder it is, the better she sleeps. And, if I'm not sleepy at night I'll have the TV or some music on for awhile and she just sleeps right through it. She's pretty amazing that way!

 

[Rudy]

I sleep well if I have music on low during the night. I'll put XM onto a quieter channel, or just load up the CD changer.

 

[Harry]

My wife's just the opposite. Any noise of any kind will wake her - she just doesn't sleep soundly at all, and has difficulty initially falling to sleep.

Me? My head hits a pillow and I'm out in less than a minute. Anytime, anywhere. Sitting up, laying down - doesn't matter. I've even fallen asleep briefly at the computer while doing repetitive presses of the enter key when trying to fudge a voting contest!

Harry

 

[Andrew T.]

I tend to crank the music up higher if I'm the only one in the house. If other family members are here I turn it down, or even use headphones. The walls and floors here aren't exactly sound-proof.

I might as well speak for myself: I have little tolerance for unwanted noise myself, and if someone else is blasting music I don't like, my sanity is sometimes taxed! I need absolute silence and (if possible) absolute darkness to fall asleep...it's a wonder I got through nights in the college dorms alive!

 

[Dave]

Well, c'mon, now! --Make Some Noise!

I live in my own place...; an APARTMENT, and so far, No "Turn Down That Racket!!!!"...!!!!!

Forgot to mention that ALL of my stereo equipment was moved from my arents' house to my new place plopped in the passenger seat with some of the rest o' my furniture in the back o' my car with the seats folded down...

--And when I hooked everything up and tested it, it sounded & played perfect...!!!



Dave

 

[Harry]

moved from my arents' house

Well, either they are, or they aren't...

Harry

 

[Dave]

moved from my arents' house

Well, either they are, or they aren't...

Harry

Is there NO "P" in Parents???!!! --There IS when you move AWAY from 'em!!!!!



Dave

 

[alpertfan]

It really depends. Mostly, I just keep it at a reasonable level when I'm in my bedroom (I have a shelf system). When I'm going into another room, I'll crank it up. I also listen to AOL Radio with headphones.

 

[seashorepiano]

Andrew T.: I just saw your new avatar and, man, may I be the first to say, that's priceless.

 

[Moondog]

Depends on a lot of things - the music I'm listening to(if it has some good stuff going on underneath or behind the main music, I tend to crank it up - like to hear some of the subtlties loud and clear, if they're there); where I'm listening (home, the car, somebody else's place); who else is listening and why(don't want to offend others, but I might just want them to hear something really good that escapes the ears on low volume); time of day(things get louder when there's no other ambient noise around - like late at night).

But loud for the sake of loud - burn-the-paint-off-the-neighbor's-house - never. It's even offensive to me when I'm listening to one of my favorites. Don't like the kind of stuff that fits the mold, 'if-it-can't-be-good-at-least-it-can-be-loud.' Annoying any time of the day.

Take care...

George

 

[Rudy]

I know I replied earlier, but last weekend, I was over at a friend's house, and we were comparing versions of the Genesis "Invisible Touch" album. He has quite a few different pressings, but we compared a first pressing U.S. version against the remixed CDs that just came out. I could hear some differences at a lower volume, but you really got more of a sense of the dynamics and 3D imaging when it was turned up. The newer CD was painful to listen to, where the old one was a lot more tolerable. And his system is more "high end" than mine at this point.

I also got to hear some of the subtleties of listening to a really good SACD/CD player, the legendary Sony "777". On the instrumental compilation I made, it really shined--I had songs on there from all labels, including A&M, RCA, Verve and a few others. Could still tell we were listening to CD, but it was very natural sounding considering it was a CD.

 

[Dave]

I wish our Upstairs Neighbors--NEW Upstairs Neighbors, I should say--would watch how Loud they play their Muuuuu...--er, "Stuff"--...!!!

Dave inkshield:

 

[toeknee4bz]

It all depends.
This is something that changes with age. When I was 20 - 25 years old, I still acted like a teenager... LOUD - "AND I WANT YOU TO SHARE MY JOY!!! LISTEN! ISN'T THIS GREAT?!" (As I shook your head up and down in agreement)...
Well, thankfully, I'm not that naive anymore. At 39, I realize that no matter who it is you're trying to share music with, not everybody is going to like the same thing.
Therefore, if we're having a conversation, especially one NOT dealing with music matters, I just might turn the whole thing OFF. I'm still in love with all of my music, and crank it up plenty when I'm alone. But if you and I are talking, I respect you enough to listen to WHAT YOU HAVE TO SAY. (Actually, I think I'm just getting to be an old geezer and I can't pay attention to both you AND the music!)
-Tony

 

[Dave]

Yow! Was all that stomping from upstairs going on over my ceiling which seemed to have been "stomping along to my Bobby Goldsboro Tenth Anniversary Album, Side 4" going on because of me playing it too loud?

Kept adjusting the volume--er, LOWERING it--but kept hearing that "upstairs stampede" keep continuing...!

Well, maybe that foot stompin' overhead was for something else, though long-after my stereo got turned off, it stopped...!



Dave

--NP: Paul Simon "One Man's Ceiling Is Another Man's Floor"... inkshield:

 

[Mr Bill]

...all that stomping from upstairs going on over my ceiling...kept hearing that "upstairs stampede" keep continuing...maybe that foot stompin' overhead was for something...!

...or maybe it was Mrs. Dave wanting to be untied for a bathroom break! ("put the lotion on the skin")

--Mr Bill
I'm kidding of course -- you know I am a kidder...