[b0dhi]

I used to listen low volume with the GS1000s. When I say low I mean that in a quiet room, the music was not much louder than the ambient noise, so that if someone was quietly speaking to me I could easily hear them. Unfortunately my current headphones don't sound as good for low volume listening, which is quite a shame because at low volume the soundstage is more convincing to my ears.

 

[SleepyOne]

I like higher volume, but for safty I tend to use lower volume.

 

[mark_h]

Medium

 

[bryan413]

I listen to it pretty loud. But then again all amps have a sweet spot.

 

[sadhanaputra]

This has been bothering me lately.
Whenever I turn the volume up too much, I find the sound (especially the mids/vocals) to be more synthetic, more 'speaker-like', less lifelike.. So I always find myself "forced" to turn the volume back down.

Does anybody else experience this?

So anyway I guess my answer would be medium.

 

[moogoob]

My kind of thread!

As my sig says, I'm always fiddling with that volume knob. Different volumes have different presentations. I start at zero then slowly turn it up until the part I want comes into the forefront. Example: I'm currently listening to Pink Floyd's Atom Heart Mother Suite (on ripped CD rather than vinyl, unfortunately) with the crossfeed on. The brass gets too annoying first as I turn it up, so I turn it back down until it's annoying no longer. Done!

I'd say my volume's usually on medium-ish. Occasionally with metal I'll blast it, though .

 

[moogoob]

Quote:

Originally Posted by sadhanaputra /img/forum/go_quote.gif This has been bothering me lately. Whenever I turn the volume up too much, I find the sound (especially the mids/vocals) to be more synthetic, more 'speaker-like', less lifelike.. So I always find myself "forced" to turn the volume back down. Does anybody else experience this? So anyway I guess my answer would be medium.

Me too.

Funny how we're both using Grados.

 

[fjrabon]

I basically turn it up until I feel that the sound "blossoms" in richness. And I'm generally very sensitive about this point. For instance, on my FiiO E5 out of my Grados, I sometimes get highly annoyed because on a lot of recordings there is a point where clicking the volume down is too low, but up one notch is a bit too high. So basically I try to listen to as low of a volume I can and still get the presentation I'm after. Which I'd guess is probably medium to maybe slightly higher than medium volume.

 

[ph0rk]

Quote:

Originally Posted by BIG POPPA /img/forum/go_quote.gif I rock out loud most of the time to get the feel of an amp. Real loud, ask anyone at the Seattle meets? To me I can't get into the music if I can't get completely submersed in it. If you are listening to low volume you really don't like the music IMO.

Or you just have this vague sense that maybe you'd like to enjoy the music for longer than the next decade or so.


The ear naturally compresses loud sound, and some people enjoy it. It is damaging, though, so I wouldn't recommend sustained listening at high volumes.

[size=xx-small]That, and arguments along the lines of "you don't love music if you don't listen to it the way I do" are relatively pointless for something so subjective.[/size]

 

[sadhanaputra]

Quote:

Originally Posted by moogoob /img/forum/go_quote.gif Me too. Funny how we're both using Grados.

I don't think it's the Grados doing, though. Earlier I tried DT880 with some tube amp, and I experienced the same thing also.
Funny thing is, when the bass blossoms, the vocal overblossoms.
When the vocal is just right, the bass doesn't blossom yet.
Hmm.

 

[jaykay]

I personally enjoy listening to music at pretty low volumes with my d2000 and westone 3.

 

[Calexico]

When it's quiet around me, I listen pretty quiet I believe. Between 1/4 (minimum) and 1 volume step (out of 16) out of my iMac (current-gen)'s stock headphone out with my Grado SR60s. I tried volume matching (no devices or anything) with my iPod 5.5G, and 1/16 volume was about 1/3 of the iPod's.

On loud buses or elsewhere, my EX71s unfortunately don't provide very much isolation, so it's generally around 40% on my iPod.

 

[m0ofassa]

im always fiddling with the volume because its so easy. I generally find a happy place for each song/album where the EQ that comes with volume shift suits the song.

 

[fjrabon]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Calexico /img/forum/go_quote.gif When it's quiet around me, I listen pretty quiet I believe. Between 1/4 (minimum) and 1 volume step (out of 16) out of my iMac (current-gen)'s stock headphone out with my Grado SR60s. I tried volume matching (no devices or anything) with my iPod 5.5G, and 1/16 volume was about 1/3 of the iPod's. On loud buses or elsewhere, my EX71s unfortunately don't provide very much isolation, so it's generally around 40% on my iPod.

I wonder if my hearing is starting to go. 1/3rd of my iPod's volume through my SR60s and I can hardly hear anything other than the vocal line, snare drum and lead guitar parts. Everything sounds very distant to me at that level.

Or maybe the 6th gen's volume is different than the 5.5. Because with my SR60s at that volume level, I can clearly hear a pin drop on my desk, with the music playing. 60% on my 6th gen through my SR60'S is about my comfortable listening level for most things.

 

[lweijs]

I have no idea if the volume I listen music to is considered loud ;x

When I plug my DT770's into my Creative Zen V, and put it to the highest volume.. I don't find it to be very loud.