Reducing the volume makes the bass louder?!!

[kartik]

After years and years of abusing my ears (and my headphones) with insanely loud music, I've found that simply cutting the volume improves the sound tremendously.It sounds a bit darker but the background is certainly more black, with the details being more distinctand the tonality more real. The biggest improvement is in the lower frequencies which seem to bloom rather nicely. One reason for this may be the fact that most of my listening is analog now and seems to be pack much more detail and punch at lower levels than my rather staid digital source. Irrespective, my ears are not objecting.

 

[discord]

Or maybe you just erased all your high frequencies already? jk

 

[kartik]

Certainly a valid point. However, I am able to discern more high frequency detail than previously and am also more acutely aware of the atmosphere, so I think my high frequency sensing (although possibly impaired) is still functional.

 

[zancxia]

Is the music as enjoyable? Moreso?

Could the bass just seem "louder" because it tends to overshadow higher frequencies that seem to be more noticable when they are loud?

 

[kartik]

Rather than headbanging, I'm actually listening to the music now. I can't believe what I'd been missing all this while. On the point of the bass masking the higher frequencies, I direct you to my prior post: there appears to be more detail, not less.