edwinr said:
I've got a digital Shack SPL meter. Just for fun I played Dave Brubeck's 'Take Five' with the SPL meter on at levels I thought was reasonably loud. I was really surprised... I measured PEAKS of around 105 to 110 dBA! I can't believe that.
Hola edwinr. Your measurement is telling you that you are playing Dave Brubeck too loud with all respect. Once, at our National Theater, with my Peavy SPL meter, I did measure our symphonic orchestra playing some works, and I do recall that at the most strong passages, at a distance of 20 feet away of the stage, the reading was 93 dBs (scale A weighted)...about 84 musicians playing there at that time. Also, in the same room, you can listen a classical guitar unplugged, in other words, without any electronic or artificial way for more level...it was not needed. We listen in our own systems too loud many times, and this is why you only listen 30 to 40 minutes only. If you teach yourself to bring down the level at a such point of around 80 dBs, picks at 85dB to 90 dBs, then you will be listening for hours without any ear fatigue...and ML is one of the few speakers that allow you to have the stage and the right size of the instruments, with an astonishing transparency, at low level. The details, the inner nuaces of the musician(s) with their musical instruments are breath taking. Even Dave Brubeck playing take five, (a Paul Desmond composition) you can bring the level down and still listen all the details that are there in that fine recording. Also, IMHO, low level will present better the right size of the instruments than louder. There are few room bad resonances with low level...try to teach yourself to play your system at low level...We have in our own brain and ears, an AGC control (automatic gain control). It last about five minuts to adjust it self to the level that are at the stage. I went to a heavy rock concert at the CEDIA, and I only could stand there to the fourth song...I thought that my ears were going to explote, and still have some tinitus at my right ear. Due to our high quality power amps, and the power that we are getting from them, allow us to play at high levels where we could damage our ears...we have to be aware of this!!! perhaps at the begining we could stand high level, but with the time, we could start to loose our hearing. My advice is try to get at your listening room the sound presure level that a guitar or a piano will get there without any artificial way to amplify its own natural sound. With low level too, is easy to correct and to put your system to sing better...try it, you might like it!...please forgive my dare to say this...we have the right to play our music the way that we like most...happy listening,
Roberto.
