Quiet listening Performance

[keiths]

Here's a question that I've been searching for. Others likely have as well. I expect there are some opinions on the subject here.

What is it that makes a speaker have 'all the sound' even at low levels?

Some speakers can sound great and clear with the volume up a bit but are lacking when listening quietly in the evening.

Some say it's the slope of the SPL curve and that it needs a higher low end than high end. Is that it or is there more to it?

[Sydney]

Part of it is that Human hearing is not linear across the spectrum with respect to frequency and perceived loudness.
A speaker may be linear but perception is not.
RE: Fletcher Munsen
http://www.phys.unsw.edu.au/jw/graph...her-Munson.gif
( at lower volume I usually up the bass )

[donradick]

the Fletcher Munson curve plays a definite part, but I've noticed that different speakers seem to produce detail at different levels. Years ago we were listening to a very nice Dynaudio 3 way and my wife commented that they sounded "lacking" at low volume, but sounded great when cranked up a bit. Other speakers don't seem to have this problem (my mini-statements for one)

Interesting question. I hope others have some input.

[Pallas]

Seems to me that the variation in how people perceive low frequencies at different SPL explains most of the difference.

That leads to two possible thoughts: either make speakers that are intentionally plumby in the upper bass with fairly high-Q alignments (the LS3/5a comes to mind) or use some sort of loudness compensation.

I think the latter route is, if nothing else, more flexible. I find Audyssey's DynamicEQ (a variable loudness "circuit," executed in DSP) to work very well at making low-level listening enjoyable on a system designed with a fairly shallow low-end house curve. Be sure to leave Audyssey "Dynamic Volume" off, though, for music listening.

[djg]

I bought an old NAD 1020 preamp for my phono system. It has a loudness button, which has gone out of fashion along with tone controls.

[Wolf]

Some people call it a 'power threshold'. Once you hit that point, things get better, and it may be the cases answered herein.
Later,
Wolf

[generic]

I wonder if amps have anything to do with it. I used to have Yamaha, Onkyo, Denon over the years. Now I'm running a crown, and it sounds great at low levels. Before, it did seem like the volume needed to be turned up to hear everything.

[wlb]

I remember years ago with the older amps ,especially the tube amps the higher the input level to preamp or main amp the greater the dynamic range and low end punch you would get. I had a turn table with an Ortofon moving coil cartridge that had a lot of output. I didn't have to turn the volume knob past 9 o clock to get loud sound and pounding bass. When I changed my turn table and cartridge I had to turn the knob to 11 o clock to get the same volume and it sounded thinner and not so punchy. Higher tape deck gains did the same thing. I think speaker efficiency will also have an effect on what your system sounds like at different volumes.

[keiths]

I was hoping that this was an easy question that most people here knew and it was just me being somewhat ignorant. Apparently it's more complex than that.

I think it's mainly a speaker dependant thing as I've use several amps with several speakers and I have never found a large difference in how much sound is produced at low listening levels by changing the amp.

Wolf's comment sparked a thought. It does seem like there is a 'power threshold' which must be exceeded before a driver can perform. I'm now theorizing that this is related to the motor design. I wonder if smaller (finer) voice coil windings would mean less power/volume required for the driver to exhibit 'all the music'. Other traits of such a driver would be lower gap height (He) and Xmax and a higher BL and efficiency.

I suppose a person could test this theory by building two speakers with similar drivers but different coil designs that represent the above assumptions. It could make for an interesting comparison.

Any thoughts on the theory?

[killersoundz]

When I'm mixing music, I get the most accurate level balancing with the volume as low as possible. However to determine whats going on with the bass I have to crank it up.

[LouC]

A lot of older amps & receivers had a "loudness" button. It apparently gently boosted the low end at lower volumes, but had less effect as you cranked it up. So this issue has been around awhile.