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I have spent quite some time assessing PGGB, with success restricted to a tiny subset of early digital recordings. I have been happy to be confirmed by most respected people here that I’m not the only one to have my bad days/moments when I can’t enjoy music. I have stressed that our little games of comparing things is a factor that induces me in such bad moments. Now it’s time I stay away from AS for a while, things to do... But I wish to extend interrogations I started in my Deaf or Dumb thread about volume/SPL. I’ll be happy to read well thought comments. As a starter, I recommend @Confused's, the latest on Deaf or Dumb as I start this thread, with discussion of complex topics in mind rather than anathema or empty contradiction. Le Phénix des hôtes de ces bois wrote : « What's the goal? If it's accuracy, then we must know the volume the artists were playing at when the recording was made? Plus, if one's hearing isn't perfect, a volume adjustment could bring the level more in line with that live performance. What about Dark Side of the Moon, where there isn't a live performance? How should volume be set? It's a fool's errand and it makes no sense to specify a correct volume for listening.” As of classical music, Bob Katz wrote : “The late Gabe Wiener produced a series of classical recordings noting in the liner notes the SPL of a short (test) passage. He encouraged listeners to adjust their monitor gains to reproduce the “natural” SPL which arrived at the recording microphone. The author used to second-guess Wiener by first adjusting monitor gain by ear, and then measuring the SPL with Wiener’s test passage. Each time, the author’s monitor was within 1 dB of Wiener’s recommendation. Thus demonstrating that for classical music, the natural SPL is desirable for attentive, foreground listeners. » I have to say I’m with Bob Katz and believe I’m quite good at reproducing the natural SPL. Of course I heard the greatest pianist in large venues, not ideal, and it makes sense to have a recording of Richter slightly louder than in the concert hall. Jazz is tricky, I will call it mix bag for the moment. I certainly would not call Bob Katz a fool and his K system a fool's errand and yet he made efforts to specify a correct volume for listening and published a list of recordings ( https://www.digido.com/honor-roll/ ) mentioning his monitor position with reference to 0, 0 being for 500-2K PN -20 RMS (available on his site) yielding 83 dB/monitor at Listening Position. I own a 8 amplifiers, 1200 W total capable system, yet setting HQP at -3, I have to crank my preamp, at 63, a mere .5 dB from maximum volume and that is with +7 dB gain at the DAC’s entry ! @Miska I guess this is optimum gain with lowering in HQP ? or may I set 57 for it feels strange to be at max volume ? I also have the possibility to push entry gain to 20 but 7/8 sounds best. So we need amp power and speakers that might handle it… 500-2K PN -20 RMS says Bob Katz, it avoids bass debate but my 8K sure is above Katz’s target and it’s going to matter for pleasure… It happens that Doug Sax’s mastering of Dark Side of the Moon is part of https://www.digido.com/honor-roll/ And it’s 1 point for Chris. I mean I couldn’t listen long at Katz’s suggested volume, even after I created a set of filters rolling-off my treble to be closer to KATZ’s. 98 dB C peak is too much for me! I then played my favorite digital version, 5.1 MCH downmixed 2.0 and enjoyed it much more. It peaked at 94.5, very enjoyable, but I did not feel compelled to raise and up the pre gain to match the 98 reached with Doug Sax’s mastering. I preferred it with no HF roll-off and would have rather turned bass a bit down. However, success playing at Bob’s recommended volumes with Shirley Horn and Rolling Stones though for the Stones I had to use the filters rolling off HF. And certainly others this afternoon So, so far this a reminder that money should go first to basics : power and power handling capabilities. Then, I could agree that whatever pleases someone is the right volume for that someone. But this is also true of the mastering engineer : it sounded right, tonality, image, etc, for him with a certain frequency response and at a given SPL. When mastering has been done at enormous SPL we will have a bass shy reproduction at lower level, etc. Thank you Bob Katz for publishing reference SPL, probably enjoyed by you with monitors set to your target. I certainly would not qualify your tentative a fool’s errand even though I rather let my speakers’ HF FR be rather than make them follow your target and even if I have to sometimes turn down volume, because there are many other factors, damping, reverb time etc that most certainly make my room lesser than yours. So, I respect that enjoyment might be at different volumes but I certainly would not call Bob Katz a fool and his K system a fool's errand. The 90 dB at forte of most classical music can certainly be reproduced at home and Bob Katz’s suggestion of a Mix/Mastering system allowing clever compression to put pop music’s forte, when and where there isn't a live performance as reference, in the ball park of classical music’s, very welcome. Publishing Frequency Response and SPL at LP should be mandatory when publishing a review
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Hello I have a SPL Crimson interface which I think sounds very full and fab. But the dynamics isn't quite there. Vocals sound a bit restrained and the sound is not quite as "open" as my friends Lavry DA11 DAC. Its like transients is not there in same way. Also the Stereofield seems a little bit smaller. The SPL Crimson uses 12V DC/1,5A Mode PSU, Wall-mart type. When enabling 48v phantom power the sound dies out for a small amount of time (like a powersoak.). This got me thinking maybe the unit would benefit from a linear-type PSU? I've read that linear psu's have somewhat better specs for transient response and ripple which is paramount for audio as you may know. But why not ship the SPL Crimson with a linear PSU from the beginning then? It it due to EU's strict power policies? (linear psu's is less effective as u know). This question is relevant for all consumer gear I guess. Otherwise it must be due to internal power regulations? It's specced like this: Internal Power Supplies Audio: +/-17V, Digital: +5V and +3,3V Power Consumption 16,8 Watt So it's doing something with the current inside. Regulating them to different Volts from the 12V input. Would this type of construction even work with a Linear PSU? P.S. Recommendations for high-quality linears (under 60 USD) is greatly appreciated. Design:
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I have an SPL meter in my listening room and an Apps on my iOS devices. Periodically when listening I check the SPL to see how loud it really is. I am curious to see if anyone else does this as well, or maybe I am just neurotic.
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- listening level
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