Sound levels in your listening space

[DLS]

Using a simple Dynaudio SPL app on my iPhone, confirmed with Radio Shack digital meter, the background sound level in my living room with no music on and forced air system off, is 30db. When I listen to my system as background music, the level is 50-55db. When I sit down for serious listening, the level ranges from 60-75db whether source is digital or vinyl. I perceive this as close to levels I experience at various opera houses I've been to (Met, LaScala, Santa Fe, San Francisco), typically middle orchestra location, as well as performances at the various venues at Jazz at Lincoln Center. This sound level equates to 16x over the background level, though, according to various sources, perceived as 4x. What levels do you listen to and what is the dynamic range (meaning, does it exceed the 15db I experience)?

 

[ecwl]

very interesting post. Just got to work so I can’t measure at my loud living room.
I have to admit I’m a nitpicker. but I don’t actually know if the radio shack digital meter is calibrated. So the relative dBs you got are correct but the absolute dB might be off.
I’ve looked into this before and basically the cheapest calibrated dB meter I have is the Apple Watch and I use that to calibrate all my other microphones in volume. And I can measure the dB at concerts. Only caveat is that the Apple Watch uses A weighting. Like my iPad microphone on AudioTools measures same as Apple Watch but my iPhone is 7dB less.
but yeah, I think a lot of recorded music is compressed so I always get limited dynamic range but I think I can get 50dB at the lowest level and 85dB at the highest level in some tracks. Mostly because I don’t listen loud. Can’t remember which tracks though.

 

[ecwl]

Just looking at my September 29, 2023 NY Phil concert Apple Watch dB measurements. Quietest was 50dB, loudest was 100dB briefly. Average was 83dB. I was about 20 rows from the stage.