Stehno, why does everything have to be played back at such a loud volume? Is it just the type of pop music?
Good question, Peter. Though I prefer to consider my preferred listening volumes near or at live performance volume levels as opposed to "such a loud volume".
I can think of a number of reasons....
- We're talking high fidelity, high-end audio, etc, and therefore it's my goal to assimilate all aspects of a live performance during playback presentations. And perhaps the most critical aspect is similar playback volume levels.
- When playback listening volumes levels are less than live performance levels, music info start disappearing rather quickly including suttle nuances. But especially the lowest of what I perceive to be all low-level detail which includes the volumes (and volumes) of ambient information embedded in most any given recording. I consider the ambient info to be all so importand as that's where we find much of the so-called magic or believability. For example, a full-scale symphony can include the smallest of instruments like the light ting of a small triangle. Though barely heard during the live performance, it's still heard at live performance volume levels so if one were to lower the playback volume, this light note from the triangle would be among the first of notes to head toward inaudibility. Other nuances would as well and of course the volumes of ambient info would be leading the way.
- As far as I know, music is intended to be listened to near or at live performance volume levels.
- Listening to playback music near or at live performance volume levels is an excellent testimony to the maturity of a playback system as few are able to acocmplish this. Especially with inferior recordings. Sure, anybody can crank their system up but the real test is how fast people want to leave the room due to ear fatigue, etc. IME, it is quite rare for a playback system to maintain a high level of musicality at or near live performance volume levels and with absolutely minimized distortions.
- When a playback system can maintain a high-level of musicality with absolutely minimized distortions near/at live performance volume levels, the music becomes far more engaging and flat out more enjoyable.
Anyway, those are a few reasons. As you know, many enthusiasts consider in-room videos as inferior quality so they refuse to give such videos any credence whatsover. But what I find comical is many of those same who poo-poo in-room videos as inferior will listen for hours to their playback presentations at significantly lower than live performance volume levels. As a result, what they are really hearing is no different and probably significantly lower fidelity than a well-recorded in-room video they've already rejected outright.
But again, we're talking high fidelity and the closer the volume level approaches zero or silence, the more every last playbck system will begin to sound like an AM transistor radio. Bar none.