How do I know when too much volume is bad?

[alkalinesi]

Hey guys, this is gonna sound like a newbie question, and I apologize. In my movie room(see sig for equipment) I always keep my Pioneer receiver volume around -10 db and thats pretty loud for my small room. But I never really took it up to like the positive volume range (like +10 db) out of the fear for blowing my speakers. So with audio I'm a newbie, so please shine a little light on the question, with my equipment, how high can I crank it before it starts to hurt the speakers? If some of yous have similar setups, where do you keep your volume at? Thanks in advance guys.

[js666]

Originally Posted by alkalinesi

Hey guys, this is gonna sound like a newbie question, and I apologize. In my movie room(see sig for equipment) I always keep my Pioneer receiver volume around -10 db and thats pretty loud for my small room. But I never really took it up to like the positive volume range (like +10 db) out of the fear for blowing my speakers. So with audio I'm a newbie, so please shine a little light on the question, with my equipment, how high can I crank it before it starts to hurt the speakers? If some of yous have similar setups, where do you keep your volume at? Thanks in advance guys.

At 110w/ch you'd probably hurt your ears before blowing out the speakers.
As far as volume, assuming your system in properly calibrated, it depends on how big your room is. Mine is 18'x13'x9' and I'm usually in
the -13 range most of the time.

[rpatt]

If you don't already have one, get an SPL meter and set up your speakers at reference level, I use 80-DB. You can also calibrate your speakers levels.

[DavePS3]

When you hear distortion... back off on the volume. It's not so much of a volume issue that hurts speakers, it's the distortion. Tweeters start to buzz a bit... woofers 'fart'... you'll know it when you hear it.

[Fors*]

Originally Posted by alkalinesi

Hey guys, this is gonna sound like a newbie question, and I apologize. In my movie room(see sig for equipment) I always keep my Pioneer receiver volume around -10 db and thats pretty loud for my small room. But I never really took it up to like the positive volume range (like +10 db) out of the fear for blowing my speakers. So with audio I'm a newbie, so please shine a little light on the question, with my equipment, how high can I crank it before it starts to hurt the speakers? If some of yous have similar setups, where do you keep your volume at? Thanks in advance guys.

Just a quick question, but when you have your set-up at these levels, do you have to play with the setting on your buttkicker constantly to avoid the bottoming out of the transducer? I rarely get to those levels myself, but when I approach them, I usually have to adjust the volume level on the amp or I will hear distortion from the transducer......but as far as your speakers, if you hear distortion, then that is too loud. Also, if you listen at these levels for long periods of time, the amp in your AVR will suffer as well, thus reducing the life expectency of your equipment over time.

[MrFattBill]

Originally Posted by Fors*

Just a quick question, but when you have your set-up at these levels, do you have to play with the setting on your buttkicker constantly to avoid the bottoming out of the transducer? I rarely get to those levels myself, but when I approach them, I usually have to adjust the volume level on the amp or I will hear distortion from the transducer......but as far as your speakers, if you hear distortion, then that is too loud. Also, if you listen at these levels for long periods of time, the amp in your AVR will suffer as well, thus reducing the life expectency of your equipment over time.

I bet his ears give up first.

OP have you run the MCACC auto setup yet? If not I would venture the volume at -10 currently is probably REALLY close to reference level, which in a small to medium sized room is EXTREMELY loud dynamically. At least in my space after the auto setup my channels are normally in the -7 range which makes them 75dB at 0 on the volume dial. For movie watching I normally listen at -15 which is 60dB in my 20x11x9 room and that even after 2 hours can be rough.

Bill

[alkalinesi]

Originally Posted by Fors*

Just a quick question, but when you have your set-up at these levels, do you have to play with the setting on your buttkicker constantly to avoid the bottoming out of the transducer? I rarely get to those levels myself, but when I approach them, I usually have to adjust the volume level on the amp or I will hear distortion from the transducer......but as far as your speakers, if you hear distortion, then that is too loud. Also, if you listen at these levels for long periods of time, the amp in your AVR will suffer as well, thus reducing the life expectency of your equipment over time.

At first yes, I think. I have the buttkicker under the two chairs on the riser and when the movie has a really low bass part, the buttkicker will rumble and it sounds like knocking of wood (kinda hard to explain). I adjusted the the volume on the buttkicker amp and everything is pretty good now. Maybe once in a movie will it have a part where it crazy rumbles. And I do have the MCACC set up.