Preferred TV and film dialog playback levels vary widely across listeners.

Evidence

Recent investigations found that conventional TV dialog is satisfying at an average level of 58 dBA in a typical domestic situation, but at 65 dBA in a home theater setting. In home theaters, different listeners expressed preferences ranging from about 55 to 75 dBA (Benjamin, 2004). Using a variety of source material, Dash et al. (2012) concluded that a median level of 62 dB SPLL was preferred (using ITU-R BS.1770 weighting. It can be approximated by B or C weighting). The preferences ranged from 52 to 71 dB SPLL. These two studies are in basic agreement, meaning that satisfying everyone in an audience may be impossible. — Toole, Floyd E, Sound reproduction- the acoustics and…, 1128

Categorization

• XREF: Listener preference spread (~20 dB range across individuals) connects to broader claims about individual differences in hearing and the impossibility of a single ‘correct’ level setting.