Recommended playback levels are often higher than what listeners actually prefer.

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

Category: Factual Claims

• SEED: The 20 dB spread in listener preference for dialog level — 55 to 75 dBA — is a striking hook for an article on why ‘reference level’ calibration is a myth rather than an engineering standard.

Related

• Preferred TV and film dialog playback levels vary widely across listeners. (similarity 0.94)
• Standard studio calibration levels are measurably too loud for typical listeners (similarity 0.88)
• Louder playback is unconsciously rated as better quality in audio listening tests (similarity 0.81)
• Accurate reproduction requires flat response at near-original playback levels (similarity 0.81)
• Lower-than-reference listening levels require accessible bass tone controls for satisfaction. (similarity 0.81)
• Roughly 75 percent of people have sufficiently normal hearing to make reliable loudspeaker judgments (similarity 0.81)
• Uncontrolled loudness differences confound audio quality listening-test results (similarity 0.80)
• Cinema playback level disputes have prompted talk of legal limits (similarity 0.79)
• Sound power alone cannot predict listener preference for loudspeakers (similarity 0.79)
• Cinema reference level requires 105 dBC peak capability in screen channels. (similarity 0.78)
• Listeners largely agree on preference, and preferred speakers measure smoothest (similarity 0.78)

Broader Connections

• Louder playback is unconsciously rated as better quality in audio listening tests #contradicts (0.80) — Ville Pulkki, Matti Karjalainen, Communication Acoustics- An…, 866
• Speech tests are presented at levels where listeners perform worst #expands (0.75) — Dijk, Pim van, Physiology, Psychoacoustics and…, 2080