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Songs that get better at higher volume

ConstipatedVigilante

Diamond Member
Feb 22, 2006
7,670
1
0
I'm blasting Vicarious by Tool into my headphones right now and it's AWESOME. Cat Stevens songs don't get quite the same effect.
 

Tiamat

Lifer
Nov 25, 2003
14,068
5
71
I've found that most all music sounds better at volumes commensurate with a non-outdoors, good-acoustic environment live performance. Especially for classical music since it has a lot of dynamic range, much of the nuances get lost at lower volumes due to our hearing threshold. Rock music sounds like crap at low volumes as your ears do not get that almost-visceral feel of the kick drum. Classical guitar does improve with volume, but not as essential as you pointed out. The guitar has more limited range although the lower timbres do improve with increased volume up to a point.

When you listen to recordings at a relatively low volume, you are not hearing even close to what was intended. Quantitatively, I've found average loudness about 68-72 dB for music to sound "correct" (with peaks around 95dB and quiet sections around 50dB).
 

IronWing

No Lifer
Jul 20, 2001
72,904
34,016
136
Every song ever recorded by Joan Jett sounds better loud.

Country music sounds like crap when played above 20dB.
 

shocksyde

Diamond Member
Jun 16, 2001
5,539
0
0
Every song sounds better if you turn it up (unless you have shitty speakers).
 

shocksyde

Diamond Member
Jun 16, 2001
5,539
0
0
Originally posted by: ConstipatedVigilante
Originally posted by: shocksyde
Every song sounds better if you turn it up (unless you have shitty speakers).

You obviously have not heard Chocolate Rain turned up.

That's as much of a song as a bunch of cats meowing and being strangled.
 

ConstipatedVigilante

Diamond Member
Feb 22, 2006
7,670
1
0
Originally posted by: shocksyde
Originally posted by: ConstipatedVigilante
Originally posted by: shocksyde
Every song sounds better if you turn it up (unless you have shitty speakers).

You obviously have not heard Chocolate Rain turned up.

That's as much of a song as a bunch of cats meowing and being strangled.

On that note, I bet keyboard cat sounds awesome turned up.
 

Saint Nick

Lifer
Jan 21, 2005
17,722
6
81
When audio is mixed, I think they mix at relatively high volumes so that might explain it. NL5 could tell you more about it.
 
Feb 6, 2007
16,432
1
81
Originally posted by: shocksyde
Originally posted by: ConstipatedVigilante
Originally posted by: shocksyde
Every song sounds better if you turn it up (unless you have shitty speakers).

You obviously have not heard Chocolate Rain turned up.

That's as much of a song as a bunch of cats meowing and being strangled.

Are you implying that Bob Dylan recorded Chocolate Rain?
 

buck

Lifer
Dec 11, 2000
12,273
4
81
You know what song I heard the other day that i blasted?

Shake hands with beef by Primus.... Good shit.
Or disengage the simulator (instrumental version) by CKY
 

Via

Diamond Member
Jan 14, 2009
4,670
4
0
Any AC DC.

Those songs take on a new life when blasted at eardrum-shattering levels.

Black Dog.
 

sdifox

No Lifer
Sep 30, 2005
100,379
17,935
126
Whatever songs that strike a cord in you will sound better when cranked up.


Currently cranking George Strait Honkeytonkville DVDA.

For some reason my mind was thinking Dire Strait when I ordered it :laugh:

I am actually enjoying it, though I am not really a country kind of guy.


One thing I do blast (well -10db from reference) is symphonic music.
 

DT4K

Diamond Member
Jan 21, 2002
6,944
3
81
Led Zeppelin, Metallica, AC/DC.
Metallica and AC/DC because higher volumes enhance the head banging.
Led Zeppelin, so you can truly enjoy the talent of John Paul Jones.
 

jamesbond007

Diamond Member
Dec 21, 2000
5,280
0
71
I really, really, really enjoy Black Magic Woman from Santana played at loud volumes. When your system is tuned right, the guitar is stunningly clear and the bass is so low, it blows you away into a musical abyss.

Other than that, pretty much any NIN, Tool, Marilyn Manson, or A Perfect Circle song will sound better when cranked.
 

KeithTalent

Elite Member | Administrator | No Lifer
Administrator
Nov 30, 2005
50,231
118
116
Originally posted by: buck
You know what song I heard the other day that i blasted?

Shake hands with beef by Primus.... Good shit.

Sweet chunky bass sound in that tune! :thumbsup: I love Primus.

Stigmata by Ministry is one I always have to crank up super duper high, along with many other songs, but that one jumped in my head first for whatever reason.

KT
 

buck

Lifer
Dec 11, 2000
12,273
4
81
Originally posted by: KeithTalent
Originally posted by: buck
You know what song I heard the other day that i blasted?

Shake hands with beef by Primus.... Good shit.

Sweet chunky bass sound in that tune! :thumbsup: I love Primus.

Stigmata by Ministry is one I always have to crank up super duper high, along with many other songs, but that one jumped in my head first for whatever reason.

KT

He was in a band called Sausage a while back, if you ever get a chance to find the album riddles are abound tonight, its sick.

I am not what you would call a primus fan, I just always find myself coming back to them every once in a while.
 

buck

Lifer
Dec 11, 2000
12,273
4
81
Originally posted by: KeithTalent
Originally posted by: buck
You know what song I heard the other day that i blasted?

Shake hands with beef by Primus.... Good shit.

Sweet chunky bass sound in that tune! :thumbsup: I love Primus.

Stigmata by Ministry is one I always have to crank up super duper high, along with many other songs, but that one jumped in my head first for whatever reason.

KT

Also funny that you mentioned Ministry, I cranked that up a couple of weeks ago after not listening to them for 10+ years. I played probably 3 solid hours of Team Fortress 2 going apeshit on dustbowl with that cranked up.