You’ve likely settled into the chair. Familiar album, trusted track. The imaging probably lands where it should—left to right feels intact, center image may seem stable. Still, something in the midrange leans a touch lean. The piano could come across as light, or perhaps the singer doesn’t quite anchor in space. It might feel coherent, yet somehow underfed. You’re not missing notes—you’re just not quite getting the body behind them.
This suggests you may be listening just shy of your system’s correct volume. Not louder. Not “more.” Just... true.
What to Do
Start from your normal listening level. Cue something you know well—solo voice, upright bass, chamber trio. Bring it up, slowly, until the voice starts to inhabit the room, not just the speaker plane. If the image starts to balloon or the top end flattens, you’ve likely passed it. Back down a click or two. Somewhere in there—often surprisingly narrow—is a range where the harmonic structure aligns, the image locks, and the instruments gain weight without gaining size.
If you can’t find it? The system could be losing composure at lower levels. Before you reach for EQ, check the basics: Are your speakers toed in slightly? Is the sub dialed in for phase coherence, not just slam? Have you possibly overdamped the room?
You don’t need expensive gear to find this volume. A good smartphone SPL app—like AudioTool (Android) or Faber Acoustical’s SoundMeter (iOS)—can help log rough levels. But ultimately, your ears will tell you when the room stops being a space and starts being a stage.
Here’s Why That Works
Every recording has an intended scale—often embedded by the engineer, always revealed by the room. Our hearing isn’t linear: the way we perceive balance shifts with volume. Too low, and Fletcher-Munson behavior can cause vocals to recede, bass to soften, and microdynamics to blur. Too high, and spatial cues smear, transients get hard, and the illusion collapses under its own weight.
Get it right, and the system disappears. The singer doesn’t just sound right—they arrive. The piano doesn’t just speak—it settles. You’re no longer playing the track. You’re letting it breathe.
