How loud do you like to play your games?

[BobA]

Every time I set what I like as a comfortable volume level on my cab I hear from up above. Too Loud!  I am usually in the basement and the wife is 2 levels up.  It was the same thing with the theatre sound system on the TV but it was loud because it had surround sound and a good sub.   Movies need the sound to get you into the experience. Maybe I am going deaf playing all these games or is it because  the wife is irritated by sounds she does not relate to?  Should I should get headphones?

Does your significant others get irritated by the noise a cab generates?

[Nephasth]

Sound insulate your game area if you can.

[Vigo]

This has been an issue of debate lately in the Vigo household. I for one enjoy playing games on my cab at a moderate level, or at least what I consider moderate. The Missus thinks I am playing pretty loud.

I don't like changing volume on my machine because it is controlled via pot behind the coin door, but have had the talk about the volume I play at. I compromised, and I still can get into most classics without the volume being too loud, but I know she wishes I turned it down more. Arcade sounds are very distinct.

The problem I ran into was with movies and modern games. We have a fairly powerful surround system, and I try my best to find a volume that wont wake my sleeping kid. I can't find that sweet spot. When I turn the volume to a level where explosions won't be too loud, I can no longer hear dialogue. So then I raise it to a level that I can hear what is being said, but I get huge booms when something loud happens. I tried cranking the bass down, but our surround doesn't allow too much tweaking, and it still is loud.

I really wish my surround came with a "night time" setting to level out the sounds a bit more, I have resorted to wearing headphones, but it is too much of a hassle to make it worth it.

[BadMouth]

I want an immersive experience.  It has to be loud enough that I can't hear anything else.  


"I was told that I could play my cab at a
reasonable volume from nine to eleven"

[SavannahLion]

Interestingly, my situation is similar to Vigo's but it's my wife that likes to crank it up and I'm the one that turns it down. I spend a lot of time with doors closed to try and contain the volume but it's a struggle and constant compromise.

We don't have a fantastic sound system so I'm able to really keep the volume down at night. Waking the kids is rarely an issue. I've had the fire alarm go off and my oldest daughter slept through it all. A tornado couldn't wake her up.

[northerngames]

yeah I tend to crank mine up to the "are you nuts setting" and go at it as a habbit.

however I dont get away with it for to long and have to here that famous turn it down.

or the tv goes up a tad then the cab then the tv then the cab and before you know it either one can hear anything else so it's a mutual battle that cannot be won 

[AlienInferno]

I tend to play my games (well tv, pc videos, really anything) at a rather load level.  What can I say I like to feel the sound.  My wife hates it though.  My cab will eventually get a headphone jack.

[TopJimmyCooks]

I had to put a volume knob on the outside of the cab to be able to adjust it constantly.  it's right between the speakers under the marquee and I can easily adjust it while playing.  I am a seagull gamer (fly in, crap all over a game for 5-10 minutes, fly on to the next game). I find that decent volume on a classic will translate to clipping on a 90's game with more bass range if the pot's not adjusted. 

If your family's complaining about mame cab volume levels, get a pinball machine, reset the high score, play with the glass off and triple knock them into deafened submission. 

[HaRuMaN]

My volume pot, just under the CP:

[TopJimmyCooks]

Haruman: pic no work.

[HaRuMaN]

Haruman: pic no work.

Try now. 

[HaRuMaN]

Man, I can't believe you didn't prime, paint, and slap LEDs on the underside of your control panel.  Probably plays as bad as it looks.

If anyone wants to get on their knees and look up at the underside of my control panel and complain about the lack of finish, then I've got something else they can do while they are down there...   

[Le Chuck]

Man, I can't believe you didn't prime, paint, and slap LEDs on the underside of your control panel.  Probably plays as bad as it looks.

 

[SavannahLion]

Man, I can't believe you didn't prime, paint, and slap LEDs on the underside of your control panel.  Probably plays as bad as it looks.

If anyone wants to get on their knees and look up at the underside of my control panel and complain about the lack of finish, then I've got something else they can do while they are down there...   

Note the careful use of "they" rather than "she".

[05SRT4]

When my Wife isnt around I blast mine! At night I always use my Logitech wireless headphones,  they have okay quality.

 

[Gray_Area]

Bob, sounds like you shouldn't live together.

It's funny. At home, I have things at a moderate volume. (Hell, I'm louder in the bedroom, and my neighbors haven't complained....) In my car, it's loud enough for people to roll up their windows, and I don't mean 'bass' loud, though it does kick some. At my mom's house, she has her little 19" late 90s TV speakers up so loud it feels like I'm being held down and oppressed.

Again, I say...especially if she's two floors up, and the children you might have you're not waking....you two should not live together.

[BobA]

2 floors is all I can get for separation.   No kids since my youngest is 40+.  I just don't think wives appreciate most arcade game sounds unless they were exposed to them when they were younger.  I don't think TVs were around very much when my wife and I were young.  I barely remember Hoowdy Doody on TV in black and white.  A part of the problem could also be my old ears needing things a bit louder but young kids have that problem after a few years of hi volume ipods.   

[Gray_Area]

Ohhhh. You're probly right.

[meyrlbird]

Shake the windows!!