Perceived tonal balance shifts with monitoring level, so listen at varied and consistent levels

Because of the ear’s equal-loudness behaviour, you hear more of the frequency extremes as you turn up and are drawn to the midrange when quiet; loud listening also compresses perceived dynamics while quiet listening lets background noise mask low-level detail. A mix balanced only loud can sound thin and bright at home; balanced only quiet it can boom when cranked. Listen at a range of volumes, and prioritise the levels that matter for the genre.

Examples

A teen-pop mix may need extra HF to stay clear at low home/car levels, whereas the same fizz over a club system would be painful; so check both extremes.

Assessment

Explain how equal-loudness behaviour makes monitoring level affect perceived tonal balance and what listening practice minimises the distortion.