Jeff Evans
1  Keep an eye on your overall listening level. I use a SPL meter in my studio and keeping things at 85 dB SPL is a very smart thing to do. It is a gorgeous volume and not very loud at all but still nice and loud enough to hear things very well. I can crank my speakers up to past 105 dB or even 110 dB SPL. You basically will never be able to do that though.

 
Yep, 85 db is the recommendation for mixing/mastering - you should get 85db on an SPL meter (C weighted) if you play pink noise at your FS digital reference level; i.e. -20dBFS for film, -14dBFS for music, and -12dbFS for loud-*ss radio stations, per Bob Katz.
 
http://www.aes.org/technical/documentDownloads.cfm?docID=65

You may use pink noise to set your monitoring level to 85 db SPL or music, but the pink noise will seem to sound louder. The music will however will sound about right though and will end up at a nice level. A level you could work at all day too eg 8 hours.

I'll try to take a picture of my SPL Meter android app tomorrow to make sure I got the right thing.

I use Tannoy Reveal passives.
There are a lot better, but for the price, they are certainly functional and sound pretty good.
 
YMMV 

Here it is. This screenshot has been taken at my listening position, on my chair. Does it have to be 85dB right in front of the speaker or 85dB at the listening position? In my opinion this method is faster than pink noise (I may be wrong though).
 

Listening position.
 
Pink nose is a broad spectrum signal weighted logarithmically - similar to the human ear. As Jeff Evans said, if you calibrate with pink noise, the music level will seem not quite as loud. But, there's room for personal differences. Strictness comes in to play if you're mixing or mastering for pay.
 
Heh, still got my old analog Radio Shack SPL meter! 

just as long as you understand the concept, of bookshelves versus true monitors.
they are not the same animal, and a LOT of people miss this.
they end up with hyped mixes, and do not understand why.
 
 
 
ah, now we're getting down to the nitty gritty.
 

Accidentally posted "asdjfnsad ijfd".

They're definitely some nice looking speakers. I don't suppose a they'd be normally be used for mixing - they're probably too sweet sounding. But a mastering studio might have a pair - the more speaker sets they have, the better - always good to have final checks auditioned on several different sets of consumer speakers to see how a mastered piece plays.

SuperG
They're definitely some nice looking speakers. I don't suppose a they'd be normally be used for mixing - they're probably too sweet sounding. But a mastering studio might have a pair - the more speaker sets they have, the better - always good to have final checks auditioned on several different sets of consumer speakers to see how a mastered piece plays.

Well I'm sort of "stuck" with them because they cannot be sent back to the store but folks at gearslutz (I also created a thread there)were quite excited about this pair, despite their warnings (similar to yours and to Mr. Jeff's). If you go by this pair once, take a moment to listen to them, you will be surprised :)