Broadcast listeners, FM listeners, and professional musicians were used as subjects in a series of experiments to determine the tonal range and volume level preferences of radio listeners. Three different tonal ranges and three volume levels were employed. The program material included male, female, and mixed dramatic speech and piano, popular, and classical music. All three types of listeners preferred either a narrow or a medium tonal range to a wide one; this was true even when they were informed that one condition was 'low' and the other 'high fidelity.' The peak sound intensity level preferred was somewhere between 60 and 70 db above the acoustical reference level, being somewhat higher for male speech than for classical music. The most preferred combination was a narrow tonal range and a 60 to 70 db volume level. No correlation was found between tonal range or volume level preferences and sex, age, education, musical training, musical tastes, or ability to play a musical instrument. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2006 APA, all rights reserved)