Do you use the 'loudness' feature on your rcvr/amp?

[theblackknight]

Do you use the loudness button on your receiver/ amp? :scratch2:

[approse]

nope...... seldom to never.

[Wigwam Jones]

I actually prefer equipment with a 'tone defeat' switch of some sort. Straight wire with gain, that's all I want.

[JoeESP9]

My preamp doesn't have tone controls or a loudness button. :smoke:

[Scorpion8]

I use headphones on a H/K-330c at work, and the "contour" switch adds some fullness missing with the on-ear headphones. Depending on the source, I may switch it in or out.

[OvenMaster]

In the past when I had receivers with a Loudness button, I never used it.
Tom

[jpdylon]

nah. never use it. seems like whenever I turn it on, the sound reminds me of the cold, harsh and boomy sounding chit they pass as stereo gear at places like circuit city and the like.

[jaymanaa]

Tone controls?.............Tone Controls?...................We don't need no stinkin tone controls. :D

[Toasted Almond]

No loudness, no tone controls. Ever.

[pbda]

When doing non-critical listening at low volume levels: always on.

When paying attention, I switch it off, but almost never disable the tone controls. I LOVE fiddling with tone controls and find that each recording requires a different tweak to make it sound best to my ears.

[rickon66]

:no: :nono: :thumbsdn: :eek: :nono: No!

[Arkay]

For "critical listening" and on the main system, never. No tone controls at all.

But with the receiver in my small-ish and somewhat cluttered workbench area, with speakers atop shelves near the ceiling, I sometimes play with tone controls and loudness, if listening at low volumes. Sometimes it helps make a mediocre situation sound a bit better.

I know "Wire with gain" is always the goal, but in the real world with less-than-ideal listening environments and inputs, sometimes a little "fudging" helps correct weaknesses. With a better system in a better configuration and environment (like in the living room) I prefer to "defeat" tone controls.

I might change my mind if I start using the vintage Soundcraftsmen pre-with-EQ in a system, though. When I tested it, I could not detect any added noise at any normal listening levels. However, I have yet to try it with my most revealing speakers/system, so I might yet change my mind about it. Will experiment with it one day.

[shacky]

Looks like this thresd has been dormant for a while. Just placed my vote. I use loudness unless I'm listening at high volumes (very seldom). I grew up listening to Sony 6050 and Wharfedale W40's. Loudness seemd to make the music more alive and I've gotten use to it.

Now use Sansui 890DB with AR 2AX and use loudness most of the time. Most would probably say you don't need loudness with the big sui's but I like it. I have have combinations of receivers/speakers that don't sound good with loudness on unless it's a recording that needs a lot of boost. But my Sansui has plenty of power and finess to make loudness sound great through the 2AX's.

[ashnut]

It's well documented that the ear's sensitivity to certain frequencies is non-linear. Attenuation to those frequencies that my ears do not pick up during low level listening (~60dB and lower?) add to the sound. At lower levels, all the time. Otherwise, no.

It's there for a reason. I use it for the reason for which it's intended.

[macaltec]

I'll let HomerJSimpson explain the title if he finds this thread. Never do it. Leave the tone controls alone as well. Funny though, I hate when the tone controls are scratchy or don't work correctly :scratch2: .

[donoghue]

In the past when I had receivers with a Loudness button, I never used it.

My preamp doesn't have tone controls or a loudness button.

Ditto & ditto

[birddog]

Shoulda been a "sometimes" or "depends on the ----" catagory. I use it, and the tone controls, but only when I feel that it enhances the sound, due to the system, enviorment, background noise, whatever the need may be. Low listening levels, I like the loudness button, but not on all my equipment. Different pieces have the "boost" set at different steps, and therefore sound different. Noisy crowded room, I like to set the treble control up a few notches sometimes. The point is, to me, leaving everything flat just isn't the perfect setting for all listening scenarios....

[streckfu]

I voted yeas but use it only at lower volumes (background music to conversations, typicallly) as intended.

[Donny]

Loudness on bass up a bit with either hpm100 or polk model11 and a subwoofer! I have had a few units that did not really need loadness and my tube unit donesn't seem to even need the tone controls. Most of my receivers/amps I use loudess fulltime.

[Filmboydoug]

No loudness switch here, just a bass and treble set to defeat. I do have 3 sound processor ins/outs tho.

[ozmoid]

I have a Yamaha amp, and the "loudness" control is a little different from the usual "button". Loudness on the CR and R series Yamahas is a variable contour pot, that removes mids and upper tones in a pre-determined EQ curve that varies with the control setting. I use it in two cases:

Low level listening - really smooths out what I hear at low volume levels, keeps the bass from fading away. I usually turn the volume UP until I get the bottom end where I can hear it clearly, then turn the loudness control UP, which pulls the mids and higher pitches down so my wife can sleep! :thmbsp:

Phil Spector recordings: I mainly have John Lennon albums he recorded, but it seems every track Phil worked on for him has a "dead" topend. The built-in EQ curve seems to be just the thing for it!

Otherwise, the Tone controls on my amp stay flat. :)

[Eunomians]

I always use Loudness at low listening volumes.

All tone controls kept are flat. Always flat. All the time. In fact, if you were to walk into my house right now, you'd see my tone controls are flat.

[shelby1420]

I do not have tone controls............

[Aage]

So, I guess you "straight wire with gain" folks don't have equalisers either, then? Or is that another pole? :beatnik:

[shelby1420]

So, I guess you "straight wire with gain" folks don't have equalisers either, then? Or is that another pole? :beatnik:

Actually I have a Sansui SE - 9 that I plan on using in the garage with my Marantz 2330........

[pioneervato]

Depends on how loud my wife lets me crank it up. At lower listening levels I usually have it switched on.

[bordeno]

Depends on the system.
My separates system doesn't have tone or loudness.

My integrated amp and receivers all have it and it gets used alot. I like to turn on the loudness AND turn down the bass a notch or two. Too much bass with tone flat and loudness on. In general the receivers don't get played as loud as the separates system. And as mentioned below, the variable loudness on my Yammy CR-1020 is extremely cool.

[slow_jazz]

i use the loudness button at lower volume and always use the tone controls...

there is no such thing as a flat room so you need to compensate....

[JJCharles]

Hi,

Loudness...you bet. And three amplifiers each with their own equalizer to accentuate the frequency range that I want to hear from each pair of speakers. The high-mounted (listening height) speakers facing me are upped in the 1kHz and 400Hz ranges to make vocals stand out. The other front facing speakers are floor mounted and have the upper mid and high frequencies upped. The rear wall mounted speakers are high up and lend themselves to bass ranges, so the upper ranges are reduced. Each set of speakers is concentrating on a particular range enabling them to work more efficiently. :yes:

[dmax99]

I don't have loudness or tone controls in my main rig....

[jedo1507r]

I can't keep my hands off them.

[fropiler]

I do whatever is necessary to make it sound good to me. Loudness feature "on" almost always sounds better to me. I will not hesitate to grab a handful of tone controls or EQ sliders if I deem it necessary.