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Used to love loudness, now I hate it. What changed?
- Thread starter z-adamson
- Start date
twiiii
Lunatic Member
The only time I use loudness is when I am playing music as back ground music during dinner or serving drinks during polite conversation. Thats with the music at or below 50 db levels which really quiet. Your ears sensitivity to bass at those levels is more than 20 to 25 db below the 2 kHz octave band where the ear is most sensitive.
RTally
Speaker addict
Same here. Most of my listening is done in rooms with ambient between 30 and 40 dB. When I listen at low levels, loudness is on because it sounds much better. Low level is where I can talk on the phone with the music playing and not worry about the music interfering with the call. That is between 40 and 50 dB for me.
I am currently listening to SRV at around 60 to 65 dB. Loudness is not needed nor wanted at this level and above.
loopstick
Lunatic Member
You're going through Audio Puberty. You'll also start to like the alluring pops and crackles of vinyl surface noise. The worst thing, though, is the acne.
I think loudness is useful at low levels and while the OP said same gear, same room same material, didn't say same listening levels are the same, so possible the levels are higher.
I know when I've left my loudness on by mistake after late evening, low-level listening when I crank it up the next day, but if I were to slowly lower the volume, I suppose I would get to a point where it stops sounding horrible and the bass boost is actually pleasing. Wherever that point is would be the highest level I would ever consider using loudness - for me probably around 40 to 45db or so depending on the type of music.
I know when I've left my loudness on by mistake after late evening, low-level listening when I crank it up the next day, but if I were to slowly lower the volume, I suppose I would get to a point where it stops sounding horrible and the bass boost is actually pleasing. Wherever that point is would be the highest level I would ever consider using loudness - for me probably around 40 to 45db or so depending on the type of music.
qdrone
Music is my mistress
For me it was life,after 8 hours at work I need music that relaxes me more so as I've gotten older. I even enjoy more relaxing music like new age and jazz now. Don't get me wrong I still crank rnr but these days not so much.
The loudness button is to be used at low volume levels,it boosts the bass.
The loudness button is to be used at low volume levels,it boosts the bass.
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Once I got away from mid-fi, I realized I no longer needed it. I think in my case, it might have been tendency to listen slightly louder, and I am not using it for low-level background music anymore either. (I have a small tubed system on my work/computer desk.) The floor-standing speakers I own now also tend towards the warmer side of things, so at lower levels they don't thin out like other speakers I have used.
Although I had this cool trick for really late night listening, back when I had a lesser preamp. I own a dbx 118:
Dynamic range expanders are wretched sounding, but....what about the "Compress" side of the knob? It's perfect to level out the volume of music when listening at super-low levels, and that is what I bought it for. I had a newer model, a 1bx-ds, but unfortunately I bought it dirt cheap needing repair, and nobody has ever been able to determine the type of potentiometer it needs (linear vs. logarithmic) to replace the one that is missing. (I have the value, 100kΩ, but it makes no mention of the type.) I kept it in a tape monitor loop on my old preamp so I could cut it out of the path completely.
qdrone
Music is my mistress
You should post that question in the tape category about the potentiometer. Someone may have the answer you seek.
50nstillhifi
Super Member
You certainly made a point that is most notable..
"Then again loudness equipped stereos are not part of my main systems".. and this is true for most newer systems that lean more towards detent controlled volume and digitally fed amplification. The "loudness" feature is non existent 
My
theory: Analog signal power amplification needed a feature that would enhance the loss or cutoff frequencies at lower volumes of play, ergo.. the "loudness" button/toggle. Modern amps, processing mostly digital signals do not have to compensate for such a loss given the amplitude is more consistent across the bandwidth.Also, note the difference in facial property used for the modern amp over "vintage". The older designs were chock full of switches, manipulating signal and gain, this seems to be non trending in modern audio equipment.
Sometime ago..
on an audio planet, far.. far.. away. A veteran audiologist mentored me in the following considering "pure audio" and components. He said, the greater the manipulation of the original signal to be reproduced, by said component.. the increase for "coloring" of the original signal or for that matter reproduced sound. I distinctly remember his components, which he had an extaordinary setup of individual "stuff", I can not recall to identify BUT each had or was limited to a on/off, indicator, and single button/rotary controller. The sound.. of which he preferred classical was always.. OUTSTANDING!
Fletcher/Munson response is a physiological response, not electrical/digital.You certainly made a point that is most notable..
My
Also, note the difference in facial property used for the modern amp over "vintage". The older designs were chock full of switches, manipulating signal and gain, this seems to be non trending in modern audio equipment.
Sometime ago..
The sound.. of which he preferred classical was always.. OUTSTANDING!
scoloheros
Super Member
Yeah same here, things sound best at mid to low volume, it's a reason I don't buy high powered gear, don't need it or want it unless somebody is giving something away. I still like distortion when using my guitar amp but it sounds fuller and more detailed to me at low volume.