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Interaction of loudness compensation and EQ?

ttimer

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Hello Everyone,

i was wondering about something and haven't found much information on that topic, neither here nor elsewhere.
At least on this forum, it is common to compensate for speaker or room characteristics with equalization settings. So far so good. However, our perception of frequencies depends on the listening volume. And i suppose most of us don't always listen at the same volume. So how does one deal with that fact? Adjust EQ for the most used volume? Have several profiles depending on volume?
Most audio gear used to have a "loudness" button or dial. Some current gear does that as well, i know Audyssey has that option and I noticed that my current Yamaha integrated boasts "volume adaptive EQ" for automatic loudness correction. However, the latter will disable tone controls if loudness adaption is enabled. Is there a problem with the interaction of EQ and loudness correction? Does Audyssey apply its room correction together with it?
 

Wayne A. Pflughaupt

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Personally, I’ve found that once the system is properly equalized for a typical listening level, it’s fine at any volume except the most extreme situations. Examples would be soft background music under normal conversation, or “showing off” your system at an extremely loud level.

Regards,
Wayne A. Pflughaupt
 

JoachimStrobel

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There is a mixed bag of opinions towards loudness corrections. One argument is, the an orchestra plays with a dynamic range and a loudness correction would imply to correct each dynamic range bracket. Or a uniform correction will not honor loud trumpet solos or gentle piano interludes.
I have found a bewildering range of loudness correction curves, that makes picking one adventurous. All are measured with young people. There is evidence, that elder (>40), perfectly well hearing people, have a different perception.
I did my own hearing test with some people and found, that the bass boost in some house curves is identical to a loudness correction for 70-80db. In particular my favorite house curve, out of Toole‘s book. Hence, a DRC via a House curve might include a loudness correction.
 

GalZohar

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There is a mixed bag of opinions towards loudness corrections. One argument is, the an orchestra plays with a dynamic range and a loudness correction would imply to correct each dynamic range bracket. Or a uniform correction will not honor loud trumpet solos or gentle piano interludes.

The way I understand it that the recording was already balanced to sound "right"/"good" at a certain level, which already takes into account the dynamic range. Then loudness compensation just needs to apply the correction curve in order to compensate for a global reduction/increase in level compared to the level at which everything was made to sound balanced. If the original recording is not balanced at any level, a correction of this kind can't (and shouldn't) fix it.
 

JoachimStrobel

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My main issue the database. Whose ears were used for defining loudness correction curves I had seen a paper that shows that this frequency dependent loudness correction is super sensitive to the age of the person and hence it’s hearing capabilities. One correction will never fit even a small portion of listener. So better do not do that, or label the amp according to the age group: 20-30, 30-40, 40-50, 50-60, 60+.
 

dasdoing

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My main issue the database. Whose ears were used for defining loudness correction curves I had seen a paper that shows that this frequency dependent loudness correction is super sensitive to the age of the person and hence it’s hearing capabilities. One correction will never fit even a small portion of listener. So better do not do that, or label the amp according to the age group: 20-30, 30-40, 40-50, 50-60, 60+.

think of it as a walking stick for the bass. even if the walking stick is a little too short for you, it will be of good help
 
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