Loudness compensation

[Bob from Florida]

Forty years ago my first integrated amp had loudness compensation. Then I steadily migrated to all separate components. A year ago I returned to a full function integrated - tone controls, defeat all tone controls, and loudness compensation. I find I like the loudness compensation with a lot of music - not everything but it is nice with many selections. So, vote away - limited to 7 days - and comment on your preference if you like.

 

[digitalfrost]

Tried to use it but I found no good implementation.

 

[Dj7675]

I have used loudness compensation in two ways...
1-McInstosh MA7900 integrated which has a knob and it worked really well. I loved using it.
2-Audyssey DEQ. This also works well.
In my 2 channel setup I do miss using it.

 

[Geert]

I have a separate DRC curve with minor loudness correction for low level listening in the evening. It's a concept that works for me.

 

[BluesDaddy]

When I had kids in the house I certainly appreciated loudness compensation since I couldn't listen to music at a level where it wasn't needed. Now I don't, even though Audyssey has a "dynamic EQ" function that is probably a more advanced version. I guess it's because I never listen to music at "low" volumes anymore!

 

[egellings]

With EQ, the amount of change in F.R. stays constant over change in volume setting. The loudness control changes the EQ based on volume setting, up to a point.

 

[FrantzM]

When I had kids in the house I certainly appreciated loudness compensation since I couldn't listen to music at a level where it wasn't needed. Now I don't, even though Audyssey has a "dynamic EQ" function that is probably a more advanced version. I guess it's because I never listen to music at "low" volumes anymore!

Currently in this happy situation...
but
I did use Audyssey Dynamic EQ for a while. Thing is: I don't know what it is doing and at what SPL it works.. most of the time it is just too much. I think the ideal would have that the user have some control over its operation. i should be calibrated, you know some kind of "o" level measured by the AVR mic... From that point the system would have a real feedback on the real volume at which the music is being played.. Not an approximation of the position of the volume control, which what I am sure it does...

Peace.

 

[Slayer]

While I don't use loudness compensation. I tend more to struggle with the tone controls debate.

It may seem strange, but my listening habits for tone controls seem to go in cycles. I will go through phases of listening in just pure (direct) mode. Then all the sudden one day, I can't seem to listen without a little bass added. Oddly enough, I have never seemed to have the need to add treble.

 

[Emlin]

The Buchardt active speakers have Fletcher-Munson correction built in, but they seem to be having problems with getting it to work to everyone's taste...

 

[Chrispy]

I use the loudness compensation sometimes on my old 2ch gear, DEQ on several more modern setups.

 

[Willem]

MY RME ADI-2 has it, and it is adjustable. That is important because you are essentially varying with output power and that is not the same as in-room loudness, which is also a function of room size and speaker efficiency.

 

[Gregss]

Really like tone controls to adjust for different speakers, rooms and especially loudness. When PROPERLY implemented (analog or digital) should be no sound degradation at all. Below is a good summation IMHO of why equipment should have tone controls. With an option to bypass them completely, there is no good reason not to have them. Douglas wrote this about analog tone controls, but applies just as well to digital ones.

Douglas Self web site:

"Tone-controls cause an audible deterioration even when set to the flat position."
This is usually blamed on "phase-shift". At the time of writing, tone controls on a preamp badly damage its chances of street (or rather sitting-room) credibility, for no good reason. Tone-controls set to 'flat' cannot possibly contribute any extra phase-shift and must be inaudible. My view is that they are absolutely indispensable for correcting room acoustics, loudspeaker shortcomings, or tonal balance of the source material, and that a lot of people are suffering sub-optimal sound as a result of this fashion. It is now commonplace for audio critics to suggest that frequency-response inadequacies should be corrected by changing loudspeakers. This is an extraordinarily expensive way of avoiding tone-controls.

 

[Trell]

I use the Audyssey Dynamic EQ feature that works very well, except for the surrounds level that is raised to much for me.

 

[Macfox]

Currently in this happy situation...
but
I did use Audyssey Dynamic EQ for a while. Thing is: I don't know what it is doing and at what SPL it works.. most of the time it is just too much. I think the ideal would have that the user have some control over its operation. i should be calibrated, you know some kind of "o" level measured by the AVR mic... From that point the system would have a real feedback on the real volume at which the music is being played.. Not an approximation of the position of the volume control, which what I am sure it does...

Peace.

You have limited influence on the level of adjustment via the reference level parameter. The higher the number (which is actually a negative so somewhat confusing for some), the weaker the effect. Do note that running the actual volume above the reference volume means that DEQ will actually reverse its effect (i.e. lower bass levels).

 

[Bob from Florida]

Nearly even split at 46% yes versus 54% no. Nice option to have.

 

[Wes]

the shelving counts too - see the bass mode switch below

 

[3kweave]

RME ADI 2 has a loudness feature which you can set a predetermined volume and below that volume the system with automatically boost the treble and the bass through eq. I think it works quite well.

 

[amanieux]

is there loudness compensation as a free sofware plugin or app on a major OS (win,android,macos) ? thanks

 

[Vincent Kars]

RME ADI 2 has a loudness feature which you can set a predetermined volume and below that volume the system with automatically boost the treble and the bass through eq. I think it works quite well.

They also offer a very nice explanation why it doesn't work properly when using an amp

Another legacy of HiFi amplifiers: there has not been a single one missing a feature called Loudness. It tries to address the changes in frequency-dependent hearing sensitivity over different volume levels. If one listens to music loud, then drops the level by at least 20 dB, sound loses punch and glitter. HiFi amps tried to fight this effect by adding more bass and treble the lower the volume was set. Unfortunately that never worked as intended, and just became an additional bass/treble booster. Reason: the manufacturer of the HiFi amp could not know what volume any position of the volume knob equals at the customer’s home. Room size, room dampening and efficiency of the used speakers are all unknown.

https://www.rme-audio.de/downloads/adi2dac_e.pdf

 

[amanieux]

They also offer a very nice explanation why it doesn't work properly when using an amp

https://www.rme-audio.de/downloads/adi2dac_e.pdf

as you correcly pointed out loudness depends on speakers sensitivity and how far you are from the speakers which is unknown variables to the amp but yahama s301 loudness compensation thought about that because their loundess compensation not just a on/off switch, you can vary the amplitude of the loudness compensation curve, which let you adjust by ear to the desired effect once and for all (assuming you stay at the exact same listening position)