VU Meters: Let's See 'Em!!

[Bleib]

I don't care a lot for it but Douk audio might have made the first good looking digital version

 

[cay-uwe]

Back when I recorded compact cassettes, I needed to see where the limit was.

Also digital recording has its limits, and that is why the VU are still of importance

 

[pablolie]

Also digital recording has its limits, and that is why the VU are still of importance

I am not sure VU meters on amps give you a valid hint as to whether the recording engineer was out of his mind and drove things into saturation and crushed DR... :-(

 

[sergeauckland]

I am not sure VU meters on amps give you a valid hint as to whether the recording engineer was out of his mind and drove things into saturation and crushed DR... :-(

Nor do they indicate instantaneous output power. Apart from looking cool, I can't see any point whatsoever in VU meters. On the other hand, peak meters are useful.

Pity PPMs have never had the exposure of VUs, except in the more upmarket cassette machines.

S

 

[cay-uwe]

On the other hand, peak meters are useful.

That was actually my point when saying it is still useful for recording. I have some digital meters on my cocktail Audio X40 which show peak levels when attaching a PHONO to it. One may record the old LPs and check while recording if the records are well leveled.

I like the VU meters on my YAMAHA B-2 power amplifier, because well calibrated, it shows listeners the avarage power requirements needed. I own loudspeakers with a sensitivity of about 95db SPL and when listening loud in my audio room, only about 1W / channel is needed. Many people wonder about that and they realize that high power amps with 1000W or more are not really required under normal listening volumes.

 

[mcochris]

Yamaha M-5000. Meters are switchable between VU and Peak (Class 2.5).

 

[pablolie]

.... One may record the old LPs and check while recording if the records are well leveled.

For that particluar application I'd assume they are absolutely mandatory indeed. I haven't done an analog source or destination recrording for many, many years, so that's the reason for my previous answer.

I like the VU meters on my YAMAHA B-2 power amplifier, because well calibrated, it shows listeners the avarage power requirements needed. I own loudspeakers with a sensitivity of about 95db SPL and when listening loud in my audio room, only about 1W / channel is needed. Many people wonder about that they realize that high power amps with 1000W or more are not really required under normal listening volumes.

I fully subscribe to the opinion that the audiophile addiction to huge amp wattage is obsolete in the subwoofer era. Even ~87dB ish-sensitivity speakers do well with <50W amps provided <80Hz stuff is outsoruced to a sub cleanly, in a typical domestic environment.

 

[KPC]

The Cambridge Audio CXN 100 now has digital VU meters, a feature I had hoped for
View attachment 376185

I got to change the setup on my CXN100 as well after seeing your post -- it is creepy that my Cambridge also resides on top of a Yamaha lol

 

[Audionaut]

Restek Fabel

 

[Audionaut]

Mother of VU Meter

 

[prerich]

View attachment 508316

I remember this mixer!!! DJ's back in the day used to us the phono/line switch as a "Flashformer" to make transformer type sounds when scratching. Man I had some good times with this mixer! I moved from this to Gemini, then to Numark...I'm no longer in the DJ game...but are times that I'm "itching for a scratch"

 

[BlueTunes]

I don't care a lot for it but Douk audio might have made the first good looking digital version
View attachment 508401

If the current mantra: "Amplification is a solved technology" is indeed true then where do the manufacturers go for sales and profits for what is now nothing more than a comodity rather than the box of woo and voodoo they were yesteryear?

:= Lights and switches.

 

[Audionaut]

It's not on the market yet, but I really like it.

 

[Andysu]

darth vader has a habit of saying " what " what is no language i ever heard of , do they speak what in sith ? jedi motherducker do you speak it ?
what !

 

[Bleib]

It's not on the market yet, but I really like it.

View attachment 523086

I'm more interested in the price / performance and PFFB performance aspect of it

 

[Shinano]

Here's the meters from my main amp. They are 5in wide and 2.5in tall for scale.

The server people are going to hate me for uploading such large images. The first one is 50mb.

 

[tineared]

This thread is a vulgar display of audio idolatry
I myself have been corrupted by my Eversolo DMP-A6
We are all well on out way on the sulfur-infused cobblestoned highway to hi-fi hell

I fear that we will soon be displaying our tweeters for all the world to see...

 

[Hiten]

How come Chinese modern vu meters are large with big casing on back ?

Olden days vu meters were very sleek and small.

Our Pioneer receiver with vu meters were also small. That receiver served us a little more than 30 years with only stylus, rubber belt and pinch roller change. At the end of life the cassette player motor did gave me trouble though. But i had stopped listening to cassettes.