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'Variable Loudness' - low level listening


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Hi All,

 

what do people do to combat loss of low frequency sounds when listening at lower levels. Some integrated amps used to have a 'variable loudness' function. Any ideas what can be done these days?

 

For now I'm playing with JRiver EQ to try and get a fuller sound at lower listening levels.

 

I'm currently not running my sub for music.

 

Roh

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Accuphase still have the loudness feature plus tone controls which can achieve the same

Just ignore the loudness and tone control haters that will tell you it's the end of the world. If YOU like it then great.

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Accuphase still have the loudness feature plus tone controls which can achieve the same

Just ignore the loudness and tone control haters that will tell you it's the end of the world. If YOU like it then great.

hehe i do ignore them..I rely on the fact that if I am not listening at the level the music was referenced at then i'll effectively will not be hearing the lower frequency parts, so I do need to tweak something to compensate for this.

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For now I'm playing with JRiver EQ to try and get a fuller sound at lower listening levels.

Why not go one better and use JRiver's loudness function? Albeit you need to engage it's internal digital volume control.

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Why not go one better and use JRiver's loudness function? Albeit you need to engage it's internal digital volume control.

ahah - i thought JRiver should have something like this. Is it Zone dependent. I want my zone (USB output) to have it as it is for music. Where are my other zone is for Movies.

 

Where is that function hidden?

 

I see adaptive volume, but that seems to reduce dynamic range too? Does the variable loudness function on integrated amps also reduce dynamic range?

Edited by roh008
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@@Satanica have you tried using JRiver pink noise for adjusting the amp volume so at the listening position pink noise measures 83dB? It gets bloody loud! However, if you then trim the volume back to an enjoyable level using JRiver with 'loudness' enabled on it actually sounds great?!

 

I'll play with it some more as the volume levels at reference is no way near the correct volume!

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@@Satanica have you tried using JRiver pink noise for adjusting the amp volume so at the listening position pink noise measures 83dB? It gets bloody loud! However, if you then trim the volume back to an enjoyable level using JRiver with 'loudness' enabled on it actually sounds great?!

No I have not, but I should stop being lazy and just do it. With the pink noise measurement you can then set the Internal Volume Reference Level setting appropriately.

Edited by Satanica
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No I have not, but I should stop being lazy and just do it. With the pink noise measurement you can then set the Internal Volume Reference Level setting appropriately.

for now I set the internal reference volume at 100% so as soon as I go below 100% it applies the 'loudness' algorithm. It makes changes on the fly so I have been playing around at lower percentages to see what the overall impact is. 

 

For now - loudness is staying for low leveling listening pleasure!

Thanks for the pointer!

Now I need to decide if I want to use volume leveling and adaptive volume...hmm decisions decisions

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I listen at (comparitively) low levels - the loudness switches on my old sansuis are magic. Especially running a pair of old and relatively inefficient speakers. They are all 50 wpc (theoretically) AU 217mkii , 317 and 5900 but they all perform very differently - and of course there's a sudden threshold where if I want them to throw a bit more sound where it can scare the living daylights out of me especially the AU5900 - but they did a great job with the loudness function on those old amps.

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for now I set the internal reference volume at 100% so as soon as I go below 100% it applies the 'loudness' algorithm. It makes changes on the fly so I have been playing around at lower percentages to see what the overall impact is.

For now - loudness is staying for low leveling listening pleasure!

Thanks for the pointer!

Now I need to decide if I want to use volume leveling and adaptive volume...hmm decisions decisions

I have Adaptive volume and Volume Levelling off because I don't really find them useful. Do you use any of the remote apps for hand held devices? There is Gizmo and eos (my favourite) which can adjust volume. There is also JRemote but from memory it can't adjust volume.

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Hi All,

 

what do people do to combat loss of low frequency sounds when listening at lower levels. Some integrated amps used to have a 'variable loudness' function. Any ideas what can be done these days?

 

 

Roh

 

Buy some vintage gear Roh.... :P  :P

 

Tase

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I have Adaptive volume and Volume Levelling off because I don't really find them useful. Do you use any of the remote apps for hand held devices? There is Gizmo and eos (my favourite) which can adjust volume. There is also JRemote but from memory it can't adjust volume.

I use JRemote. It's (one of) the best apps I've seen for library management regardless of what the computer software is.

It can manage volume too and it changes the internal volume so it does also make use of the "loudness" implementation.

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Just ignore the loudness and tone control haters that will tell you it's the end of the world. If YOU like it then great.

 

 

Yeah +1.....and graphic equalizer haters too..... :P  :unsure:

 

Tase. 

Edited by Tasebass
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Buy some vintage gear Roh.... :P  :P

 

Tase

I have to admit now that I've managed to implement a similar/better version of what they had I'll stick with what I currently have ;).

 

The low level listening is great.

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  • 2 months later...

@@Satanica Do you adjust your master volume in order to change the amount of EQ that is applied by JRiver? I've found that if I use the pink noise calibration it sets the master volume to high and therefore I run JRiver around 50-70% for loud listening. If I reduce the volume of the amp I can run JRiver at around 80% (it opens up my mids a bit more) which makes sense I guess as they are roughly appling a "v" on the equalizer to compensate for loss of low and high frequency when listening below 'referece'

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JRiver EQ

 

I either use this.    Or I can run plugins either on my computer or audio-interface/DAC that can do this.

 

Jriver is neat....  I usually just go a dial in the EQ msyelf though (just a low shelf filter)  - as I don't touch the volume knob much.

 

 

EDIT:   ah ... deja vu

Edited by davewantsmoore
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@@Satanica Do you adjust your master volume in order to change the amount of EQ that is applied by JRiver? I've found that if I use the pink noise calibration it sets the master volume to high and therefore I run JRiver around 50-70% for loud listening. If I reduce the volume of the amp I can run JRiver at around 80% (it opens up my mids a bit more) which makes sense I guess as they are roughly appling a "v" on the equalizer to compensate for loss of low and high frequency when listening below 'referece'

Hi, I'm not quite sure what you're asking but if I describe what I'm doing it might answer your question.

I have my digital processor (DEQX) with the analog volume disabled and the digital volume at 100% where it stays. In JRiver the Internal Volume and Loudness are selected. Internal Volume Reference Level is set to 100 and that's a setting in the options not the volume level of JRiver.

So the way it works is that adjustedments made to JRiver's volume also changes the loudness EQ . JRiver's Internal Volume is the master volume in my setup. This means Loudness equalisation is always working and I can adjust the volume with either my media center IR remote control or smartphone.

Edited by Satanica
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No I have not, but I should stop being lazy and just do it. With the pink noise measurement you can then set the Internal Volume Reference Level setting appropriately.

 

@@Satanica taking you in circles I had asked you before! Sorry.

 

EDIT:   ah ... deja vu

 Haha - clearly going senile!

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My sub has an on/off switch :thumb: . On at low levels, off at higher levels.

Perfectly acceptable 1960's technology. Oh wait we're not in the 60's anymore...

Edited by Satanica
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