Loudness Button


I am for the Loudness Button....

Below is an odd comment I thought from PS Audio.

You don’t see loudness controls on high-end audio equipment much for two reasons: its benefits have to be weighed against the impurity of additional phase shifting circuitry, and most high-performance systems aren’t used at background listening levels so it’s not needed.

"Not needed"......I beg to.disagree.

ishkabibil

Showing 3 responses by erik_squires

Hi @tooblue

Listen, I just want to say that was a little cold of me. You should buy and enjoy what you like, according to your own personal values and aesthetic.

I gave up on arbitrary perfection. I rely on tests, numbers and science a lot, but in the end, this is about my own somatic pleasure.

When it comes to tone controls, I've heard issues with some, and not with others. I had to step back and think about whether the alleged imperfection of the tone control itself was worth denying myself better sound.

I'm lucky to have a unit whose tone controls I cannot tell.  Maybe my ears have gotten worse? I've heard other units and did not like the tone controls.  Now, at night, listening with the loudness switch on is heaven. It means I don't have to have live sound to have great music.

Should you? Up to you, but the rigid self discipline of avoiding them is something far in my past. I even use a digital EQ to do some careful room correction.

Best,

E
What happened to the old premise of straight wire with gain? Just saying, again


I buried it when I realized how much personal taste and imperfection was inherent in music production. 

It came back as a ghost of scientific perfection, which I had exorcised with gear I liked the sound of.
I would have to conclude that if you feel the need for a loudness contour button in your system, something is amiss. I have no need for one in my system and the majority of my listening is done late at night at low volume. Just sayin

It is true.  I have 4 different systems, and depending on how loud I want to listen to music, I go around the house to the right system. No problem at all.