Loudness War


Having spent much time attempting to moderate my audio system to accommodate excessively loud remasters and new release albums, I have given up. Inline attenuators, tube rolling, etc etc, no method seems to stop effect of ridiculous mastering levels these days.

Does anyone have a suggestion as to some software or other means by which albums can have their dynamic range altered to a standard suitable for a good audio system?
bleoberis
T Bone Burnett is another strong proponent and advocate of quality and bemoans the loudness wars too.

No surprise there - he is rather a sound quality fanatic and likes to play music loud on his ATC 150ASL...

Pro Software or some media players that allow you to analyze or normalize the sound seems the least expensive route.

Of course you could proceed the old fashioned route and simply start out each new disc at a lower volume setting and raise it to suit yourself.

I find such recordings are pop & rock, urban & hip hop CDs mostly. The audience they're shooting for could care less about dynamic range, and most will be deaf well before their mid life crisis rolls around.
Back in the day when LP's ruled the media world, these same complaints were constantly being heard. Especially on hard rock recordings. I agree with the poster above, that the reason being is that the vast majority of the music buying public tended to own lo-fi, low rez audio gear. I sure do miss rotary loudness controls, and DBX black boxes.
Back in the day when LP's ruled the media world, these same complaints were constantly being heard

Yup, in those days you had to buy Japanese pressings and 12" 45 rpm (for clubs) of all the vinyl pop music if you cared about quality (enormous differences compared to regular vinyl). Both LP's and the small 45's were often made 'hot'. The CD Loudness wars has, however, taken this to a whole new extreme level of compression.