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Do you use loudness?

Do you use loudness modifier?

  • Definetly yes!

  • Hell no!

  • It depends...

Results are only viewable after voting.
Longaevus

Longaevus

Active Member
Sorry if this was already polled before but... do you guys use the loudness switch on your amps?

On my 2238 the sound gets instantly fuller, more dynamic and "in your face", more aggressive but also kind of warmer. It may be a bit tiring after a while but fun at the same time.

How does it work, I mean, internally, what takes place in order to change the sound signature this much?
 
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The loudness control is meant to compensate for the Fletcher-Munson curve (in terms of human hearing sensitivity), but if I have music on, it is at a SPL level beyond where compensation is required/needed, so I don't use it. Some of my preamps don't even have it or even tone controls (which I don't use either), even if they are available.
 
On a good system at normal listening volume it should never be necessary to use the loudness switch. It is meant to compensate the human hearing sensitivity at very low volumes (reinforce bass quite a lot, treble a bit less). My amp Revox B750 MkII has a special volume potentiometer that automatically reduces the loudness effect when you turn the volume up. I only use the loudness occasionally when listening to YouTube music videos with poor sound recording to boost the dynamics.
 
Sieb Mulder said:
I completely agree with that statement! Do not forget the particular room acoustics that may require using your tone controls.
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Yes, there are too many variables that make for a good sounding setup, and not having the option (loudness or tone control) to adjust for these is not a good situation.
I wouldn't go as far as putting an equalizer in my setup, but there are times that a recording needs a bump to the bass or some attenuation to the treble, and it makes
listening more enjoyable.
 
I think variable loudness can be useful, but have always found the once-ubiquitous single-level controls way, way overblown in their bass boost, and that is my opinion with no connection to anything 'sacred.' If your opinion differs, I have no problem with that. I don't use such compensation, but am not averse to a bit of bass or treble boost/cut.
 
musichal said:
I think variable loudness can be useful, but have always found the once-ubiquitous single-level controls way, way overblown in their bass boost, and that is my opinion with no connection to anything 'sacred.' If your opinion differs, I have no problem with that. I don't use such compensation.
Click to expand...

I have Klipsch Heresys, with no subs, so anything that boosts the bass is fine with me.
 
savatage1973 said:
The loudness control is meant to compensate for the Fletcher-Munson curve (in terms of human hearing sensitivity), but if I have music on, it is at a SPL level beyond where compensation is required/needed, so I don't use it. Some of my preamps don't even have it or even tone controls (which I don't use either), even if they are available.
Click to expand...

I did not quite get that.
What does SPL (volume level?) has to do with using or not the loudness effect? Loudness makes a "thin" and "harmless" reproduction sound "full" and "engaging", at least that is how I hear it. On the other hand it does tend to muffle mid and high range frequencies. Do you mean that loudness is only present to compensate for when you are listening at low levels?

CSCHOEN said:
I have Klipsch Heresys, with no subs, so anything that boosts the bass is fine with me.
Click to expand...

Jesus! You need more bass with a 12" woofer speaker? I would find that plenty for most people and usages.
 
Longaevus said:
I did not quite get that.
What does SPL (volume level?) has to do with using or not the loudness effect? Loudness makes a "thin" and "harmless" reproduction sound "full" and "engaging", at least that is how I hear it. On the other hand it does tend to muffle mid and high range frequencies. Do you mean that loudness is only present to compensate for when you are listening at low levels?



Jesus! You need more bass with a 12" woofer speaker? I would find that plenty for most people and usages.
Click to expand...

It's not the size of the woofer (with the Heresy,) it's the lack of extension. Great speakers, but very mid-range in their sound. Most people do pair them with subs.
 
From my own experience, the better setup you have with cleaner, richer and fuller sound the less need there is for loudness compensation. If the system isn't at "that" level, loudness can be very nice to enhance the experience at lower volumes.
 
CSCHOEN said:
I have Klipsch Heresys, with no subs, so anything that boosts the bass is fine with me.
Click to expand...

I love Heresy bass. It's clean, low-distortion. Adding a sub for frequencies below 50hz is much better than using boost, imo and ime.

And that makes two more responses than I intended to make when I saw the title of this thread, as this subject has a tendency for disastrous derailment. I will only add - respect one another's opinions.
 
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Some times I do, sometimes I don't. I have a couple systems in a couple rooms, and I have more than a couple recordings. Some systems do not have the capability, and I know what recording to play on those systems. Some recordings and some rooms and some systems I use the Loudness control to tailor the sound (eek he said "tailor the sound") to make ME smile. So sometimes I stick my nose in the air and act the purist, and other times I don't. It's MY music and I'll Knob-Turn and Button-Push if I want to. We all should do the same. :blah:
 
So far as I kind of predicted, according to the cast votes, this modifier is not consensually bad nor good, I guess most people what have that button just kind of play with it but I also feel that the less you make use of it the less you enjoy it when you do (wow this last phrase sounds nothing like I intended to...).

Anyway I must state that I am not looking to know if the loudness switch is good or bad for the reproduction, just curious about whether you guys use it and why you do.
 
Most (98%) of the time, my controls are set flat. Several records that are just a bit thin sounding do get some bass boost from the tone controls. And I do use the treble control on occasion. Some reissues are a bit dull on top and can use a boost. My H/K has no loudness button.

A couple of examples are

The much hated Stan Ricker 1/2 speed of Brothers in Arms can sound very fine indeed with 3-4 db of bass boost. It does not make the entire bass spectrum muddy. IMVHO it may have been made this way on purpose, so that the folks(lots) who always have their loudness button pushed, get the sound close to the way it was intended. :crazy:

My recent purchase of CCR's "Cosmo's Factory" is dull on top, I use the treble on it in the range of 4-6 db. Night and day difference.

and as always YMMV;)
 
I spent nearly two decades with a Linn preamp that had no loudness or tone controls; it worked great because I was in standalone homes where I could always listen at normal volume levels. As others have mentioned, the human ear becomes less sensitive to bass and treble relative to the middle frequencies when the volume is reduced. Loudness controls boost those less sensitive frequencies at lower volume levels to restore a rich, full, and detailed sound. Having lived in apartments for several years now, where regulations and common courtesy limit volume levels, loudness and/or tone controls have become very desirable for me. I've also found that if I limit low bass to 60 Hz or higher, my neighbors are much less likely to be disturbed while my own musical enjoyment is not noticeably affected. Interesting comments from Alan Shaw of Harbeth on that issue in the Harbeth forum.
http://www.harbeth.co.uk/usergroup/...d-my-speakers-go-for-a-lifelike-sound-at-home
http://www.wikiwand.com/en/Fletcher–Munson_curves
 
Long story short ... use to have a 2 ch stereo rig that was optimized for Vinyl playback ... I had to use the loudness control (back it off) sometimes on some CD's (loudness wars). Otherwise the albums sounded too harsh, forward or musclebound.

Today ... my rig is built around multi media playback ... so the need to use it just never comes up. Haven't used the switch in several years ... never really thought about it till this post.
 
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