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Loudness button: what's it REALLY good for?

Jailtime

Jailtime

Standin' on a corner
Seems like the loudness button on my marantz 2235B isn't much use. just adds a bit more bass at volumes under half on the volume dial. nothing is added when above half on the dial. Am I right? hope so. i'd like a really technical explanation of what it does. something like--"+3dB in the 35-100Hz range...":scratch2:
 
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Used for listening at low volumes, adds dynamics to the sound (by cutting mid, I think) that you dont get when not cranking the volume. I could be wrong, but thats how I use it
 
The human ear hears different pitches at different apparent loudness levels.

Given a high pitched sound and a low pitched sound at identical volume levels, the high pitched sound will "sound" louder. This is most apparent at low volume levels.

So, when listening at low volume levels, the bass notes will appear less loud than they really are. So, the "Loudness" switch boosts the bass so that the music sounds closer to what it "actually" sounds like.

It really works, just like it's supposed to. There are certainly folks who will tell you that you shouldn't use it, because it "colors" the music. If you don't use it at low volumes, then the music will have significantly rolled off bass.

Whatever floats your boat. It's your house!:thmbsp:
 
The loudness switch on my SX-1980 pretty much STAYS on all the time. I rarely turn it up to/past half volume. :no: :D
 
The concept is to compensate for the ear's loss of sensitivity at low and high frequencies when sound levels are low. The execution? I'll refrain from comment.

http://www.webervst.com/fm.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fletcher–Munson_curves

Variable loudness (not uncommon on 1950s preamps and integrated amplifiers; used in the 1970s by Yamaha and a few other manufacturers) is a better shot on goal (IMNSHO).

Take a look at pages 20 and 21 of the Yamaha CR-2020 manual to see how Yamaha implemented a set of Fletcher-Munson like loudness curves:
http://www2.yamaha.co.jp/manual/pdf/av/english/AFR/CR-2020.pdf
 
i noticed that there's almost no bass at low volume levels, but the loudness button makes bass a little sloppy...maybe a consequence of my speakers? and thanks for all the awesome explanations. maybe someday i'll be a marantz tech...all because of AK:banana:
 
mhardy6647 said:
The concept is to compensate for the ear's loss of sensitivity at low and high frequencies when sound levels are low. The execution? I'll refrain from comment...
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Jailtime said:
i noticed that there's almost no bass at low volume levels, but the loudness button makes bass a little sloppy...maybe a consequence of my speakers?...
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Every manufacturer had its own way of executing the low volume compensation. Depends on the circuit design, and how it works with your speakers in your listening room.

As always, ymmv.
 
I sometime use mine. It is your equipment, feel free to use yours as well. If people think it colors the music and don't like it, they don't have to use it.
 
Loudness is used to compensate for small and-or cheap speakers. Full range flat response speakers don't need loudness, even at low levels.
 
must mean my double advents. i always use the loudness switch at low levels. guess i should stay away from speakers with weak bass... :lmao:
 
Rex Everything said:
Really.....:scratch2: Please elaborate on what these speakers may be.
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My speakers get to the point where you have to strain to hear them in a quiet room before they need the loudness button on. I think I run them around 65 or 70 db with no loudness button.
 
I've never heard a loudness button that sounded good. I think Yamaha had the right idea back in the day with the loudness contour knob, but I've never had a chance to try one of those. The problem with the loudness controls I've heard is that they boost the signal too much and they boost the bass at too high a frequency, which makes it sound all boxy and boomy.
 
Hello jbrainey

jbrainey said:
The loudness switch on my SX-1980 pretty much STAYS on all the time. I rarely turn it up to/past half volume. :no: :D
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Curious, loudness on at all times? I keep the Loudness switch off on my SX 1980 unless I am playing music with very weak bass that I want to enhance. I rarely have it on because my Kenwood LS-408B's bass response(especially since I have 4 of them!) is a little on the heavy side but don't have the ultra boom that is normally associated with ported enclosures. I have to hand it to Kenwood USA in 1978-79 when they designed these speakers. The reflex port is so incredibly well tuned that there is no roll off or heavy booming at all. Very clean, tight & smooth bass much like a suspension enclosure, all while being more efficient than a sealed enclosure.

Charlie:nutz:
 
hypertone said:
I've never heard a loudness button that sounded good. I think Yamaha had the right idea back in the day with the loudness contour knob, but I've never had a chance to try one of those. The problem with the loudness controls I've heard is that they boost the signal too much and they boost the bass at too high a frequency, which makes it sound all boxy and boomy.
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I agree completely! I used to own a Yamaha A-1060 Integrated Amp that had a variable loudness control and it worked slick for keeping the tonal balance of the music intact at various volume levels. I fooled around with it alot and really found what I thought was the best way to use it.

The way I used mine was to set the volume of the amp at the loudest level I would normally use for comfortable listening and note the position of the volume control. Then use the loudness control to attenuate the volume to the desired listening level. Once this "calibration" was done, when listening late at night at lower levels, all you had to do was fire up the amp, set the loudness control at max (maximum attenuation), set the volume control to your predetermined setting, and then back off the loudness control until you were at your desired listening level. It worked slick as Hell and I enjoyed many a late night listening session that way. :music:
 
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