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Loudness - On or Off?

J

JimiJohnB

Active Member
I'm curious as to how everyone uses the 'loudness' button on their receivers, preamps, etc. Personally, I tend to always use loudness when listening to music at low volume (as it was designed for), but I've found that I like to use loudness with certain types of music.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe the 'contour' setting on some preamps has the same effect as the 'loudness' button.
 
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I also use loudness mostly for listening with low volume, but some good old blues it can stay on even when it's getting loud :D
 
I listen to rock and metal so the loudness switch is always on unless I get the urge to crank her up and see what she's got;) They call it bass boost on some of them cheap black plastic numbers.
 
Loudness on (with things that have it, my current pre amp does not)

Tone defeat always on.
 
Simple - Use whichever setting sounds best to YOU and "To Hello with what is right and proper."
 
No loudness, no DSP modes, no tone controls. 100% flat, 100% of the time.

If you feel the need to use them, you've got the wrong combination on the back end, and or speakers. Once you find your own audio nirvana - tone controls, schmone controls - a thing of the past.

Just my oh-two. ;)

Cheers,
Russ
 
I stay flat with it unless it's a recording that needs help. Tone
defeat is too modern for my stuff. :p:

Carl
 
Rather have it and not need it than need it and not have it. Most of the time I leave everything flat. But sometimes I'll kick the loudness comp in when playing background music, fills things in. Tone controls can be very handy even when all the components in the chain are excellent...whether its loudness comp for low listening levels or compensating for marginally-mastered recordings. I gave up on the you-shouldn't-ever-use-tone-controls idea a good bit ago.

If it sounds good, it is good. :)

TP
 
Bah

Bass on about 75%, treble on full, loudness on depending on the volume, with my Mc system I leave the contour flat.

Every time I've heard anything with the tone completely defeated unless it's something like Dido or Sarah McLachlan it sounds like an AM radio.

I like bass in my bass and treble in my treble :D
 
Depends on the listening situation. I don't buy that if you need to use some sort of equalization (which is what loudness or any of the tone controls are) you have the wrong equipment. Some issues can be caused by the room. Others are a matter of taste on certain peices of music. Lets face it. When we listen to a recorded medium, we are getting the engineers idea of what sounds best. We may not agree with his/her idea.
 
Tone Controls

Well..I have to agree with Eric.
Ive been in the studio, many times, and what you are getting on the recording IS the engineer's ear. Or the bands ear.
Not only that, but in the studio and the the live concert atmosphere, compressors are virtually ALWAYS used.

So I adjust tonal color according to the recording.
Granted however, in the "golden days of audio" , the Shaded Dogs, etc..I leave everything in the flat position.

As far as tonal color goes.."those" recordings are near perfection.

At concerts even, the musical content is still highly processed.
The ONLY way (as I see it..) to hear a performance in its PUREST form..is be onstage with the group.

TRC
 
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Loudness control? I'm looking all over this AU-999 and can't find anything as useless as a loudness control.

For LOUDNESS I use the VOLUME control! :D


Paul :withstpd:
 
I use tone defeat on my C32 but there is a variable loudness that I do use occasionally but its almost always at a minimum
 
The last preamp I owned that had a loudness button (Marantz 3200), I stopped using over 20 years ago. Tone controls have always been defeated. In fact, I stopped using my graphic equalizer about 10 years ago, and I think that was a good idea. I used to use my EQ for fixing room effects, but I am now of the opinion this is the wrong way to deal with the room itself.
 
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