I miss my Loudness Button and Tone Controls....

’Loudness’ is for any system, any speakers, in any space.

fundamental to maintaining involvement at low volumes, i.e. bass player in a Jazz group. sparkle of triangles ... It should be progressively engaged as volume lowers.

Tone controls are a broad fix, irrespective of volume, certainly better than nothing if they are needed. They are a simple way to adjust for a particular space, specific track, listener’s preference, our hearing capability changes as we age.

Equalizers, advanced tone controls can do a refined job if needed/desired.

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The Chase Remote Line Controller RLC-1 lets you adjust from your listening position:

1. ’loudness’ built in, automatically and progressively implements the Fletcher Munson curve as volume progressively decreases.

2. tone controls for bass and treble.

3. remote balance, many small steps. a wonderful feature for tracks that need it, or a space that needs it. a very small balance tweak can make a surprisingly large improvement.

4. mute

5. 4 inputs (thus you may not need a preamp).

6. two simultaneous pairs of outputs. marked front and rear, identical, early quad era, 4 identical channels before they tried processing of quad.

7. switched rear mounted power outlet (verify-not all versions)

it’s 120db s/n ratio is real: Neither I or any of my friends can tell if it it in the system or not.

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It retains your last adjustments. It reverts to factory defaults when unplugged or it’s power source turned off.

I have two active, 1 loaned to a friend, and looking for a good deal on a spare. You must have the remote, absolutely no controls on the unit.

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This one is pricey, but the only one with a remote that hifishark found.

 

 

seems costs are rising. if you eliminate a preamp, sell the preamp, you might make some money and get what you want.

acoustic research made a 'Stereo Remote Control'.

remote volume, remote balance, mute no loudness or tone controls, switched power outlet up to 600 watts.

https://www.stereophile.com/content/acoustic-research-stereo-remote-control-specifications

"loudness’ is sooooo misunderstood, back then, and more so now. a ridiculously named feature.

It is not a button or switch per se, but an EQ circuit that is engaged or not, via button/switch/potentiometer connected to the loudness eq circuit.

It should ONLY be engaged below your ’low normal’ volume.

It should be progressively engaged as volume decreases below ’low normal’.

The PROPER coordination of the ’normal volume control’ and the ’loudness volume control’ (or loudness circuit on/off) was/is tricky. Some vintage amps had two volume controls, one to use only for low volume listening.

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The Chase unit I mentioned has been mis-applied by many, they hate, some trickily disable the loudness circuit.

proper setup:

1. Chase at factory default volume (no ’loudness’ is involved at default).

2. Preamp or Integrated volume set to ’your normal low’, i.e. focused listening, just not loud.

3. Use ONLY the Chase for Volume after setting #2 above.

4. Chase UP is simply less attenuation.

5. Chase Down begins and progressively engages their adaptation of ’Fletcher Munson Loudness EQ’ as volume is reduced (further attenuated).

NOTE: If you raise the Preamp or Integrated above ’normal low’, and lower the Chase unit to get ’normal low’, then the ’loudness’ is engaged at normal volumes, thus tubby bass, simply misunderstood, mis-used..

 

Inexpensive Sound Meter (get one with a tripod mount hole on the bottom)

 

I feel like an idiot for not getting one of these earlier. So easy, so revealing, such help.

You need a source of individual frequency bands to measure/chart against each other, see the results of changes, positioning, treatments, level controls, tone/balance controls.

This CD including 29 tracks of 1/3 octave tones is my favorite

 

 

I rarely listen at volumes low enough to want/need ’loudness’, but when I do, properly implemented eq keeps the music INVOLVING, without it, just low background sounds.

It seems to me that so many of you do not listen at low volume and have no idea of the need for and benefit of properly engaged fletcher-munson adjustments,

which are TRULY advantageous, in ANY SYSTEM. ANY SPEAKERS, ANY SPACE.