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The Low Volume Loudness Dilemma

I love the power and detail of music played at what I call "Actual instrument volume" which is pretty loud and dominating. 

I like music in the background when I'm reading or entertaining. The problem is that the fullness and richness is thin to gone at low volume. This seems to be the case no matter how much a system costs. I listened to a Burmester rig driving a set of Wilson Alexx V speakers in a perfectly tuned listening room with cabling that costs more than my Lexus and the "missing music" at low volume problem was there too. $350,000 in gear couldn't fix it. 

I did the unthinkable - I bought a DBX 2231 equalizer off of eBay for a couple hundred bucks and messed around with the sound curve. Viola! "Loudness"!  I know this is sacrilege and may cause excommunication by the purist class but I am able to get full rich sound at low levels. The Eq also compensates for the anomalies in my listening area (large great room with other rooms connected to it.)

I don't have the square footage or budget to build a proper dedicated listening room with all the sound management treatments so I'm "making due" with what I do have. 

Does anybody have some guidance or constructive thoughts on how to get full rich music at low SPLs? 

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asvjerry's avatar
asvjerry
4,608 posts
 

@jpwarren58 

One caveat certain songs do call for increased volume regardless.

....and frequently.... ;)

...some are good for curvy curves on the asphalt...

Rubber side down.

moonwatcher
446 posts
 

"Purists" are idiots. Unless you know exactly the volume the mastering engineer was playing a track, and have your room set up EXACTLY the same as they as they did with EXACTLY the same speakers, amps, and all associated gear, then I don’t care if your stereo cost $200K. You still have no way of knowing if what you are hearing remotely resembles what the mastering engineer was hearing.

Just fiddle all you want with EQ to "get the job done" in a way that you can enjoy the music at whatever volume you decide to listen.

All the fruits and nuts of the 1990s that purportedly called themselves "audiophiles" and had manufacturers do away with tone controls were clueless about real world sound and all the issues involved.

Efficient speakers that sound god-awful and "shouty" at regular volumes (i.e. most Klipsch) might sound full and dynamic at a lower one. YMMV. 

slorider45
3 posts
 

@travelinjack 

You just described what I love the most about the Variable Loudness knob on Yamaha gear.

Exactly! 

wolf_garcia
6,695 posts
 

Note the review of the Loki Max from the Absolute Sound...fairly comprehensive and accurate relative to my experience with it. If it wasn't I'd have happily sent it back. I don't have the thing activated in my system until I need it, then I generally use it to add sparkle and clear high frequencies if those are found to be lacking in a recording. Once in a while a bass shy recording gets a little boost, and nobody makes anything like the Max with a remote operating all frequencies and instant bypass to detect the effects of whatever you might have adjusted it for. I think it would fit with any system out there, and obviously I highly recommend the thing.

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