2. amps-preamps
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Loudness - Why has the industry stopped producing amplifiers with this feature any longer?

I listen to music at all times of the day and night (solid sleep eludes me the older I get).  My favorite times are when the family is gone and I can select the listening level, mostly moderate to higher volumes.  But the simply fact is I find myself listen at lower levels much more often then my preferred listening mode.

Piggybacking on a discussion regarding low level listening here on Audiogon, I'm posing the question:  Why has the majority of industry stopped producing amplifiers with this feature any longer?

I look forward to your input
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unison77
50 posts
 
I have (among others) a vinatge Sansui AU-517 integrated amplifier but I've never use its loudness switch. I even prefer to listen to it flat, though I always used loudness buttons of Sansui and Pioneer amps in my youth.. Tastes and listening habits tend to change... 
unison77
50 posts
 
I mean "I've never used"...
77jovian
387 posts
 
I had a Yamaha receiver for my office system that had the variable loudness.  As Vermonster said, you turned up the volume to the maximum you were likely to ever listen and then used the rotary loudness control to decrease the output to the desired level and it would increase the loudness compensation as the level decreased.  It worked very well except for one problem.  The remote had a volume control but no loudness control, so you couldn’t use the feature with the remote.  Good idea poorly implemented.
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tenbar OP
3 posts
 
Thanks to everyone for the responses.  It seems that of those that responded, more are not in favor of the feature.  That would support the reason why the feature has virtually disappeared from the market (exceptions were noted).

Thanks again
tweak1
3,563 posts
 
4+ years ago I had a Parasound A23, which had VC on the back for each channel. It helped in my non-symmetrical room
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