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From: andrew@inmet.UUCP
Newsgroups: net.audio
Subject: Re: Fletcher-Munson curves obsolete? - (nf)
Message-ID: <1173@inmet.UUCP>
Date: Sat, 31-Mar-84 00:15:50 EST
Article-I.D.: inmet.1173
Posted: Sat Mar 31 00:15:50 1984
Date-Received: Mon, 2-Apr-84 00:53:07 EST
Lines: 23

#R:opus:-27300:inmet:2600062:000:1082
inmet!andrew    Mar 28 11:33:00 1984

The problem with conventional loudness controls is that the volume
control setting has little to do with the actual sound level -
the obvious variations in speaker efficiency, room size, and
program level make it impossible for a single loudness control to
provide accurate compensation.  Yamaha (and others) have added a
separate control to allow fine-tuning of the amount of loudness
compensation.  It's still comparatively rare, probably because the
marketing types find useless bells and whistles easier to sell than
truly useful ones.

Speaking of loudness - has anyone else noticed that Harmon-Kardon
products tend to overdo it?  On three H-K products - my old 330c,
my parents' 230e, and my wife's 430 - the loudness compensation
produces an unlistenably boomy sound even at the lowest listening
levels.
 
Andrew W. Rogers, Intermetrics    ...harpo!inmet!andrew
733 Concord Ave.                  ...hplabs!sri-unix!cca!ima!inmet!andrew
Cambridge, MA  02138              ...uw-beav!cornell!esquire!inmet!andrew
(617) 661-1840                    ...yale-comix!ima!inmet!andrew