Loudness wars

[nopiano]

I'm having another DSD listen today. Understand what you're saying about the range difference.

I'm not actually listening as loud as before and I appear to be able to pick out the quiet parts much better than the other day.

It is a totally different listening experience. Vocals are pitched just right. Clear and what I can only describe as in front of the musical instruments. I just need to get used to what in the main is acoustic guitar being strummed and plucked more quietly than on most CDs I've heard over many years.

It's certainly neighbour friendly.

This is a trait of better quality, more transparent systems.

Where this improved performance comes from would be an interesting investigation.

Happy to second that thought, Dave, and I was thinking the same about why the sound improved. This almost subliminal stuff is where the interest lies in understanding how we perceive music replay.

 

[adamrobertshaw]

Although we're on here to discuss music and thereafter our hearing capabilities, perhaps there's something similar to sight.

All these resolution wars on mobile and tablet screens resulted in sharper text. None of us consciously realise when we're reading but our eyes round off the hard edges caused by pixelation; and the less pixels the more our eyes actually try to focus etc. This may actually detract from our reading enjoyment / cut short how long we can read before our eyes get tired.

Whenever our ears are able to appreciate a fuller soundstage (not compressed) and we're not straining in our heads to separate out a compressed music soundstage, then perhaps the music is just more pleasing to our senses.

What I've personally appreciated with DSD is increased bandwidth to my hearing during music listening. It's subtle but since I contracted ''hi-fi upgraditis'' about eight years ago, I'll take any improvement I can get.