I want to re-introduce this subject.

Even within the same media, music is recorded at different volumes. I listen mostly to LP's and some were recorded at higher levels than others.

There is absolutly a difference between CD's & LP's with CD's being louder. I have not noticed as much a vairation in recording levels between different CD's. Then again I generally don't play them (CD's) back to back.

Jeeze, Your got a remote volume control and you've got a problem with finding the 'correct' playback level? What kind of an audiophile are you! :-)

FWIW, IMHO, finding the correct level is totally dependent on the level of distortion on the recording and the ability of your system to play back without adding distortion. On a great recording (minimal distortion) and a great playback system (source thru speaker/room interface) the only limit you should have is the limits of your amps and speakers, and if you can hear her, your wife yelling at you to turn it down!

I have multiple set ups and I'm surprised at how loud I can listen to one in comparison to another. And it has nothing to do with recording format per se.

I am firm believer that there is a correct volume level for each recording. This is not my original idea but makes a lot of sense.

It is a fact that our brains compensate for volume levels. Google Fletcher-Munson for verification. At lower levels the brain concentrates on the midrange and lows and highs have to be boosted to sound balanced.

So the correct volume level depends on what level the guy was listening at when he mixed the recording, assuming that he used EQ, which most recordings do. If he mixed at a low volume he boosted the extremes so if you crank it up it will have too much bass and treble. If he mixed at high volume and you listen at a low volume it will sound thin.

Add this to the fact that the average volume level from CD to CD varies widely (as Bob pointed out) means you need to adjust the volume for each CD to make it ideal.

I appear to be the only respondent to this thread that's LP set up plays louder than CD. When my CD player is set for 15 out of 46 available clicks of volume, it is about equal to my LP rig at 4 clicks.

My cartridge is only .2 MV but the phono stage is capable of 80 DB of gain. The Line stage applies an additional 20 DB gain.

So, cartridge with .2 MV and 80 DB of gain plus 20 DB more in preamp, is louder than CD (1 volt output) into 20 DB of gain.

That aside, I don't think my experience is the reason this thread was started. I think the original poster is frustrated at the vast differences in output level among different recording artists, labels and types of music.

Good example, The Red Hot Chili Peppers album, "By the Way" is recorded WAY hotter than Brad Mehldau, "Live in Tokyo."

(Big surprise).

Thanks for all the ideas/help given. I don't have a remote, so volume involves a little more. I guess that I'm satisified with one volume that plays most cd's okay. My lp setup requires a much higher volume than cd, also. Do remotes have the same or better resolution of volume that a volume control has? I did listen to an Audio Research Ref 3 with remote. The volume actually seemed to push the sound further away when it was lowered. Since volume is so critical to me or my system, I'm asking this question before I buy a new preamp.