Loudness - Why has the industry stopped producing amplifiers with this feature any longer?

I usually listen to music at low levels (SPL) and miss the equalization that a Loudness control provides. Unfortunately, any alteration of the sound is frowned on by the audiophile community, despite the need defined by the Fletcher-Munson curves.

"ebm is probably right ie most people never understood or used it."

I suspect those who have it use it but are ashamed to admit it in front of others. Of course, not many have it.

I never use tone controls, but I do use loudness button at times.

"...a single volume amp designed and built by Pierre’s partner Ron Bowman. No volume control, no tone control."

That is how some of us used CD players with variable outputs. We did not need amplifier's volume control.

bluorion,

Yamaha integrated amplifiers have a little bit of a different approach to "loudness button". It is not even a button and it is variable. From what I understand, and that is very questionable, it does not boost some frequencies but lowers some others. You turn it up or down as you see fit, not just on/off, so it should be helpful with atmasphere’s concern.

The only problem is that I could never figure out how not to mess it up. In my experience, it is worthless. Your experience may be better, those engineers have not put it there for nothing.

EDIT: It seems that Yamaha amplifiers you may be considering (higher-priced) do not have loudness control. There is a loudness control on lower-priced ones (model 801, etc.), but you lose meters. So you are stuck with Luxman and, maybe, Accuphase. Which is not a bad spot to be stuck at, by the way.

glupson

"...a single volume amp designed and built by Pierre’s partner Ron Bowman. No volume control, no tone control."

That is how some of us used CD players with variable outputs. We did not need amplifier’s volume control.

>>>Sure, if it was a digital volume control, which it probably wasn’t. Goodie for you anyway.