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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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builder3
763 posts
 
bluorion122 posts06-06-2020 5:54amI had a Denon integrated amp many years ago with a loudness button---loved it at lower volumes. I'm looking into getting a new integrated soon and the Luxman integrated is my #1 choice since they still have a loudness button. I wish the new Yamaha's had them.
 The Luxman integrated amps are great, far beyond the inclusion of the Loudness button.
turnbowm
353 posts
 
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.
glupson
7,842 posts
 
"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.
glupson
7,842 posts
 
"...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.
glupson
7,842 posts
 
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.
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