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SONY's Dynamic Normalizer = Bad Idea

post #1 of 27
10/21/09 at 12:01am
Thread Starter 
I read the threads on SONY's sound enhancement and came to the conclusion that... well, I don't really want to offend anyone, but let's just say this, things written on this forum should be taken at least with a grain of salt most of the time.

I do not want to defend EQ settings on certain devices but maxing out 1 kHz and pulling all 2.5 kHz won't give you an enjoyable listening experience, no matter what you are listening to or what cans you actually have.

And there it is the DYNAMIC NORMALIZER. I can't believe that there is any head-fier in their right mind who claims that it does not destroys his music on the spot! So many people are using it, man! Please! Hot lead into my ears! Can't you guys hear it?

What is your opinion on SONY's DYNAMIC NORMALIZER found on Walkmans ?
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post #2 of 27
10/21/09 at 1:24am
i dont like it, it makes some of the heavy hitting low notes die down and be limited. it makes the sound even but its not how the artists intended u to hear the music.
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post #3 of 27
10/21/09 at 2:24am
i usually use VPT and clear bass ON, but dynamic normalizer off
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post #4 of 27
10/21/09 at 2:30am
Thread Starter 
VPT is the other stuff screws your music up as it is a surround sound processor. Didn't you mean DSEE on?
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post #5 of 27
10/21/09 at 2:37am
Try listening to Rach 2's second movement with the Dynamic Normalizer on. It's very, very interesting. I feel like flying with the notes... After that, I stop using it.

And DSEE ain't do nothing.
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post #6 of 27
10/21/09 at 4:22am
Thread Starter 
DSEE claims to "better" low bitrate files. As I don't have those, I don't hear any difference either by using or not using it. It's on though... for the podcasts' sake. Dynamic normalizer screws up any music with dynamic present. Classical or jazz will become, as ilney said, "very interesting".
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post #7 of 27
10/21/09 at 8:28am
All this well marketed cheap tricks don't do with me. That's why i go with Apple's Classic and iPhone. They sound pretty damn good and flat without all these cheap on the fly digital processings which are always digit limited to save battery and thus compromising the sound integrity. I like transparency to listen to to what the artist delivered the he way he delivered it not colored. Just my 2 cents
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post #8 of 27
10/21/09 at 11:56am
The headphone jack on my Touch was giving me grief and it's a $150 touch to fix it so I thought I would get another player to go along with my iPod classic to use solely for workouts. I went with Sony NWZ-S544 and I much prefer the sound of it compared to the Touch (all fancy things turned off for both). I have yet to directly compare how the classic sounds to the Sony but the classic is predominantly docked in my office or in my car and seldom use it with headphones so comparing them isn't really justified in my case.
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post #9 of 27
10/21/09 at 2:01pm
Thread Starter 
I must agree. Although the Dynamic Normalizer is bad (make pop music louder though and suites that genre well enough), the DSEE has no effect and the VPT surround isn't something which improves your music, the EQ is a marvel and make sound SONY devices way superior to any iPods I ever heard. The "iPod sounds as the artist and the sound engineer wanted to" is not something I buy. The artist wanted me to enjoy and sink in into his music. I can do that with the SONY and never happened with the iPod Touch.
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post #10 of 27
11/2/09 at 12:24am
I myself don't use VPT on my NW-HD5 nor do I use the "dynamic" (lol) normalizer or VPT on my MZ-RH1.

The only items I use, especially to boost signal level of older (1990) CD masters, especially on my weak 5mW + 5mW amp is maybe the custom equalizers on my players.

The weak built-in amp on my arsenal of Walkmen almost forces me to:

1) Use exclusively 16-ohm (or less) IEMs or buds (like my cling wrap-modded MDR-EX90SL rated at 106 dB or my MDR-E888SP rated at 108 dB) with a minimum of 104 dB SPL, or even my 24-ohm D777SL's (106 dB), or my V700DJ's (107 dB)

OR

2) Lose using my remote and all the HD5's onboard EQ features, and use an external amp (like my Headsix) through my HD5's line-out jack whenever using 32+ ohm cans like all the ones you guys use in your setups.
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post #11 of 27
11/3/09 at 5:12am
I use the "clear bass" feature on the S738 quite like it tbh , though the dynamic normaliser is of no use
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post #12 of 27
11/3/09 at 8:12am
I dont use it with the X, but the longer I spend around the Portable Sources forum, the more inclined I am to go with a computer source for my bedroom rig over the Classic+ND-S1 I had initially intended to go with. I'd rather have the USB vs SPDIF debate than a lot of the minutiae that many in this forum feel the need to pore over. Its a lot of analysis for a 2-300 dollar chunk of plastic that will probably be forgotten when the next FOTM arrives.
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post #13 of 27
11/3/09 at 9:53am
Quote:
Originally Posted by elfary View Post
All this well marketed cheap tricks don't do with me. That's why i go with Apple's Classic and iPhone. They sound pretty damn good and flat without all these cheap on the fly digital processings which are always digit limited to save battery and thus compromising the sound integrity. I like transparency to listen to to what the artist delivered the he way he delivered it not colored. Just my 2 cents
Agreed. I used to be on the camp of MegaBass and tweaking EQs, until I bought real good headphones. Alas, majority of people prefer distorted sound and think more bass/effects = better sq (and don't get me started on the Sony fanboys).
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post #14 of 27
11/4/09 at 8:19am
Sorry to disagree with the OP but I think IMHO that the Dynamic Normalizer gives more life to the already brilliant SQ and I use it alot. I have to admit though that some tracks don't benefit from this though as the percussion/drums seem to drown out vocals but on most tracks the Dynamic Normalizer is brilliant.

Art
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post #15 of 27
11/4/09 at 9:28am
Hi,havn't checked out Dynamic Normalizer,but thought it was like say Replay Gain(if your DAP can use that)?Just increases or decreases loudness that a track will play at,affects nothing else.Vol/loudness level just a bit of digital data contained in the say MP3 file.So just saves you turning vol level up or down for diff tracks.Does it do something else or whatever?Loudness war equalization of freq's vol levels etc?


Cheers BOB
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