[thechungster]

So before I had the Bose IE and their sensitivity wasn't the best so I increased my songs in iTunes up by 100% volume. I recently decreased it back to normal volume, but I'm not sure if it affects the SQ of the song?

 

[mbd2884]

If shouldn't if you use ASIO output which disables software volume control, except in the Fubar'd Foobar.

And if you use a Class A amp, should not change the SQ.

 

[Roger.McMurphy]

Trust your ears. I listen to my headphones at various volumes (while I haven't measured, I probably listen to them from 40dB to 70dB) , from various sources and I never heard a decrease or an increase in quality from a volume adjustment. I simply hear more or less volume.

If you can convince yourself there is a decrease in SQ, then there is one. If you have to ask the question, then there is probably none.

...and take this virtual beer, "younger member"

Cheers!

 

[thechungster]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Roger.McMurphy /img/forum/go_quote.gif Trust your ears. I listen to my headphones at various volumes (while I haven't measured, I probably listen to them from 40dB to 70dB) , from various sources and I never heard a decrease or an increase in quality from a volume adjustment. I simply hear more or less volume. If you can convince yourself there is a decrease in SQ, then there is one. If you have to ask the question, then there is probably none. ...and take this virtual beer, "younger member" Cheers!

Cheers to you too haha. But thanks anyway for your views of it.

 

[ILikeMusic]

When you change an individual track's volume in iTunes the file isn't modified, other than an addition in the tag indicating a correction factor which iTunes then uses on playback. Since the audio portion of the file isn't changed there is no SQ hit no matter how many times you alter the 'volume' setting.

The same it true when using MP3Gain on MP3 files. In that case the file is modified in that the volume flag of each frame is changed, but since there is no re-encoding then there is no SQ hit in this case either, and the change can easily be undone, also without affecting SQ. There are limits of course, you don't want to drop the level so low that you expose faults in other areas in the playback chain, and you don't want to cause clipping by an excessive increase, etc., but as long as you stay reasonable about it then there should be no hit to SQ.

I don't know if there is any software that is so gross that it actually re-encodes a file to change volume, gawd I hope not...

.

 

[TubeStack]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ILikeMusic /img/forum/go_quote.gif When you change an individual track's volume in iTunes the file isn't modified, other than an addition in the tag indicating a correction factor which iTunes then uses on playback...

Does an iPod playing the same file also use the correction factor that's been changed in iTunes?

 

[ILikeMusic]

Quote:

Originally Posted by TubeStack /img/forum/go_quote.gif Does an iPod playing the same file also use the correction factor that's been changed in iTunes?

The 'Sound Check' feature (normalizes volume of all tracks) does, and I think that manual adjustments of individual track volume do, but I'm not certain. An easy check would be to pick a track and set the volume to something obviously wrong (very low, etc.) and see if that characteristic transfers.

 

[TubeStack]

Yes, will try that, thanks.

I've found using the 'Sound Check' function on an iPod (without modifying individual tracks/albums within iTunes) does affect sound quality. Seems to suck the life out of the louder albums, not just decrease their volume.

 

[ILikeMusic]

I'm not sure how the 'Sound Check' algorithm works. If it adjusts volume equally (i.e. the same single adjustment is made throughout the track) then it shouldn't have any negative effect. If there is any compression going on (i.e. louder parts are reduced more than softer parts) then that could have the effect you describe. Personally I never mess with such stuff unless I know exactly what it's doing.

 

[Mayzei]

Yeah, adjusting a songs volume on iTunes and then syncing to an iPod does keep the same adjustment, i found out by accident and almost cried when it came on.

xx

 

[mgrewe]

I'm pretty sure that the sound check feature on the ipod isn't just a volume equalizer among songs. What it does is cap the overall output of a particular piece, stopping a large burst of volume from "damaging your ears." It was a safety precaution that was meant to help "cure" our loud music obsession. I know it's optional in the US, but I heard that it was mandatory on ipods in Europe, but I don't know for sure.