![]() ![]() Conversely, at the upper boundary the threshold of feeling represents a much flatter response. At the boundary of minimum audibility, perception of low frequencies and high frequencies requires a significant level boost as compared to the midrange frequencies. The shape of the minimum audibility curve tells us something about the frequency response of the ear at low sound pressure levels. Research characterizing the human hearing range generated an areal map of auditory response as shown in Figure 1. So, when you push it, what should the loudness control do? Let's begin answering that question with a look at the historical basis for the loudness control and why it should make an audio system "sound good." Figure 1: Realm of human auditory response Click to enlarge Equal Loudness for All Different people and different companies have different design philosophies toward functionality of the loudness control. Someone in Product Management pushed it, but it didn't do what it was supposed to do: make the system "sound good." That launched an investigation into the real intent of the loudness control function and a bit of re-evaluation by those individuals designing audio products. Since the inclusion of much more audio support in our products, that loudness pushbutton finally crept into a prototype product. That pushbutton recently created considerable flurry here at Extron. All the while, my stereo system "sounded good."įast-forward 30 years. I left it pushed ON because it made the system sound better, so I continued to concentrate on my video career. Thinking back, I really didn't care what it was for. OK, occasionally I would push it to the off position nope, sounded better on. I decided the audio sounded better so I left it pushed in never changed it. Negative numbers mystery solved! The AVENTAGE line of high-performance AV receivers are designed to provide full-bodied audio for movie sound effects and the accurate reproduction of music sources.The first really decent stereo audio system I owned had a pushbutton on the front panel called "loudness." I pushed it. For example, if your receiver reads “-25 dB” it means that the volume of the signal has been attenuated by 25 dB (that is, made 25 dB quieter than the loudest it could possibly be) before being output to your speakers. So how does this correlate to your AV receiver’s volume control settings? Understanding the “0 dB” SettingĪs counterintuitive as the negative numbers setting may appear, the Yamaha volume control is actually more accurate than most volume dials. As you know, decibel is the unit used to measure the intensity of a sound. You also likely noticed the “0 dB” (decibel) setting on the volume panel display. In addition to the amp and attenuator, every single part in an AV receiver affects sound quality, such as the high grade parts used in Yamaha units pictured above (L to R): custom made block capacitors, extra-large power transformer, schottky barrier diode, large size speaker terminals and high quality parts. The negative number scale is a more accurate way to indicate the volume output. When you turn up the volume of an amp you are actually decreasing the amount of restriction placed on that amp and in turn it plays louder. This is an electronic circuit that acts as a volume control by restricting the amp from playing at full volume and/or power. The only way to control the output is to add or connect a volume control. It would play at full power all the time. Now imagine an amp with no volume control. For example, when you plug your BluRay™ player into your receiver, the player sends a signal into your receiver’s amp and then to the speakers. The numbers on the receiver’s volume represent the amplification factor on the signal coming in. Once you get a handle on the explanation, it makes sense. What does that mean? Negative numbers show the amount of attenuation that the volume control is applying to the amplifier. Then you notice the numbers on the volume control display are negative. So, you’ve made your choice – a Yamaha AV receiver from the highly rated AVENTAGE line – and got it all set up. You’ve invested a lot into your top-of-the-line receiver: the post-dinner evenings spent on the computer researching competing models the lunch break trips to the local brick-and-mortar electronics store to test out your top three options and of course, the time it took to convince your skeptical significant other that your decade-old receiver simply had to be replaced – even it if may have had a few years left in it.
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