Ok, so I want to use volume leveling so bad, but so far all my attempts result in restricted dynamics and dullness. There’s no way this is in my head. I will put it on and match the normal listening level with SPL meter and my wife will come home and ask what happened to the music. It’s lacks life.
I read all the threads I could find on this and it seems anyone who says it degrades the sound quality gets labeled a heretic. Well, something is going on. So I thought maybe I am just doing something wrong? Or is it Dac dependent? Help me see the light?
Slightly off topic but related - I find exactly the same whenever I use convolution filters, or even have dsp switched on with the master switch but have all the individual options switched off. All the life goes out of the music and it sounds ‘broken’ for what of a better word.
Thank you for your condescending and patronising reply. Funny then that I noticed a loss of ‘impact’ before even realising that DSP was an option that I could control…the difference is immediate, and significant. It doesn’t matter to me if you can’t hear it, or claim the signal path is identical. I can hear it. And the last time I looked, the customer is always right.
Nothing condescending nor patronising about my reply. It doesn’t matter to me if you can hear it, I’m simply stating the facts as presented by Roon, and seeing as they wrote the code I’d be more inclined to rely on their facts than yours.
Hey Bill, can you share a screenshot of your signal path and audio settings and DSP settings and zone settings in Roon?
I’ve setup my dad’s Roon system with his Sansui AU series integrated (no remote control for this 40 year old integrated) - he likes to jump between albums and doesn’t like having to get up from his chair to adjust the volume on the integrated so Roon’s volume levelling is a lifesaver for him. And it sounds brilliantly transparent, compared with volume levelling turned off.
Something isn’t working correctly and I’m sure the root cause can be found, if you can share more info.
Actually Roon says there that there can be a compromise with volume levelling and PCM. I am trying to figure out why so many others can’t hear it and why I can’t take for more then a few songs.
Please note I am talking strictly about Volume levelling with no other DSP options turned on.
I too have had to revert to not using volume levelling. Had it on when I used my Pi endpoint but now I have the Naim Atom it really reduces the whole dynamics and takes the life out of it.
It is interesting that I am also using ropieee and the digione…I also assume the worst case scenario(as described in the Roon's 64 bit floating point volume leveling post) applies as the coax output from the digione to my Chord mojo is at 24bit.
I would need to do some further listening:
16 bit PCM should be fine with volume leveling
24 bit PCM might have the issue
DSD should be fine with leveling on/off
I really like the convenience of volume leveling though, and figuring this out would be great!
Wouter, my DAC is an early Sabre 32 bit Dac and limited to 24/192 input. I haven’t replaced it because its designed so nicely and it’s transparency is so high. Most DAC’s are too “heavy sounding” for me. This DAC has been criticized for been too “light”. The USB input is not the best and so the DIGIONE has breathed new life into it.
I tried upsampling in Roon to 24/192 with all the filters and it smoothed things out a bit too much for me. Not a huge difference but our reference songs that are very “emotional”, you know that ones that move you, seemed seemed to be less involving. I don’t know what my Sabre Dac is doing but whatever it is, I love it.
We working at home allot now, and so I have music on all day and volume levelling would be nice.
But, I am starting to think that the problem is more with how resolving or dynamic ones amp/speaker combo is. That might explain why some can hear the difference and others can’t. And just to be clear, this has nothing to do with component cost. I have very efficient moderately price gear, but it is all from boutique manufactures built around very high efficiency speakers. Any little change I can hear.
Hey Bill, yes thanks for tall the tabs. Nothing jumps out at me from all those screenshots that can explain the night and day difference you’re hearing. I think you may need to tag support for help on this.
What DAC, and amp and speakers, if you don’t mind me asking?
I didn’t see any mention of LUFS so just in case. That is fully adjustable. I notice on your zone it is the default -23LUFS (Target Volume Level). Depending on your library and tastes you may benefit from experimenting with that. Some have reported good results at -20LUFS or even -18LUFS.
Decware Torii III with v-caps. Very fast and transparent. Not at all “tubey”. I had it made with 16 ohm transformer taps to drive my 16 ohm Zu Superfly speakers (101 db).
