jhren Posted June 20, 2014 Report Share Posted June 20, 2014 Hello everyone! Recently purchased an 8000NEX but have yet to install it. I was reading through the operation manual and I did not see anything on it having a Loudness function. Actually searched for word and Acrobat said it didn't find it. Can someone with the unit installed and operating confirm presence or absence? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
MarketSqHero Posted June 20, 2014 Report Share Posted June 20, 2014 What does a "loudness" function do? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
kelkin Posted June 20, 2014 Report Share Posted June 20, 2014 I don't see that function or even a bass boost on my 8000 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Multitask Posted June 20, 2014 Report Share Posted June 20, 2014 I think it's called the 'Volume Button' <duck> Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Shackleton Posted June 20, 2014 Report Share Posted June 20, 2014 I think it's called the 'Volume Button' <duck> LOL, I think they did away with the loudness button, thank God Quote Link to post Share on other sites
jhren Posted June 20, 2014 Author Report Share Posted June 20, 2014 What does a "loudness" function do? In short, and perhaps not quite accurate, it adjusts tonal balance in response to volume change to match the perceived loudness of the human ear. For a more technical description: http://www.extron.com/company/article.aspx?id=loudnesscontrol_ts Quote Link to post Share on other sites
jhren Posted June 20, 2014 Author Report Share Posted June 20, 2014 LOL, I think they did away with the loudness button, thank God Apparently you've never experienced a good loudness function. I admit, some are essentially useless because they are incorrectly implemented. I have a Kenwood DNN990HD HU in my other car that has a great loudness function with Off/Low/High setting. Unit also has Bass Boost with Off/Level 1/Level 2/Level 3 settings. The sound quality is excellent how I have it set, and maintains the tonal balance at all volumes. However, the unit has to other quirks, which contributed to my decision to buy the 8000NEX for my other vehicle. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Shackleton Posted June 20, 2014 Report Share Posted June 20, 2014 Apparently you've never experienced a good loudness function. I admit, some are essentially useless because they are incorrectly implemented. I have a Kenwood DNN990HD HU in my other car that has a great loudness function with Off/Low/High setting. Unit also has Bass Boost with Off/Level 1/Level 2/Level 3 settings. The sound quality is excellent how I have it set, and maintains the tonal balance at all volumes. However, the unit has to other quirks, which contributed to my decision to buy the 8000NEX for my other vehicle. If its some thing you really need just program one of the eq memories, loudness is just an eq change. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
jhren Posted June 20, 2014 Author Report Share Posted June 20, 2014 If its some thing you really need just program one of the eq memories, loudness is just an eq change. Not the same as loudness. Loudness is dynamic, i.e. [supposed to ] vary the tonal balance as you turn the volume up and down. No equalizer or bass boost that I have run across functions that way. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Shackleton Posted June 21, 2014 Report Share Posted June 21, 2014 Sorry for your loss. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
drenyce311 Posted June 21, 2014 Report Share Posted June 21, 2014 loudness button = AUTO EQ function. I calibrated using the their MIC. sounds okay. I like my settings better Quote Link to post Share on other sites
jhren Posted June 21, 2014 Author Report Share Posted June 21, 2014 Sorry for your loss. Small consolation, but I appreciate it all the same. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
jhren Posted June 21, 2014 Author Report Share Posted June 21, 2014 loudness button = AUTO EQ function. I calibrated using the their MIC. sounds okay. I like my settings better Probably the trade off from a Pioneer's engineering and manufacturing perspective... but still not the same. Haven't installed the 8000NEX yet but I have older Pioneer HU's with AEQ. The measurement process is misleading as it tests several volume levels during measurement... but the end result is a single static EQ curve that doesn't change with volume. I've never had AEQ sound anywhere near respectable without additional EQ'ing, so what's the point if we have to adjust anyway Even if you like the resulting EQ, it's only good at one volume level. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Shackleton Posted June 22, 2014 Report Share Posted June 22, 2014 Ill admit im not overly impressed with the aeq on the 4K nex but on my Elite home receiver it works great. I had my DEH-M8200 in my my dash for 16 years and I think I hit the loudness once by mistake and sounded terribly boomy. I also had a 15 band pioneer eq that did the fine adjustments. Now I have the auto eq and a 13 band on top of that. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
jhren Posted June 22, 2014 Author Report Share Posted June 22, 2014 I had my DEH-M8200 in my my dash for 16 years and I think I hit the loudness once by mistake and sounded terribly boomy. I also had a 15 band pioneer eq that did the fine adjustments. Now I have the auto eq and a 13 band on top of that. For a proper use of Loudness, you should turn it on with all other enhancements off or set to flat... then make any additional adjustments. Turning Loudness on after having made other adjustments to your liking, it will sound boomy. Another issue will be outboard amplifier's gain setting. Most autosound pro's will tell you to set your gain so max clean output from the amplifier is achieved at approximately 75-80% of the HU's volume control. While this should be the volume level at which Loudness suppose to have no effect if properly implemented, the just stated setting of the amplifier gain is not correct for a Loudness ON operation. If you read the web page I linked in my earlier post, you'll realize the dynamic tonal contouring is relative to decibels at your ears. The electronics of your system have no way of knowing what the decibel level is at your ears. To properly set your amplifier gain, you'd have to do a C-weighted frequency response testing at several HU volume settings to get the setting right (or as close as reasonably achievable). That said, if AEQ setup was properly implemented, it should do its measurement with Loudness enabled. I don't know whether it does or not, but IIRC, the AEQ setup process disables all enhancements... and IMO judging by the results, it also disables Loudness. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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