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RE: Entitled to an opinion!

Gerald -

Your statement, even in the above, though you do not use the words " too much dynamic range", describes a situation where the dynamic range on the recording is too great for you and/or your system, room and environment. I am not trying to put words in your mouth, but you have described the situation to a tee using different words.

If the sound is agreeable on loud passages, but then too soft on low level ones, and, conversely, agreeable in soft passages, then too loud on high level passages, you are saying, in effect, there is too much dynamic range. This necessitates you adjusting the volume frequently, "gain riding", which is a no-no on the recording end of things among quality conscious recording engineers, like those at BIS, who want to preserve all of the natural dynamic range they can get.

Many pop music engineers reduce dynamic range either by using a certain amount of manual gain riding, or more likely, by using an electronic box that automatically and artificially compresses the sound, turning down the loud parts and boosting the soft parts. They do this so that their recordings can sound generally louder on average than the competition on radio or on MP3, advancing their appeal, they think. You are in your listening taking a page from that playbook of rock music engineers. Ouch, I knew that would hurt. But, you might consider investing in one of those electronic compression boxes for your system.

So, I have concluded that you are the first audiophile, as opposed to a casual rock listener on earbuds, I have ever heard of who complained about too much dynamic range. Understand that dynamic range is about the difference between the loudest and softest passages, not about where you set the volume knob to achieve a desired average playback level.

Your "debate" with McGregor and Von Bahr of BIS is not as you portray it. McGregor said that BIS recordings had to be turned up, period, in order to enjoy their dynamics at their best. I quite agree, BIS recordings do need a higher volume setting than do others. You, as usual, petulantly flew off the handle at the very idea of having to turn some recordings up and others down to achieve a satisfactory average playback level. Same story, same tune at sa-cd.net. We know your repeated, nonsensical rants well, dear Gerald. Look it up. It is there in the record in this forum and at sa-cd.net, as well. And, you have positioned this as a choice. Either, McGregor under pressure from Von Bahr was trying to hide the "ugly" truth about BIS recordings, or else your narrow views are right. What nonsense. Yes, it is clear that you misinterpreted what McGregor said.

You are reminiscent of dear Theresa, who was exposed for the lightweight she is, after she decided to deliver a scathingly negative review - completely unwarranted and unjustified - of the BIS Sound of Sibelius SACD at sa-cd.net. Countless others lambasted her because (a.) they found it to be a good recording, and, (b.) it was clearly payback on her part because BIS does not use her beloved DSD on the recording end. In spite of repeated denials of the truth, her problems were like yours, an unwillingness or inability to turn the volume up a bit and leave it there to let the music do its thing with wide dynamics, better bass response, etc.




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