CHOOSE THE RIGHT OUTPUT VOLUME

[♔Chello]

CHOOSE THE RIGHT OUTPUT VOLUME

My experience indicates that an output volume of -20dB gives a volume that avoids distortion of the signal.

The music industry nowadays has focused a lot on -5/-10/0dB, which is based on old knowledge based on analogue technology.

Analogue technology requires as high a signal as possible to avoid noise, while digital technology allows a very low signal, without noise occurring.

There is also a difference between analog and digital distortion; the analogue is bad enough, but the digital is far worse and intolerable - it destroys perspective, among other things, and makes the sound cold and lifeless.

Moreover, the higher the digital resolution, the less distortion occurs, as the threshold is raised with increased resolution.

This is the main difference between 16 bit and 24 bit, while I prefer 32 bit, which gives a significantly lower distortion; the higher the bit, the less distortion.

As said, there is no reasonable reason to use an output volume of -5dB, because noise does not occur at lower levels with digital technology.