Maximum volume not as loud

[NYC_Jeff]

Hey all - using the latest daily build of Rockbox on my H120 and I've noticed that I have to crank the volume up a LOT higher than I did with the iRiver firmware. I'm using the same earphones (Shure e2s and Sony ex71s - I've got volume set up near 90 on the Sonys) and in the same relatively quiet environments.

Is there a setting for this or is it a limitation in the Rockbox firmware akin to the lower max volume setting on the Euro versions of the iRiver firmware?

Thanks

[RotAtoR]

The max volumes for the iriver and rockbox firmwares should be identical. However, using the bass boost, crossfeed, or replaygain will lower the volume with rockbox.

[belly917]

It is also important to note that the iRiver volume is not a linear progression.. (think parabolic curve) whereas rockbox's volume is linear.

Therefore, a volume of 20 on the iriver firmware is not the same as rockbox 50% - iRiver 30 doesn't equal rockbox 75%, etc.

But, with rockbox's bass at no more than 8db boost, rockbox's 100% is the same as iRiver's 40 (and 0=0)

[musichound]

When raising the volume in Rockbox the volume would automatically be lowered when bass boost is set to high. This is done to avoid clipping. The Iriver firmware controls voume differently. That one reduces the bass boost as the volume is raised.

[NYC_Jeff]

Thanks guys - appreciate the info. BTW, the Rockbox firmware is awesome - nice work!!

[nuwan]

would be nice to have a MEGA-BASS feature, one that distorts the bass like mad! for those tracks with tonnes of bass

[Step666]

I don't use RockBox yet (though it's obnly a matter of time) but I was just wondering, would it be possible to implement a feature that allows the user to set the max bass boost but have the player lower that as the volume increases (like on the iRiver firmware).

Then you could let people choose whichever option they prefered.


I know this may not be particularly easy, nor might it be the most useful feature of all time, but I just thought it was worth considering...

[Febs]

It has been discussed at length on the Rockbox IRC, and it is likely that this will be adopted as a user-configurable option. (This is in the IriverFAQ, by the way.)

[belly917]

Len0x has already created a patch.. after some testing & review it should be commited. stay tuned

[Step666]

'Great minds think alike'.
Cool.

[Febs]

Coincidentally, Len0x's patch is being discussed today on the developers' mailing list. There is talk about having four options for clipping prevention:

1. Scale volume (the current Rockbox method)
2. Scale bass (the current iriver method)
3. Do whatever the user isn't doing--i.e., if the user is raising volume, scale bass, or vice versa (I've been trying to think of a good name to suggest for this option and haven't yet come up with anything)
4. No clipping prevention.

[RotAtoR]

Originally Posted by Febs

3. Do whatever the user isn't doing--i.e., if the user is raising volume, scale bass, or vice versa (I've been trying to think of a good name to suggest for this option and haven't yet come up with anything)

The most straightforward name I can think of would simply be "Scale volume or bass".

[Step666]

You call them:

1. Bass priority.
2. Volume priority.
3. Auto.
4. Manual (no adjustment).

[rootboy]

Inverted scaling?

It would be nice to have feature that automatically set the volume/bass/treble etc when the song qued up based on previous settings.

[musichound]

I don't know what some of you are talking about. I just installed Rockbox with the bleeding edge build...It's as loud as hell! Also, I did not need to make any bass/treble adjustments because the default was good enough, which is unlike the sound of the bare OEM firmware.

[Febs]

If you turn up the bass boost to 24, the volume will not increase over 83 (although the volume display will continue up to 100).

[musichound]

Oh, I see. It's still as loud as hell. Do some people want to go deaf?
<question is rhetorical>

[Febs]

I agree. I usually keep the volume at about 65. And I don't use the EQ either, so I am not exactly sure why I follow this issue!

[belly917]

Originally Posted by musichound

Oh, I see. It's still as loud as hell. Do some people want to go deaf?
<question is rhetorical>

While 83% volume (or 100%) may sound unbearably loud to you, loudness is not determined soley by the volume setting on a player. The type of headphones that you use make a big difference. Some headphones take very little power to drive, while others take alot of power, therefore the outputed volume (db) of the headphones may be much quieter for someone who's headphones have larger power requirements. Put that person in a place with alot of ambient noise (subway, airplane, etc.) and that loud 83% volume is now necessary.

I usually listen to rockbox at about 55%, so I'm not one for blowing out an ear drum, but sometimes I've hit that 83% & had to start lowering the bass in order to get more volume.. which is a little annoying.

And although your question was rhetorical:
I think some people do want to go deaf! (I've got 2 such people around me at my office - I can hear their headphones better than they can)

[musichound]

Originally Posted by belly917

And although your question was rhetorical:
I think some people do want to go deaf! (I've got 2 such people around me at my office - I can hear their headphones better than they can)

LOL. I know exactly what you mean.

[tunnerus]

I experienced this (bass priority/vol priority/etc.) change was already committed but in the latest version I have (051209-1226) it has disappeared again...?

Just wanted to express my support for this feature!
... and thanks for a great FW!

[Febs]

That change was removed when the volume was changed. There is an active thread on the change, but if you want to read the developers' discussion of it, go to the Rockbox website and read the log of the developers' mailing list from December 6. I'm closing this thread because (a) there is another active thread on the clipping prevention issue, and (b) this thread is outdated because the volume configuration in Rockbox has been changed to a decibel scale with no volume cap to prevent clipping.