Addvice on dealing with Peak Signals.

[Landloper]

Since I bought a headphone amplifier with the capacity to detect and indicate peak levels I've notice a fair few of my CDs [and computer stored copies of the same] have overloads at certain points.

This appears to be a result of the recording process rather than something added by my equipment.

The peaks are not sustained, only transient flickers. While I can avoid peaking by backing off the master volume on the computer before it enters the DAC & then the HA, or again by passing the signal through a DAC with the capacity to reduce the level of output before the signal reaches the HA, it is not convenient for me to do so in my secondary bedside setup. There I use a CD player into a Beresford Caiman 2 into the HA.

My question is: ought I to be concerned about these brief peaks or are they unimportant because they are not sustained? I obviously don't want to degrade my headphones [or my hearing for that mater].

I thought a solution would be to buy a CD player with a variable digital out but would be happy to avoid the extra expense.

Any thoughts?

:scratch:

[struth]

Think you,ll be hard pressed to avoid these without destroying the overall level of the music. As long as its not playing regularly in red and just those super loud bangs etc

[Landloper]

Thanks for the advice, Grant.

With the computer the fractional backing off of the master volume from maximum out stops all peaks without seeming to affect resolution &c., but a CD digital variable out is probably not going to allow me to make so small an attenuation. I think they make larger steps down. The DAC in my main set up is set to -1dB and this also solves the problem but I can't afford another one for late night listening.

[struth]

If its that minor its not really going to be that audible id have thought. PS. Youve got lots of headphones i see... whats your take on them?

[Landloper]

Grado SR 80: the first 'posh' pair I owned and I think they give a great sound [clear and well-balanced] for the asking price. They took some getting used to comfort wise, but for a few years they were all I used.

Grado SE 325i: I liked the SR80s so thought I'd upgrade within the Grado range. For me the 325is were a bit of a let down. In practice I found them fatiguing for longer listening sessions. While in some respects they improved on what the 80s did, I found myself using the 80s and not the 325is as they were less tiring.

Sennheiser HD650s : These are just fabulous for long listening or for over lit modern or less than perfect vintage recordings . They are comfortable to wear, The only problem I had was the bass is a little too present for my taste, so some care in system matching was called for, I sold my Arcam rDac and replaced it with a Beresford DAC.

Also I later bought a Bersford Capella so as to be able to tailor the sound for the strengths and weaknesses of the particular pair of cans in play. One consequence of this buy was to redeem the Grado 325is - they can now be used for longer sessions and are much less tiring - although the missus uses them now with her iPod [indoors at any rate]. The ability to alter treble/bass/gain makes all the cans I have operate at their best.

[I]Sennheiser HD700s I put off buying these for a while owing to the styling which I didn't like but eventually prices fell so much that I took the plunge. I'm aware a lot of people are in two minds about these cans but they are the best sounding ones I ever used - they are best employed with good quality recording as they reproduce everything that the 650s have the grace to ignore. They are very comfortable and now I'm used to them I even think they look fine. I suspect that the only problem these really have is that they are not the HD800s.

i also have a Lehman Rhinelander HA in my main system, but it isn't getting a lot of use at the moment.

[struth]

Grado SR 80: the first 'posh' pair I owned and I think they give a great sound [clear and well-balanced] for the asking price. They took some getting used to comfort wise, but for a few years they were all I used.

Grado SE 325i: I liked the SR80s so thought I'd upgrade within the Grado range. For me the 325is were a bit of a let down. In practice I found them fatiguing for longer listening sessions. While in some respects they improved on what the 80s did, I found myself using the 80s and not the 325is as they were less tiring.

Sennheiser HD650s : These are just fabulous for long listening or for over lit modern or less than perfect vintage recordings . They are comfortable to wear, The only problem I had was the bass is a little too present for my taste, so some care in system matching was called for, I sold my Arcam rDac and replaced it with a Beresford DAC.

Also I later bought a Bersford Capella so as to be able to tailor the sound for the strengths and weaknesses of the particular pair of cans in play. One consequence of this buy was to redeem the Grado 325is - they can now be used for longer sessions and are much less tiring - although the missus uses them now with her iPod [indoors at any rate]. The ability to alter treble/bass/gain makes all the cans I have operate at their best.

[I]Sennheiser HD700s I put off buying these for a while owing to the styling which I didn't like but eventually prices fell so much that I took the plunge. I'm aware a lot of people are in two minds about these cans but they are the best sounding ones I ever used - they are best employed with good quality recording as they reproduce everything that the 650s have the grace to ignore. They are very comfortable and now I'm used to them I even think they look fine. I suspect that the only problem these really have is that they are not the HD800s.

i also have a Lehman Rhinelander HA in my main system, but it isn't getting a lot of use at the moment.

Thanks John. Good info. Im getting more into cans and may be adding another set and a amp to my main kit. Just expanding my knowledge base. :eyebrows:

[Landloper]

I'd like to add a tube [or Tube/SS hybrid] headphone amp at some point, something like a Little Dot III.

(Any excuses anyone can come up with as to exactly why I need a THIRD headphone amp would be most useful.)

[struth]

Lol... sell the one you dont use and then you dont need an excuse :eyebrows: smsl t1 looks decent too. There is a valve headphone amp in pe at moment i think which gets a good name.

[topoxforddoc]

John,

Sadly the compression you are hearing is deliberate and a consequence of the mastering engineers desire to make the recording sound good on an iPhone on a busy tube train. The quiet sections are boosted (this compressing the dynamic range) and the loud bits clip or become distorted as a result. Google "loudness wars" and you will see what I mean.

http://dynamicrangeday.co.uk/about/
http://www.soundonsound.com/sound-advice/dynamic-range-loudness-war

Charlie

[Stratmangler]

The practical solution is to scan your files for replaygain, and set your media player up to read replaygain values and automatically adjust levels to something more appropriate.
This way you can avoid large leaps in volume between albums.

You won't be able to rescue poorly mastered (overly compressed and limited) recordings, but at least you can stop them from blasting your eardrums.

[RothwellAudio]

It's possible that nothing is actually being overloaded. The peak LEDs may be set to trigger at the point where the incoming signal reaches 2V RMS, but there may still be some headroom as a margin of error. The Beresford manual says "turn down the level of the signal coming into the CAPELLA inputs where that is practically possible if the Peak Detector LEDs are constantly ON".
"Constantly" suggests to me that there will be at least some headroom beyond the point at which the LEDs illuminate.

[Landloper]

Yes, Charlie - definitely a deliberate practice given the top quality studios the CDs I've noticed peaking on [Deutsche Grammophon, Decca, &c.] DG are particularly inclined to present bright compressed-sounding recordings.

[Landloper]

Thanks, Chris. Computer-stored music is not so much of a problem as I can control the level of signal reaching the DAC before it is passed on the the amplifier, though your suggestion sounds a bit more 'pro' than just backing off the master volume a touch.

[Landloper]

Good point, Andrew. Having gone back to the Capella manual, it does seem as if small and infrequent peaks may not be much of a concern. None of the peaks I've noticed being indicated were anything more than a brief flicker. Just thought I'd raise the subject to be sure I wasn't going to damage my gear.

[Landloper]

Sell one, did you say? Oh dear.....:stalks: