Tidal volume normalization

Posted by: BPou on 17 January 2018

Hi, TIDAL is now applying volume normalization by album though this is optional in the Tidal application. I have been using Roon to apply volume leveling and prevent the volume ups and down when listening. Do you know if the Naim application for the N272 is applying volume leveling when streaming from Tidal? I believe that would be a nice option to have.

Thanks

Posted on: 17 January 2018 by David Hendon

I think we know that the Naim application doesn't apply volume levelling ever. (In any case the app is only a control point, so it would have to be the 272 applying the levelling, but we know it doesn't ever do that either.)

best

David

Posted on: 17 January 2018 by ChrisSU

Tidal applies volume normalisation, and it is turned on by default. On iOS devices it can be turned off in the app settings (but not on the desktop version, for some reason.) Whether it is also on when Tidal streams to a Naim streamer, I have no idea. Intuitively, I always feel that such things should be disabled in case they are interfering with sound quality, but in this case, I've never tried it.

Posted on: 20 January 2018 by Simon-in-Suffolk

BPOU, it’s funny you ask this as I noticed this the other day... I think some tracks are normalised and others not... seems a lottery... but I do feel the SQ of normalised tracks often takes a nose dive... I can find on Tidal some examples of normalised and non normalised variants of the same tracks and the difference is marked... normaling digital files takes a lot of care so as to avoid distortion... and I am not sure such care is always being applied from what I can hear.

Posted on: 20 January 2018 by Emre

Tidal is always louder than streaming from my NAS, the same album

Posted on: 24 January 2018 by Obsydian

Turned it off in both Tidal and Spotify, the latter does sound better even in the car, Tidal no discernable change.