Audiophiles --what is your opinion on "loudness wars" in the recording industry?

[eatitupwormshero]

For pop songs sure a lack of dynamics is probably a good thing, less volume adjusting where its not necisarry. However for songs where the musicians have spent ages thinking about dynamic producing it so there was none would be silly.
Alot of people listen to music at home and alot of people have insulating headphones so they can hear dynamics without adjusting. Alot of music i listen to would have no life without dynamics, it would be boring. I once tried compressing a song i love alot and raising the volume and it just sounded dull.
Also it would remove atmousphere from a song - for example there's a quiet bit on the last song of the Foo Fighters album Colour And The Shape (i haven't listened to foo fighters in years, i forget the song title, sorry), and if that was produced without dynamics it would lose the spooky feeling that section gives me.
I understand that songs on the radio should be compressed, but dynamic range is something alot of musicians aim for - why should a producer remove these dynamics when they're intentional?

 

[Tom]

Audiophiles --what is your opinion on "loudness wars" in the recording industry?

Alot of peeps say its stupid because it destroys dynamics, but am I an audio-neanderthal for thinking that dynamics is stupid?

I listen to music either in car or on my mp3 player, and it is dynamics issues that cause me to have to CONSTANTLY adjust the volume.
Its the same annoyance with watching a movie or TV with commercials, you always need to have a remote nearby to adjust for dynamics --its irritating. Theres nothing wrong with decibal uniformity (imo), --in fact I think its one of the greatest innovations that sound engineers have come up with.
Music is easier to listern to. What do you think??

 

[eatitupwormshero]

For pop songs sure a lack of dynamics is probably a good thing, less volume adjusting where its not necisarry. However for songs where the musicians have spent ages thinking about dynamic producing it so there was none would be silly.
Alot of people listen to music at home and alot of people have insulating headphones so they can hear dynamics without adjusting. Alot of music i listen to would have no life without dynamics, it would be boring. I once tried compressing a song i love alot and raising the volume and it just sounded dull.
Also it would remove atmousphere from a song - for example there's a quiet bit on the last song of the Foo Fighters album Colour And The Shape (i haven't listened to foo fighters in years, i forget the song title, sorry), and if that was produced without dynamics it would lose the spooky feeling that section gives me.
I understand that songs on the radio should be compressed, but dynamic range is something alot of musicians aim for - why should a producer remove these dynamics when they're intentional?