TOO MUCH VOLUME

Radio Record, Volume I, Issue 52, 13 July 1928, Page 15

TOO MUCH VOLUME

REASONABLE LIMITATIONS. AN interesting point is raised in can. sidering the relatioship between yolume and distortion from @ wireless loudspeakex. It is, of course, well known that the tendency for the sound from a speaker to be distorted in the ordinary sense of the word increases as the volume is increased. It is possible, however, so to design equipment that technically undistorted speech or, music can be produced in sufficient volume to be heard clearly in the open aix several miles from the louds speaker. If the frequency and timbra@ of every one of the composite soundg of the total output from the Ioud. speaker axe correct, and if every ond of these sounds is proportioned ac+ curately to the others, the reproduce tion will be, from a purely technical viewpoint, undistorted. It is doubtful, however, whether an amplified volum¢@ of sound greatly in excess of the nas tural volume of that sound can eve be regarded as undistorted in a widey and more practical sense. Its very, intensity constitutes a form of distor. tion probably more serious and moré distressing than the forms of distor tion with which listeners are most familiar. The point is one to which listeners would do well to pay aitem ‘tion. It is generally wise to operate the loudspeaker a little below the nainral yolume of the sound teing reproduced. In special cases the sound may be magnified by a reasonable amount above the natural level. If, however, the lighter and miore delicate notes of a violin or flute are maguified to blare forth from the speaker with all the volume of a trumpet, the reproduction ean neyer be regarded as undistorted, no matter how faithfully the process of mere magnification may, have been performed.