Re the comment on volume by Audiosavant (whom I agree with) mentioned in this month's Newsletter. First of all, I think the reply is off base because it concentrates solely on the level of the source, but what matters is what reaches your ears. Of course, that varies throughout the concert hall, but that is what you are trying to reproduce in your living room, and it is much more possible and reasonable than trying to put the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra there.
I have put a lot of my music on my computer and play it back with foobar 2000. Foobar allows you to set a volume level (RPG) for each album or even each track and maintain this in its database. I have arbitraily set the levels elsewhere (Preamp, power amp, sound card, etc.) and never chnge them for serious listening. When I first put an album into foobar's database, I listen carefully to it to find Audiosavant's "sweet spot." This may not always be easy, but it is easy to change my volume setting if I decide I have made it too loud or too soft. This has the further advantage of being able to put tracks into playlists and not having to get up from my chair to change the level.
