Volume issue with B&W MM-1 speakers

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Volume issue with B&W MM-1 speakers

2011-01-19 08:06:33

I have just bought B&W MM-1 speakers (which I really like, by the way, but have had to return because of a faulty volume button; I am waiting for a new set). However, I did already notice an issue when playing music with fb2k (which I’ve been using for quite some time before I had the MM-1’s).

I normally have the volume in fb2k at 0.0dB and arrange the volume through the amplifier (in this case the B&W’s, the volume of which is the same as the volume in Windows). When I started a track, that starts immediately at full volume (I used Interpol’s “Mammoth” (both in FLAC (16 bit, 44 kHz) and AAC)), for an instant the volume is much higher than the 15%-30% (Windows/MM1-setting) that I have set and prefer. Especially when set at lower levels (10%-15%) the momentarily higher sound is very obvious. It seems as if the lower Windows/MM-1 system volume is not implemented for a short moment.

I have tried this not only with Kernel Streaming (which was my first choice), but also with Wasapi and DirectSound. They all have it (albeit to a different extent: KS and Wasapi also have it when going to another part of the song, as if fb2k then ‘restarts’ playing at the selected location, which DS does not have). (In addition, KS and Wasapi seem to have some lag when going to another part of the song or changing the volume in fb2k; it takes a little time before the change comes through the speakers. Is that normal?)

I have also tried playing the song (in AAC) through iTunes (and QuickTime) and Windows Media Player and I don’t seem to have the problem with them. Furthermore, I have briefly selected the Advanced Limiter DSP in fb2k, but that did not seem to solve it.

When I lowered the volume in fb2k and raised the system volume the issue became much less noticeable (I can’t discern whether it’s still there or not).

Does anybody know what is causing this? And even better, how to solve it? Thank you very much!

NB1: As I mentioned, I am waiting for an exchange, so cannot test new settings with these speakers at this time.

NB2: my system:
- Windows 7 64 bit
- fb2k components:

Code: [Select]

Core (2010-11-05 10:46:52 UTC)
    foobar2000 core 1.1.1
foo_albumlist.dll (2010-11-05 10:45:06 UTC)
    Album List 4.5
foo_cdda.dll (2010-11-05 10:44:56 UTC)
    CD Audio Decoder 3.0
foo_converter.dll (2010-11-05 10:44:36 UTC)
    Converter 1.5
foo_dsp_std.dll (2010-11-05 10:45:06 UTC)
    Standard DSP Array 1.0
foo_input_alac.dll (2010-09-09 07:58:22 UTC)
    ALAC Decoder 1.0.6
foo_input_std.dll (2010-11-05 10:50:28 UTC)
    Standard Input Array 1.0
foo_out_ks.dll (2006-08-04 20:54:58 UTC)
    Kernel Streaming Output 1.2.2
foo_out_wasapi.dll (2009-05-19 21:45:18 UTC)
    WASAPI output support 2.1
foo_ui_columns.dll (2010-09-05 16:35:41 UTC)
    Columns UI 0.3.8.6
foo_ui_std.dll (2010-11-05 10:45:14 UTC)
    Default User Interface 0.9.5
foo_uie_albumlist.dll (2009-06-13 22:49:19 UTC)
    Album list panel 0.3.5
foo_uie_biography.dll (2010-09-05 16:38:40 UTC)
    Biography View 0.4.2.2

Volume issue with B&W MM-1 speakers

Reply #1 – 2011-01-21 16:18:59

New set, but unfortunately no change. Fresh reinstall has not resolved it either.

Edit:
Tried Winamp. A quick test shows it has it too; but only for the first track played after starting the application, so it appears. If I stop the track and restart it, it doesn't have the issue anymore. The same holds if I play another track first once I have started the application and then go to my 'test-track' (Mammoth). In fb2k it does not matter if it's the first track played after starting fb2k or not.

Edit 2:
Putting the track twice in the same playlist in fb2k and not pressing stop anywhere; there is no problem at the start of the second track (standard Output plugin, not Kernel Streaming or Wasapi).

Volume issue with B&W MM-1 speakers

Reply #2 – 2011-05-16 08:01:26

Just purchased the these speakers also I have the same problem. Have you found a solution yet?

Volume issue with B&W MM-1 speakers

Reply #3 – 2011-05-16 13:51:37

Unfortunately no real solution. I've been in contact with Bowers & Wilkins (who responded very well to my e-mails, albeit not so quickly to my first e-mail (12 days)) and they say this issue is because of the two-way communication between the speakers (also being the soundcard/DAC) and the computer. Apparently, when it starts playing the computer 'notices' that according to the soundcard the volume should be, say, 25% instead of the used application's 100%, and then lowers the volume accordingly. A solution would be to not use the USB connection but line-in instead, but then you by-pass the built-in DAC (which I do not want to do); by the way, the line-in does not bypass the near field DSP's according to B&W. They do advise to always use the volume on the MM-1's not application volume.

I have been applying a sort of work-around for a couple of months now, in the sense that I always start an album with the first track (which almost never starts immediately at top volume and thus does not suffer from this issue) and only skip to other songs once the sound level in the first track (e.g. when it fades in or something like that) has reached normal levels. Because of the way I have setup the Facets library plugin (only shows artists and albums, not tracks), I only rarely 'forget' my work-around (which mainly occurs when I skip to other tracks too soon).

Definitely not ideal, but for me the sound quality combined with the small size is worth the hassle.

Volume issue with B&W MM-1 speakers

Reply #4 – 2011-05-16 14:58:38

*nevermind*

Volume issue with B&W MM-1 speakers

Reply #5 – 2011-05-16 19:56:46

Addition: because of the issue I mentioned in the first post with Kernel Streaming and Wasapi (moving within a track also results in the volume issue), I'm only using DirectSound now.

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