Glossary
Loudness war
What is the loudness war?
Masters pushed hot so they sound bigger on small speakers
The loudness war is the decades-long habit of crushing dynamic range so a record sounds louder on radio, earbuds, and playlists. HiFi Score never invents a lab DR number for it. When we have preview-measured PLR from 30 s lossy excerpts, or a sourced edition note, we say so — and we still want you to confirm on your own system.
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Why albums got louder
From the 1990s onward, many commercial masters raised average loudness by limiting peaks. On a phone speaker that can feel “bigger.” On a revealing system it often sounds flat, harsh, and tiring.
How HiFi Score talks about it
We do not scrape unofficial DR databases. Preview-measured PLR uses 30-second lossy excerpts and is labeled as such. Sourced DR needs a citation. Edition Passports only show verified claims. If a page still says Early signal, it is a heuristic — not a loudness-war verdict.
Questions listeners ask
- Is every modern album a loudness-war master?
- No. Many recent jazz, classical, and specialist labels keep dynamics. HiFi Score only calls a cut compressed when preview-measured PLR, sourced DR, or a verified edition note supports it.
- How do I hear the loudness war?
- Compare a known dynamic original with a later loud remaster on the same system. If quiet parts no longer drop and cymbals smear, you are hearing limited peaks — not “more fidelity.”
- Does Hi-Fi Score measure full masters?
- No. Preview-measured PLR is from 30 s lossy excerpts. It is supporting evidence, not a lab meter. See the methodology page.