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March 20, 2008 - 8:34pm
#1
Stereophile Test CD 1 track 4 pink noise error?
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I don't have the CD here with me now (nor the appropriate software to take a look) but I suspect that the track contains pink noise where all octaves have equal RMS energy at -20dBFS. The peak could then easily be -8dBFS.
Try selecting just one octave, such as 200Hz - 400Hz and see what you get as an RMS value of -20dBFS. Also select the entire spectrum and see if you similarly get -20dBFS RMS.
Didn't one of the Stereophile test CDs originally contain an error? I remember receiving a free replacement without even asking.
Good catch. It's the average level that was intended to be -20dB. I just checked it on 2 different programs, and the peak level does occasionally reach -8.1dB.
John Atkinson
Editor, Stereophile
Much thanks for the reply!