You may have just fallen for the oldest trick in the audio world and something that testers have to be very cautious of in double-blind audio testing. The human brain mistakenly interprets sound quality as better when music is louder even when it is often not the case. I can recall reading an article in Stereo Review years ago about this very phenomenon. The testers were comparing various audio sources (e.g., CD, DAT, cassette tapes with Dolby S, etc.) and one of the big issues with set up was attenuating the volume levels between sources. Even a seemingly insignificant sound pressure increaseI think it was as little as 1 dBwould be perceived as improved sound quality by the listeners. Add to that the fact that increased volume may mask noise, audible distortions or digital artifacts that are more pronounced at lower volume levels.

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