DR Meter · Dynamic Range Analysis

Dynamic Range,
measured.

Auris is the only music player with a built-in DR meter. Scan your entire library, find which pressings the loudness war spared, and discover the best-mastered copies in your own collection.

Free from Microsoft Store Understand DR

N° I

What is Dynamic Range?

The difference between the loudest and quietest parts of a recording — the breathing room in music.

Dynamic range, measured in decibels, is the gap between the quietest whisper and the loudest crash in a recording. Higher DR means more dynamics — the music breathes, swells, and retreats as intended by the musicians. Low DR means the recording has been compressed flat: every note at roughly the same loudness, no matter what the performers played.

The Loudness War

Since the 1990s record labels have compressed masters to make them sound louder on the radio. The side effect is tragic: music is drained of dynamics, musical information is lost, and listener fatigue arrives after half an album. Many legendary records have been ruined in later “remasters” for this reason.

N° II

The DR scale — at a glance.

14+

Excellent

Audiophile quality.

Full dynamics preserved. Jazz, classical, well-mastered rock and acoustic. The sort of masters you seek out.

DR 14+Reference level

Good

Well balanced.

Most genres, most listenable masters. Fine for extended listening without fatigue.

DR 10–14Typical & pleasant

Average

Modern production.

Post-2000 pop, rock, hip-hop. Some compression, still listenable but less breathing room.

DR 8–10Commercial standard

Poor

Loudness-war victim.

Brick-walled. Heavy compression. Fatiguing within minutes. Seek an alternative master.

DR 1–7Avoid if possible

N° III

Why Auris, for DR.

Unlike standalone analysis tools, the meter sits inside the player — where you listen.

Entire library in one pass

Analyse thousands of tracks automatically. See DR values per track and per album.

II.

While you listen

The DR value of the current track is visible at all times — no switching apps.

III.

Sort by dynamics

Find your best-mastered albums instantly. Your private audiophile shelf, ranked.

IV.

Compare masters

Multiple versions of the same album? Auris tells you which one has the better dynamics.

LUFS, clipping, true peak

DR is only the start. Auris also measures integrated loudness, inter-sample peaks, and clipping.

VI.

Library grade

A single grade — S, A, B, C, D, F — based on the lossless ratio, hi-res content, bit depth, and DR of your whole collection.

N° IV

Questions, on DR.

What is a DR meter?

A Dynamic Range meter measures the difference between the loudest and quietest parts of an audio recording. It helps you identify well-mastered music versus over-compressed “loudness war” victims.

Which music player has a DR meter built in?

Auris is the only one. foobar2000 can be made to do it via the foo_dr_meter plugin; most other players do not support DR analysis at all.

What is a good DR value?

DR14+ is excellent, typical of well-mastered jazz, classical, and audiophile releases. DR10–14 is good for most modern music. DR8–10 is average. DR1–7 indicates excessive compression.

Does DR apply to all genres?

Yes, but expectations vary. EDM often has lower DR by design (DR6–8 is normal). Classical and jazz should have high DR (DR14+). Rock and pop vary widely depending on the mastering choices.

Can I compare different masters of the same album?

Yes — one of the best uses of DR analysis. If you own the original CD and a “remaster,” comparing DR values tells you whether the remaster preserved or destroyed the dynamics.

Analyse your library,
today.

Free from the Microsoft Store. Discover which albums in your collection deserve your ears.

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