Miniature speakers in phones, laptops, and Bluetooth devices need to be as loud as possible within severe physical constraints. Turning up the gain isn't an option — the drivers distort, the amplifier saturates, and the speakers risk damage. The signal itself needs to be reshaped so that more of the available headroom carries useful audio energy.

VoluMax3 is a 3-band dynamic range compressor with an integrated wideband limiter. It maximizes perceived loudness by boosting quieter signal components while holding peaks within the speaker's safe operating range. The result is louder, more consistent playback from physically limited hardware.

How it works

VoluMax3 splits the signal into three frequency bands and applies compression independently to each. This prevents bass-heavy content from pumping the entire signal — a common artifact in single-band compressors. Each band is compressed according to its own dynamics, preserving the tonal balance of the source material while maximizing overall loudness.

A wideband limiter operates downstream of the compressor, catching transient peaks that exceed the safe output level. The limiter maintains more than 3 dB of headroom to handle sharp attacks without clipping. Transient spikes are constrained just before saturation — deliberately preserved rather than removed, because shortening the attack time to eliminate them would degrade transient response and audibly reduce sound quality.

No pumping, no breathing

Compression artifacts are the primary risk with any DRC. VoluMax3 uses a short release time that allows compression to recover instantly when it's no longer needed. There is no audible pumping or breathing — the processing responds to signal dynamics in real time without the characteristic "swelling" sound of poorly tuned compressors.

The compression is also stable across widely varying source material. Content that's already heavily limited (common in modern music mastering) and content with wide dynamic range (film, broadcast) are both handled without parameter adjustment.

Consistent listening levels

Beyond maximizing loudness, VoluMax3 also serves as an automatic level manager. It reduces loud passages and lifts quiet ones, allowing users to watch programs or listen to music at a consistent volume without repeatedly reaching for the remote. This is particularly valuable for TV applications, where content from different sources and channels varies significantly in level.

Best paired with PRISM

VoluMax3 delivers optimal results when the system has a flat acoustic power frequency response as its baseline. PRISM equalization establishes that baseline, ensuring that VoluMax3's compression operates on a tonally accurate signal rather than compensating for speaker deficiencies.

Where VoluMax3 fits

VoluMax3 is designed for products where physical speaker size limits maximum loudness — phones, laptops, tablets, portable Bluetooth speakers, and TV sets. It's also effective for outdoor-use speakers where the listening environment demands maximum output from limited hardware.