Okay, Let's pop in again!
Found some time and made some samples. All uploaded on Soundcloud (overview:
http://soundcloud.com/zokkel )
system: Mac Mini (I think 2nd gen), OS X 10.5, itunes, Eden, Soundflower, Audacity
meaning: NO amplifier connected (NO audio output at all connected), all songs live recorded on and in MAC OS X
sample 1:
http://soundcloud.com/zokkel/test-itunes
Song played on itunes. To use as reference. All sounds fine here. Listen carefully when the guitars kick in @26 sec!
sample 2:
http://soundcloud.com/zokkel/test-normal-eden
Song played on a default version of Eden (No advancedsettings.xml!). Here you clearly see in the waveform that everything is mighty-flat and you hear a mighty difference in the part where the guitars kick in (@26 sec)
sample 3:
http://soundcloud.com/zokkel/test-eden-l...-0-audio-0
Song played in Eden with advancedsettings.xml (limiterhold at 0 and limiterrelease at 0, see:
http://forum.xbmc.org/showthread.php?tid...pid1075922) AND audio level on 0db.
You can't see it that good, but now the song is played too loud and the bass kick is clipped (not the best sample, but in other songs there's a clear clipping noise)
sample 4:
http://soundcloud.com/zokkel/test-eden-l...0-audio-24
Song played in Eden with advancedsettings.xml AND audio level on -24db.
That's my solution for the problem. You see that the waveform is again identical to the one played in itunes. There is no flattening here and no clipping of the bass kicks. Only disadvantage: volume at -24db, so I put the volume of my MAC in OS X up to 90% and my amplifier is at 35%.
In the overview (
http://soundcloud.com/zokkel ), there is a huge difference in the waveform between the default Eden settings and the one played on itunes. I think you can't ignore the difference when you play it as well (definitely the part @26sec).
guisettings:
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/75360127/guisettings.xml
advancedsettings:
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/75360127/advancedsettings.xml
Hope the problem gets a bit clearer now...