@MotleyG
@andrewilley
i checked that first--replaygain annoys me, so i keep it turned off.
the big thing for me is that this just started last night. i got in my car and thought it sounded pretty quiet, but i was listening to a rip i hadn't listened to before, of an album i hadn't listened to in 20 years, so i thought nothing of it--until i get home, put on my headphones, and found myself continually turning things up a notch at a time until i was listening to things i've listened to frequently a little quieter than i prefer, and a notification almost knocked me out of my seat; then i realized how much i'd turned it up. oh, and while the bass/treble boosts are part of my standard EQ, i added the preamp while i was trying to fix it; i usually don't use preamp.