So...no graphic eq and set tone controls to zero ?

I've been reading a great deal here in the past week. My mid-90s components obviously don't stack up with a lot of the systems here. The one theme I continue to see is NOT using a graphic eq (I have a Technics SH-8046 running through my Sony AVV 770 receiver now) and setting the receiver tone controls at zero ?

Really ? Or does this train of thought only apply to the pre amp > power amp setups ?

Am I creating a sonic mess adjusting the Eq bands and just running it through the receiver ?

 

You're bound to get differing opinions but I believe you don't even need tone controls, as I've never felt the urge over 30 years.

That's not to say altering EQ won't benefit some systems, so entirely down to your experience and preferences.

 

You are adding a whole circuit into the chain and all that, but there are people here who champion their EQs. Now you'll also find some opinions about what sort of EQ might do the least damage. That said, your room is certainly causing issues in terms of frequency response. If you can so some very basic measurement, you can have a go at improving by flattening your in-room response.

 

If your gear produces a relatively flat response and your room is decent, tone controls will only add noise. If not, or if you just don't like the sound go ahead and use them! It's your system, so nobody can tell you what to do, lol. With that said, if you feel the need to make drastic EQ changes, either your equipment or the room is probably at fault and you would be better served correcting those issues instead of trying to EQ them away.

 

This is the easiest thing in the world to find out for yourself.

 

I guess check out the Schiit Loki. Cheap tone controls/EQ box, and it seems designed to minimize any degradation.
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Use the Equalizer..It can transform the sound if you get it right.
The only reason not to use it is if your front end and speakers are sonically perfect and if your recordings are all perfectly EQ-ed and mastered.

In a low to mid price set -up the benefit of adjusting an equalizer to optimum for your room and taste far outweighs the minute (if any) gain of less circuitry.

 

Do whatever you want. I don't have an EQ and my tone controls are set to zero. But I can switch off "direct mode" and play with the tone controls if I want. I rarely do but wouldn't want to be without the option either.

 

If you play old records (mono LP era or before), you will want tone controls at a minimum, possibly an equalizer; the easiest and probably best (but also probably most expensive) solution is an outboard phono preamp with provision for selecting different playback curves. The important thing to bear in mind, particularly with equalizers, is that less is more; if you find yourself making adjustments of more than maybe two or three dB or so, step back and take a reality check to make sure you aren't making matters worse instead of better.

 

Your ears and your gear...use it however you like and let your ears decide what's best.

 

Pretty much.

My only caveat would be, leave the tone controls and EQ flat for a long enough period for your ears and brain to acclimate, maybe a month minimum, then start thinking about tweaks.

 

Might test your system's consistency in reproducing sound to your liking using some audio tester or an album that has a lot of musical detail throughout its spectrum. If your system EQ is set at zero and it needs adjusting, make the adjustments.

Then play other albums using the same EQ settings and see if sound is consistent to your liking. If it isn't then it doesn't matter whether you use an EQ or not. Your ears are going to tell you what to do because there is no consistency in your system according to your liking.

 

In my view, yes you are. But if your system requires it to get the sound the way you like it, by all means go for it.

 

Yes.

 

In principle you can use it to compensate for flaws in the speaker output to the as good (linear) response as possible. Or use settings to personal preferences whatever that may be. If your goal is the "ultimate holographic" experience of 2-channel sound, I suggest however use other methods and equipment to reach there.

 

THIS

 

Only if you overdo it, like smiley curves.

 

All been said already, but it IS your system, your music and ears..as long as you like the sound is all that matters..really.. flip side, had one ..many moons ago.. couldn't leave it alone, adjustment almost every Track.. sometimes repeatedly.. drove friends Nuts, drove Missus Nuts and myself.. Stopped enjoying the Music.. got rid

Now I'm a Flat EQ (bets some peeps thought was gonna say Earth, everybody knows it's a squashed tomato shape) I regress.. nowadays I like to hear it Au Natural.. well as good as my lowely systems allow..

 

set them all on Zero ( flat) for me..

 

There are times having tone controls and making EQ adjustments can help undo a sonic mess. I'm thinking of, ahem, "unofficial" and "under the counter" albums, especially live recordings, where the recording is far from ideal.

Sound goes from "tinny" or "boomy" to something reasonable with some judicious EQ adjustments.

 

In the past I had a A&R Cambridge A60 with tone controls and whilst sometimes I did add a boost to alter EQ it always sounded 'wrong'.

Having a REL sub means I can give a fine boost to the bass.

Recently I played a friend a Reggae 'mix tape', as it happened the 1st track isn't stereotypically bass heavy and my friend asked for more bass, however we both agreed the producer had got it right, to me altering the EQ is close to sacrilege.

 

It's a bigger headache as your gear gets older. Unless you keep Deoxit or Faderlube treating your stuff, you have a lot of controls that can get plucky. Sometimes less is more.

 

Like others have mentioned, it is mainly your own judgement when it comes to using sound altering settings (including using equipment like an equalizer). I listen to my music through headphones, and I adjust the sound to compensate for the the sound coloring my headphones apply to my music (my headphones are a pair of Koss PortaPros which are a bit bassy). My goal is to make the frequency response of my headphones flat, reducing the bass using my player's equalizer takes care of this.

 

It’s nice to have tone controls as an a option ,Some recordings can benefit from it .most rooms aren’t ideal for what would be considered reference

 

In my experience, the better the quality of the amplifier and speaker, the lesser is the requirement for tone controls/eq adjustment. Amps with top quality power supplies and high grade internal components will pump out the music with all the dynamic energy, detail, frequency response, and stereo placement that is captured on the recording. Feed that into a great set of speakers and you'll never need to fiddle with tone controls (unless you get a particularly bad or poorly mastered recording).

Amps that are not so equipped can smear and congest the recording, taking life from the recording,making it sound flat and uninvolving. If then paired to low quality speakers, the bad situation only gets worse. In this circumstance you tend to reach for the tone controls/loudness button/EQ to compensate and attempt bring life and energy back into the recording. What you end up with is a better result, but its kind of like sprinkling glitter on a turd!

The difference between the two approaches is like night and day. When you hear the first method for the first time, you will never go back.

I had that epiphany back in the '80s and I've never looked back. You can take it to the next level by combining the first approach with valve amplification, but that's whole other story!

Go out and listen to some mid/high end dedicated stereo setups and see what you think!

BTW you can get plenty of great gear from the '80s and '90s for not too much cash. Right now I'm running a Denon DCD-1015 DC player into Denon DAP-2500a preamp with a pair of their POA4400a monoblocks. Driving Polk RTA 8t speakers and the result is killer. Total investment about $900USD.