2. amps-preamps
  3. 175792-134479

I miss my Loudness Button and Tone Controls....

So I recently upgraded my system to a Rogue Audio Sphinx integrated amplifier, V2.

Prior to this purchase I was using a NAD C162 preamp, and an Emotive UA-200 amplifier.

After a month of listening, I have to say, I miss the tone controls and the loudness feature on the old NAD pre-amp, especially when listening at lower volumes. The Rogue amp sounds great when played at a minimum of 50% of its output, but at lower volumes, it just seems flat. I do use a sub (SVS SB-2000 pro, and I'm using a very efficient speaker (Zu Audio DW's).

I've toyed with the idea of buying an EQ of some sort that has a bypass so that I can boost some of the frequencies when listening at lower volumes, and then bypass when I listening at higher volumes.

Any thoughts on this? Anyone experience anything similar? I'm about to pack and sell the Rogue amp, as the cons outweigh the pros for me.

 

 

barkeyzee1

Showing 2 responses by pinthrift

pinthrift
210 posts
 

Hi barkeyzee1

Another vote for the Schiit Audio Loki Mini+ here.  Seasoned music lover with a serious/fun dedicated studio.  My post history has the details.

What I love about the Mini+ is its simplicity, yet effectiveness of choices.  Any disturbance to any "musical-purity loss" is negligible and wonderfully outdone by benefits.  Well-built purposeful tool for $125.00.  A gift to audio, really.                 More Peace, Pin

pinthrift
210 posts
 

Thanks, helmholtzsoul...

"Tune the room, the electrical grid and then minor adjustments if at all with tone control. It is usually because of a source issue.   ...I have one friend that insists if it needs tone contour it must be bad. I insist that recording studios make mistakes. Some of the media I use is 80+ years old."

I couldn't agree more.  Modern skillful DSP and analog EQ are high-end improvement devices, no matter how good the system, precisely for those reasons, and more.          Pin

 

 

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