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 russ69

russ69's avatar
russ69
3,360 posts
 

I’m using a very efficient speaker (Zu Audio DW’s).

This is your issue, I’m sorry to tell you. The Sphinx plays fabulously at very low volumes with my Triangle Antals. No need for any tone controls or a loudness button.

russ69's avatar
russ69
3,360 posts
 

Yes, the loudness and tone controls us older folks used in the 70s were crappy circuits with crappy parts. 

The SAE Parametric Equalizer in the early seventies was considered to be a very high end piece of audio gear. I used it for a while until I figured out that if a loudspeaker can't do a particular frequency to your satisfaction, you can't force it to sound better. You can emphasize it, but you can't correct it (if that makes any sense)?.

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