On neutrality, eyeglasses, speakers and joy.

One thing I have noticed recently as I go outside is that having prescription sunglasses makes me happy. Literally, having them on makes me happier than not. I feel more connected to the world I am in. The same thing, I think, applies to speakers.
Just like with eyeglasses, no one hears the same way. We make too much about "neutral sounding" speakers and not enough about how our hearing deteriorates with age. Nothing wrong with speakers that make your ears sound "young again" or finding great hearing aids which can help you connect to everyone around you, not just music.

Same thing with tone controls. My issue with several vendors with tone controls is that often they are secondary quality to the main preamp/amps. You can hear them engage. I just bought a new integrated in part because the tone controls are pretty great, so if you feel like you need them, you should go out and listen to gear with them and find something you love.