Should Equalizers make a comeback?


Some like warm, some like bright, some like neutral. Should hardware equalizers make a comeback? Basically aren't Marantz and Rotel amps just rolled off a tiny bit in upper end? In the recording world, you can buy a one box Focusrite mic preamp emulator that seeks to recreate the classics from the past (I'm sure it lacks in pure sound quality from the originals). Would something like this work for audiophiles?
aberyclark

Showing 2 responses by broadstone

As I stated in another forum, I have not owned amplification equipment for well over 20 yrs that had either balance or tone controls. In my advancing years, though, my hearing accuity has deteriorated making it necessary to either start wearing hearing aids (I've tried this twice), buy amplification that does have these controls or add an equalizer. I don't like the aids and the amps I'm interested in don't have these controls, so I added EQ's which I know is an affront to the sensibilities of many audiophiles.

It's the best single choice I've made in quite a few years; I can now accommodate, at least to some extent, challenging listening room issues as well as correct for my hearing loss which mostly occurs above 3500Hz.

Relatively few of us hobbyists have ideally designed listening rooms and, with age, many of us will experience some level of hearing loss so, yes, IMO, the use of good EQ's is appropriate, even important, for some applications.
I owned amps years ago which, indeed, had balance and tone controls but these were single button controllers which allow only for adjustment of both channels together. For control of the kind that one needs for accommodating room acoustics or, in cases like mine, hearing deficiencies, more latitude is needed especially for adjustment of relatively specific frequencies for each channel independently. I'm writing, btw, in reference to the use of graphic equalizers in two channel applications as this is the only experience I have.