I like my system flat, no tone controls, no eq..........what is your preference, and why.


A poster on another thread here has encouraged me to post this. Been an audio professional and a hobbyist for 50 tears. I had my time with eq, tone controls ( even reverb and time delay units ). I am currently at the point where I need nothing to alter the recordings I listen to, nor to compensate for room aberrations. I have spent lots of money on equipment , had equipment on loan, of all types ( pretty much a bit of everything, for the most part ) and I have tweaked, and tweaked, and tweaked. I have recently tooled down to a much simpler and less expensive system, and I find I am the happiest I have ever been. Might be my amp, my passive unit, my speakers...…….yes, all of that. Yes, all of that is important, but it is the system synergy that has made me realize that changing anything with an eq or tone controls took me further from that synergy, that balance. I accept, and enjoy my recordings for what they are. Some better than others ( sq ). But, I am enjoying the brilliance of all the studio work put into them,  exactly as they were intended to be listened to. This is me. I do not believe in right or wrong, better or worse, newer vs older, yada yada yada. I have believed, and have stated, particularly in this hobby, to each his own. I hear fuse differences, power cable differences, etc. Some believe I was born a bat. I am happy of my gift, not just hearing well, but through the years, teaching myself " what it is I like ", which is the key for most of us. I am not sure where this thread will go, but I put it out there, and hope folks will drop in, even though much of it might have been stated before in other threads. Thank you A'gon family, be well, and Enjoy ! MrD.
mrdecibel
Tend to agree with your evolved assessment of EQ.  I’m 66 and now have the time to tweak my system.  Seldom have I used EQ to get there. 95% of my equipment is straight through with no EQ molestation.  During the last year, finally found the “right” tubes for my pre-amp that made a huge difference:  frame grid Tesla’s, which are replica’s of the rare Telefunkens 803S.  Holographic and mid/highs are outa this world.  Have found I get as much mileage out of high end caps for a brighter, wider, clearer soundstage wtih more definition across the spectrum.  It outclasses EQ in SQ.
Hey mrd,

 I have an SP9-MK2. It hasn’t any tone controls and for the most part I don’t miss them. A little tube rolling (very little cause it only has 2 tubes) and 3 different cables rolls and I’m pretty happy.

Happy Listening 

JD
Me too...except for my sub.  That I use a Velodyne SMS 1 to apply low pass filter / slope / EQ only to the sub.  I run the mains full range....

I use a conrad johnson Classic 2SE.  I love the simplicity and sonic signature of this pre.  It is fully analog , no remote, no tone or balance... nothing but source selector, volume , and power switch.   This is paired with Quicksilver Mid Mono 40 watt amps that can use a number of different output tubes.  

My speakers are Klipsch Heresy III.   Although the Heresys don't have deep bass, the bass they provide till they roll off is quite good.  This meshes well with a steep x-over slope in my room , and  along with the SMS EQ avoids the room mode boominess that plagued my system with other floor standers...  

With no sub the bass is still satisfying and  no tone controls are necessary... and if I do want to tweek the sound I can swap out the EL34 for 6L6, or KT 66 or 77 or 88.   My last three preamps had no tone and I didn't miss them at all.