I like my system flat, no tone controls, no eq..........what is your preference, and why.
I think someone may have linked to this video somewhere above but I didn't see it. Nothing much said about the Loki that hasn't been said here but towards the end it does show the frequency curves for each of the dials. https://youtu.be/i6oyxHGJbsM |
I can't stand the, IMHO, over the top high end just about any speaker has. I thought by the time I got to be as old as I am, 62, that that would change, as it seems to have for every friend of mine, man or woman, even close to my age. But no, I still have to cut the high end, and even simple bass and treble do that ok. Not a huge cut, but definitely a couple of notches. I've recently heard some great systems that have a great low and midrange, that were runined by a sizzling hot high end. My one friend has severe hearing damage from being around jet engines when he was in the USAF. I don't stay inside his house for long, he's got his HT's treble cranked to the max. When he comes over here, he complains how "dead" my system sounds. We're all different, and we hear differently, so some kind of EQ is a must, just due to some of the rotten recordings there are out there. |
While I agree that tone controls and equalizers do have often degrading effect on overall sound (I am not talking about frequency balance), some recordings will benefit from such treatment. One way to accomplish this to some extent, is using an active crossover. This does not degrade sound as it is basically replacing the passive crossover and usually sounds better, if setup correctly. Depending on what equipment you use, it could add substantial expense or very little. thanks, giri |
Interesting topic with interesting responses , so with that being said everything that I say is either male bovine droppings to some or rings true to others . It seems like a lot of responders are very experienced and long term audiophiles , not like myself who while having systems since the 1970s didn't take listening to the audiophile level until about 10 years ago . The term Flat is very elusive but I agree with the concept . I am a minimalist using a passive preamp with only a stepped attenuator and 2 inputs , one for a Tavish Designs Adagio tube phono preamp and the other for a Carver SD/A-490t CD player . Hoping that less is more , or less electronic interpretation . Flat on my system will sound different than anybody else's Flat . So how are you and I supposed to know what Flat is or what it is really supposed to be . We all set up our systems to please our own senses , thus the tube vs. solid state , single speaker speakers vs. 3 way speakers , subs or no subs . I have learned a lot from reading many of the forums here on Audiogon , especially from the Thiel speaker thread and the discussions concerning power amplifiers , any one component can change the entire dynamics of your system and that the Synergy that we all strive for can be elusive and frustrating , but if to your senses you have found your nirvana then you should not need to use or even have tone controls ( or subs in my opinion because to me that is artificially boosting lower frequencies ) . Weather you agree or not with my BS I agree with mrdecibel . Happy Friday |
Listen folks, I should have started this thread as : I like my system " set to flat ", as opposed to flat, which many thought acoustically flat, as Doug Shneider, in his original response, caught on to. Keep in mind, this as an important a topic as any, since the strides in digital has allowed equalization and tone shaping to be something huge, as I believe it once was. As each of us progress on to a new piece of equipment, it brings us closer, generally, to hearing more information from our systems. Better acoustical room set up. How many different ways to set up speakers, from all kinds of " professional " people ? When I walk into a room, I have a pretty good idea what the room needs, acoustically, and the approximate speaker location once the listening chair location has been determined. You, your equipment, your room, your music, and ultimately, siting, relaxing, or headbanging, to an experience that was all worth it. Whatever the means to get there. Enjoy ! MrD. |
