Do you use tone controls?

I'm confused with your question. I don't care if components have tone controls or not but if the majority of people in "hi-end" audio don't use them, why should they have to pay extra for something they don't use? If a receiver at B.B. or Circuit City has tone controls, fine, if you want tone controls, buy that receiver. There's something for everyone out there.

 

about the only time I use them is my equalizer preset to undo "Bill Inglot" mastering - he's very consistent.


I bought the equalizer to transfer 78s - I hope to never do that again.

 

I bought my preamp second-hand, and whether it not had tone controls wasn't a factor in my decision to get it. What I'd asked my equipment dealer for was something warm, and it wouldn't have made any difference to me whether it had tone controls or not.

I find it interesting, though, that my particular preamp, which I think may have been the only one the company made with tone controls, had tone controls because people asked for them.

The company literature reads:

"Produced in response to demand for a Musical Fidelity preamp with tone controls, the new P173 should satisfy those who feel that their system needs more tunning than can be achieved through component-matching, careful room positioning of loudspeakers and selection cables and interconnects."

Turns out I very almost never use them, but I'm glad I have them. Just this last week I found that a particular CD sounded much, much better to me with the booming bass decreased quite a bit.

Really, the question of "how it's supposed to sound" doesn't make a lot of sense when how it's supposed to sound doesn't sound good to you. Listening to music is about enjoying yourself, right? I must be missing something with a lot of the positions posted here. Many of you seem to treat listening to music like an academic pursuit. I already have enough of those. I listen to music to take me somewhere else.

Dale

 

What for?

 

You wont need them for you new Beatles Singles.

 

If you don't have them you are stuck. Better be sure your equipment
"does it" for ya!

 

What new Beatles singles?

 

Oh, yes, I definately use them. On my main rig, I usually keep the treble at about 5:00, and the bass hovering around 11:00. Then I let the equalizer take over from there, with a smiley-faced pattern, with smirk toward the treble. Some people may think that that sounds too bright, but that's the way I prefer. I like lots of treble. I usually adjust the bass to compensate between different recordings.
Keep in mind that I don't have high-end equipment. Decent stuff, but not high end.

Maybe I should try listening with everything flat, but to me, music sounds muddy and not dynamic when listening flat.

If I'm making a recording though, I do not run it thru the EQ. I'll just make a flat transfer.
Horror story:
Back in the 80's, I made a cassette copy of Molly Hatchett's "Flirtin' With Disaster CD, that I equalized, with lots of treble boost. Played the tape back and cranked it, and poof went the tweeters.

I don't know, maybe it's just my ears. Maybe I can train my ears to listen flat, but then I just can't hear those hi-hats.

 

Yep. Bill gives it the ol' 3 - 4k boost (aka "harsh").

 

I do the opposite. If I'm making a recording, I'll do my fixes (if needed) thru the EQ when doing the transfer. THEN I can play it back flat and have it sound fine.

 

HF saturation is the only thing I can see happening to an equalized copy to analogue tape.

 

No, haven't got any.

My previous preamp (modified Quad 34 still in the back of a cupboard) has some of the most comprehensive "tilt" controls and filters outside of an equaliser and I didn't feel the need to use them either. Having said that the balance control is quite clever because, when the Mono button is pressed, it acts as a fader so that you can cancel the output of either channel when the "balance" control is moved totally "left" or "right" or listen to any combination in between.

 

For hi-end gear, I don't think it's a question of saving money, it's more to have a "cleaner" signal path with less electronic clutter. That being said, I think I would be frustrated having a piece of gear without tone controls. It's the same in the recording world where not every kick drum or acoustic guitar sounds great - sometimes you just need a little EQ. Purists would say, "Just change the mic," insteading of adding any EQ, which is fine if you have a $500,000 microphone collection.

 

No, I have them, but they don't work.
When I had my Adcom preamp modified, part of the modification included a
new circuit board. The tone controls were disconnected. I don't miss them.

 

I've never noticed any deterioration in sound quality when flinching the treble or bass from their detents, but then again my equipment didn't cost thousands of dollars.

 

Used sparingly and when absolutely necessary.

 

I wonder how many of those who say they don't use tone controls
don"t HAVE them - heh! - weenies.

 

I'd say a fair percentage. Quality units.

 

I don't have any tone controls on my pre-amp.

 

I can't since my preamp doesn't have any.

 

In the car yes, in my house no.

 

I don't use them often, but there are a few CDs I have that seem to require either a little cut or boost on the treble end.

 

I don't have any tone controls - just a mono switch for LPs.

 

No.

 

No. I don't have any. I do own a graphic equalizer, but it's not hooked-up.

BTW, if you need to tame treble bite once in a while, you can always drape a piece of fabric over your tweeters.