A tech question about....

[Anonymous]

nothing wrong with tone controls ... my amp has loads, but I keep them all set at neutral and don't think that they effect the quality of sound produced, and if so, will be very minimal

the only one I occasionally use is the loudness switch (for listening at low levels)

I think the problem comes when you start 'fidgeting' ... then you end up having to jump up and reset everytime a new track or cd starts playing

I also think many amp manufactures have stopped adding them, as it increases the manufacturing cost of the amp

 

[the record spot]

Meant to add, my current amp has a STACK of tone controls, filters, etc, etc. Probably a minimalist's nightmare!

 

[Anonymous]

My first amp, 35 years ago, was a Sansui, with 3 tone controls; each one of them (if I remember right) with a selector for different frequencies... Most of my later amps had no tone controls.

As for tone controls not being hi-fi, how, then, about tube amplifiers and analog turntables, that adds loads of distortion and noise to the sound, and still being loved by 'audiophiles'?

Very few systems reproduces the sound without altering it -- and few 'audiophiles' seems to like those who do.

 

[Anonymous]

It doesn't matter how much you spend or how well you have matched your
equipment and positioned it, it will never sound the same as in the
original studio mastering session. Accept this and enjoy the music,
music is meant for pleasure, stop listening for imperfections in the
equipment.

Hifi test monkey:

Without tone controls you are indeed hearing the amp as the manufacturer voiced it. But that will always be ruler flat 10Hz to 30kHz (say) - introducing any tone control will deviate from that significantly and is not the way to correct the sound.

Strange that nearly all amplifiers will test, as you say ruler flat, but sound different to most ears?

Hifi test monkey:

The phase and impulse response will go to pot as soon as a tone
control is adjusted - the very nature of a bass boost causes ringing in
the time domain, smearing transients.

If you think a gentle tweak on your tone controls will destroy your sound, what I do - as a mixing and mastering engineer - to the original sound would probably give you palpitations.

However, knowing what the original master is intended to sound like, I can say from experience that a very slight adjustment to well designed tone contols can make up for and correct deficiencies in your listening environment.

Your choice, but without them you are most likely listening to everything slightly differently than intended.

 

[the record spot]

Fahnsen:
My first amp, 35 years ago, was a Sansui, with 3 tone controls; each one of them (if I remember right) with a selector for different frequencies... Most of my later amps had no tone controls.

As for tone controls not being hi-fi, how, then, about tube amplifiers and analog turntables, that adds loads of distortion and noise to the sound, and still being loved by 'audiophiles'?

Very few systems reproduces the sound without altering it -- and few 'audiophiles' seems to like those who do.

Indeed - another high end product manufacturer that's tooled up with a feature count but garners respect from all over is McIntosh. Don't tend to hear too many people slating their products!

 

[Anonymous]

fwiw I find myself using tone controls once in a while, especially with certain CDs you need them to tame the extra brightness or perceived loudness.