To EQ Or Not To EQ, Or Is EQ Taboo? Should You Use An Equalizer Or Tone Control?

[@MGDRIVING]

I have just sold my "Audiophile Modern Equipment" and went back to vintage audio. One of the main reasons was tone control, especially at different volumes. Since COVID, my wife works at home, so I cannot listen to music at louder volumes like I did before. I found with my Usher speakers that they really needed power to come alive. At low volumes, they just did not sound full and proper powered by the Rega Aethos. When connected to my Harmon Kardon 930, I was able to add a Contour (loudness) and boost the tones so that the sound is full at very low listen volumes. Then there is the challenge of my room which includes a Livingroom, dining room, large hallway, entrance to kitchen and stairway to the basement. The room itself acts like an equalizer, but outside of my control. I find that I quite enjoy having the ability to change that using my HK 930 combined with an EQ8 to compensate for my room and also the listening volume level. I also adjust for older recordings, tapes and cassettes to enhance my listening pleasure. I now believe that if you have a dedicated listening area designed for sound, and only listen to amazing recordings, then the Class A/B approach without tone adjustments would be desirable. I guess it comes down to what you enjoy and I am finding now that I am enjoying the music, all of it, without regard to the recording quality since I can easily adjust the sound to make it more enjoyable to my ears in my listening environment. Now its all about the music :)

[@FaceTheStreets]

I'm a music producer and mix engineer so I have eq's in my racks. I actually learned how to mix using graphic eq's on my radios as a kid. But on my mains I run them without eq tho I'm now considering adding s stereo parametric eq before my monitor signal just to see if I can fine tune them. I will add that most people have no clue how to use EQ and make things sound horrible. I've lost count of how many friends cars I've goten into and they litterally turned all the bass, mids, and highs all the way up thinking that it would "enhance" the sound. It just makes everything break levels and sound bad. So it's probably a good thing that most systems have the eq section removed. It's sort of dummy proof now lol

[@AxiomHomeTheaters]

That’s certainly an interesting viewpoint as you’re on the production side of the industry. And I agree, in many cases having no EQ controls takes away any temptation to “knob twiddle”. 😊

[@agungbawa99]

I almost every day listen to rock or pop music using a 10 inch Bluetooth speaker and a tweeter , when I listen to music without eq I feel like too much midle sound, Then I downloaded 5ch equalizer on my smartphone and raised the bass a little, lowered the mids little bit and slightly raised the treble And I compare the sound before and after, I like the sound of my eq setting 😊

[@razhua]

I really enjoy having an equalizer with memories as recordings have different presentations and I feel like some music that I would not listen otherwise it became enjoyable after some equalization. and an EQ with preset memories is an invaluable tool in my opinion.

[@mrboat580]

The current crop of audiophiles are more often than not, posing purity for internet points. They are always upgrading, even after they swore the last, latest and greatest thing they bought and spent too much on, was end game. All one has to do is look at what they listen to. Mostly eccentric/eclectic stuff that nobody else listens to, some of which, is downright weird. Rock and pop heads are a whole other realm of audiophile, most of who, do not mind 'slumming it.' The other purity hounds have no listening friends, or even immediate family that want to listen with them. Back in the '80s, these types of audiophiles were pretty lonely, while everyone else could be found at my house on any given day, bringing the newest popular releases for sessions that could last hours, or even days on a furniture store grade rack system with EQ. The more audio active of us all knew how to work the EQ with the results often being unanimously agreed upon as to what the album needed. It was almost never the smiley config though. I have both new and old systems. I definitely like the old for mainstream music. The new works for better recorded material but can be a bit too revealing for iffy recordings. Nobody in my circle listens to music nearly as much as I do and are more about creating an audio poster child for whatever high-end audio magazine cover they are reading these days. Sparsely furnished rooms, void of all but some postage stamp sized rug, preamp and amps on the floor, and a myriad of (albeit limited in bandwidth) treatments on walls and ceiling, perhaps, with some somewhat centrally located chair/seating. To me it sounds dreadful and is just not cozy/inviting and yet these tend to be the people who eschew tone controls?

[@tobymummert3035]

I used to have a great sounding pair of Paradigm Monitor 9 MKIII speakers I purchased in 1994 and they were super fantastic to the point where I did not need a tone control on practically every recording recording, be it played on vinyl or compact disc or even cassette tape and also the genre of music did not matter. These speakers were just fantastic and so accurate and did such a great job reproducing the sound I was hearing. There's a thing called "forgiveness" when it comes to speakers and that just simply means that the sound is accurate but it is more forgiving if it's harsh or a little bass shy or overly mid-range-y. Yes there were those albums that were recorded poorly but they where extremely tolerable and totally enjoyable to play through the speakers with no tone control adjustments whatsoever. Then one day I foolishly gave them to my brother-in-law when I had a divorce and purchased a pair of Bowers and Wilkins or B&W speakers. The speakers were CM10 S2 speakers and they looked amazing and I purchased them while not realizing that in the showroom they had a subwoofer plugged into the system. Now here's where the rubber really hits the road. Bowers & Wilkins speakers do not forgive. Not at all. They were amazingly impressive looking and sounded pretty damn good in the showroom. Once again remember they had a subwoofer hooked up. I was so impressed I bought a pair and got them home and hooked them up and they sounded horrible as so many other B&W speakers do. The worst part about B&W speakers is that a completely criticized whatever source you are putting through them. Terribly be shy on practically everything you play regardless of what genre you're listening to. In my opinion you need to have more money than you should need to have to power these speakers somewhat properly but at the same time that doesn't take away the fact that they are away to "non-forgiving". I found myself pulling out good old recordings that were recorded super well in the 1970s and playing them on vinyl and they sound horrible because they're extremely shy and they just don't get the job done regardless of how sharp looking they are. In my opinion I wasted $4,000 for the pair and foolishly got rid of my Paradigms and will never get those fantastic speakers back. I do have, however, Sansui equalizer, not in use at this time that in its day, probably around the mid-1980s it was one of the best equalizers you could buy and if you go on eBay you will find them selling for around $500 in good shape. Every time I go into my Listening Room and I see these beautiful and really cool looking Bowers and Wilkins or B&W, whichever you prefer, really the same thing, and I'm foolishly expecting to pull out a good old album and have an audio orgasm BUT that never happens. It's always super upper mid-range in my face and somewhat smooth highs and extremely very shy bass response on every Source I play and it's gotten to the point where I'm about ready to break out the EQ and see if there's anything I can do to get the bottom end of these speakers to perk up a bit. These speakers will not become boomy if I add more low frequencies. They will probably more than most likely stay very tight but just have a fuller low end Improvement. If you love your good old fantastic record collection or CD collection or whatever you have and you have thin sound with nothing but mid-range and shovel and shy bass regardless of what speaker you have then you should possibly consider a good 12-20 band EQ. Problem is trying to find one these days that are in excellent shape for under $500. As an Audiophile myself, I am seriously suffering with these c B&W speakers and I think it would be a super fantastic idea if they could create a very high quality equalizer for today's high-end music enthusiast. My Philosophy has always been if your two channel speaker system can't get the job done, you don't need a subwoofer, subwoofers are for home theater strictly and if you don't have that good old sound that plays just about every source accurately and in the most satisfying way then you have the wrong speakers or you need to get an equalizer. They're really not bad but it will definitely depend on what audio interconnects you use.

[@miker718]

I've used an equalizer in the past, but I found that I was spending way to much time trying to "tweak" the sound from recording to recording, so I took it out of my system. It got to the point that I no longer was enjoying the music trying to get it just right. Even on an album, each individual song sometimes had to be EQ'd differently to make it sound better to my ears. I agree that the sound engineers and the recording studio play a huge part in the way the final product sounds, but there are so many other different variables, including equipment, type of listening area, etc.

[@AxiomHomeTheaters]

I didn’t even think about the constant tweaking that someone might want to do…it would be an easy trap to fall into!

[@razhua]

I did fee tthat way on the old school ones with bunch of sliders, but when the ones with memories came out was a game changer for me. I still use my dbx 20/20 and I dont think I could do with out it. some recordings are too sibilant others opaque etc and different genres I enjoy different settings.

[@jackson._.goulding]

I’ve personally spent an unreasonable amount of time tweaking the 5 band EQ in my car. I’ll settle on something then switch the song and hate it. It’s very difficult to find an EQ that works for everything, and unfortunately I can’t just settle for no EQ because my car audio system has some really harsh peaks that need to be tamed.

[@hansoosterwal4073]

Sorry for the late reaction. I am a guitarteacher and have two systems in my living room. The first is a normal stereo system. The second is a mixer based system with two Focal studio monitors. In this system I can integrate myself and/or my pupils on electric guitars/basses. Of course my mixer has tone controls. At times I enjoy listening music on this system. Then it's great to have tone controls, for instance with a bright recording. Wonderful to be able to mittigate the top end with about three DB. I'm a lover of tone controls. Thank you for your thoughts, Andrew, I learn a lot, and that's wonderful!

[@AxiomHomeTheaters]

Thanks for sharing your opinion...I do agree that tone controls and EQ can have their place with some recordings.

[@baronofgreymatter14]

Uhhh it's your equipment ...your house ..your music...do what you want who the hell can say otherwise

[@EnriqSandoval]

Booo Yaaaa!

[@DxModel219]

Yup! I have like a $30K system, slapped on a $80 EQ made so much of a difference… now I wondered why I paid $30k for hhaha

[@dustykerr8737]

@@DxModel219did you hook it to your amp or to your receiver?

[@DxModel219]

@@dustykerr8737 to my preamp

[@jimwoody3056]

I tried an older Yamaha GE-30 inline with a quality CD player and the diff was astounding. I certainly like the sound better than previously without it. I like being able to add extra high frequency content where I was maxed out and could "on occasion" hear that crystalline tinkle sound with clarity. Now, I can use that Super Tweet like never before. I add a touch more low frequency and get very nice bottom the EVM12L is capable of. I say big YES on graphic eq addition. I like it and that's what I'm using.

[@ampheat]

just got a GE 30 and it sounds really good. better than i expected

[@megaeverything101]

Tone control is very important tool

[@dickjohnson9808]

I enjoy listening to most recorded media (TT/CD/HIRes streaming etc). I sometimes tweek the tone control to take the edge off high frequencies on poorly recorded pieces regardless of medium which helps reduce listening fatigue and to reduce nodes and reflections (the music is always on at our place). The only issue with tone is that it is a relatively crude tool). The one opportunity that I wish was available on modern equipment is correction for the perceived frequency imbalances at low levels. There certainly should be some way to apply adjustments suggested by the Fletcher-Munson Equal Loudness Contour that is more effective than the “Loudness” switches we had years ago without having to constantly adjust an equalizer…

[@AxiomHomeTheaters]

More sophisticated tools would certainly allow more freedom for fine adjustments, but that also might not be a good thing.

[@elvispresley3234]

I look at an eq like I do my tool box. It doesn't hurt to have it there (unhooked) if I need it. What I don't do is purchase ANYTHING that is remastered. I want what the artist approved regardless, then if I want to "remaster" it myself, I just eq it, which is rare. I could care less what others think. While they are running their mouth arguing, I'm sitting in my chair with an ice-cold glass of tea and relaxing. Great video sir, well balanced and humble. I'd salute you, but I'm busy eq'ing :))

[@DxModel219]

The big taboo is that you don’t use equalizers because you want to be as original as you can to the record producers intended it to be … but how do you know if the producers were any good? or if they just rushed the recording through skimping on engineers because they are already overbudget and the recording is like crap?! I’ve heard modern recordings where there were background noise or faded instrumentals or overbearing vocals… Modern recordings aren’t what they used to be. So many digital compressions and 3rd party editing now. I have a $30K system and when i slapped in a JVC vintage $80 equalizer it was just amazing… everything came alive. Now it makes me wonder if that $30K system was worth it when it took a $80 EQ to make it wake up hahha.

[@ignatiusb.samson977]

That is such a great point and one I was thinking as well. And I also totally agree that, with the addition of a good EQ, everything comes alive. If you don't think an EQ is a good idea, then use one and see if you still think that way. I have a $3K system and I would put it against practically any set up I've ever heard.

[@missaelbotello955]

As original as you can to the record producers intended it to be? I used to think that, until I realized the producers didn't listen to their mastering and recording process in my room! There's obviously huge differences in acoustics in a treated recording studio and my living room where I listen, so an eq helps me get a little bit closer to the original intention of the mix.

[@James-tf8vg]

Agree. Unless you have a good recording cd, u need an eq to boost the poorly produced cd. Back in 70s, n 80 s, l'm amazed how Warner n RCA vynils sounded so good. The bass n treble were so prominent n real. Just awesome

[@talkingwithcars]

I believe that EQ on a home theater system should be something that is discussed much more often and manufacturers should allow for much better sound control and ability to alter frequency settings. Everyone's listening characteristics are different and some tweaks need to be made in order to give that individual the best possible sound form your system. My Pioneer Elite SC receiver does give me the ability to play with the EQ (although minimal) it does help me create a better sound output (for me). My ears are not young anymore and I think the higher and lower ranges need a little boost :) Do you know of any really good EQ training videos for someone like myself and my system?

[@errolallen5007]

I’ve had an EQ since the 80s and just got another one to add to my hi end system and the audiophile community can do whatever they want I will😂😂😂😂😂

[@cruzingrsx4484]

I have the Marantz PM8006 which has tone control’s but I keep them flat unless it’s something that’s very poorly recorded

[@AxiomHomeTheaters]

Exactly, it's useful for poor recordings for sure.

[@dmunz7015]

Using EQ's for 35 years and don't plan to change, no smiley face presets here. I was in school bands from 4 - 12 grades, I know how live instruments sound and I adjust the EQ bands accordingly, to mimic the sound of live instruments. When using an EQ, it's about the sound of the individual instruments as opposed to the sound of the music/song.

[@jean-martingauthier5551]

My T + A amp has tone controls and loudness options. Mostly defeat them but sometimes use the tone controls with thin sounding music and loudness to listen at low volume.

[@AxiomHomeTheaters]

Exactly, with thin music tone controls can really make a difference. Thanks for commenting.

[@epg2501]

I have a hifi system and currently use a Schiit Lokius EQ after my phono preamp and really enjoy it. I use it very slightly and it just gives me that little extra I love. That being said, I've always loved tinkering. Also it could be system/speaker dependent as well...lots of factors. Boosting the 2k range very slightly helps give me some more boost to vocals to help them cut through a little more which is very nice. Currently eyeing their Loki Max and thinking of trying to run both my phono preamp as well as dac into that to see if I like it. I use all tube gear otherwise (preamp, phono preamp and NOS R2R tube dac) so I kind of tone control with tube rolling (use NOS Telefunken/Siemens/Mullard/TungSol tubes, etc). Anyways, fun to tinker and I'm not ashamed of not being a "purist" if I get a thrill out of a touch of EQ:)

[@jimf2084]

My reason for wanting to add an equalizer to my vintage system without any tone controls....my hearing isn't as good as it once was and I notice this only when listening to music. I want to boost the high end to compensate for hearing loss above 6K. Taboo or not, I'm just trying to get that full range back.

[@patrickverner7643]

In my multichannel home theater application, room correction EQ calibration works quite well. This has less to do with tone other than possibly LFE. That said, in my car I like to boost mid and lows to soften the highs as I find highs tiring which is bad when driving for long periods of time.

[@matthewmackinnon1953]

I was going to ask if room correction is just another form of equalization in it’s effectively adjusting the sound output from your source to the speakers to make corrections to what eventually your ears hear

[@AxiomHomeTheaters]

@Patrick Verner Good room correction should mainly impact the bass, and LFE, I agree. @matthew mackinnon It is, but it goes far deeper than just changing frequency response of the system.

[@matthewmackinnon1953]

@@AxiomHomeTheaters when dealing in the digital domain, you get to do much more than an old analog equalizer ever could. I remember my old pioneer that had a 5 band equalizer, and thinking to myself it’s so much more than treble and bass adjustments. I still remember a friends parent who had a 16 band equalizer. So what is room correction doing? Isn’t it like a 20,000 band equalizer in it can boost certain frequencies and reduce others to adjust for frequency nodes inside the room? I look at my Anthem room correction and it allows you to take frequency maps for multiple points inside the room, and then looks to average them out to get the best sound. As well, can do a custom correction for each speaker unlike the old eq that was a global change for everything. But in the end, we are dealing with adjusting a voltage send down a wire to make the coils inside each speaker driver move to make us pleasing sound.

[@AxiomHomeTheaters]

@@matthewmackinnon1953 This is very true…the options in the digital domain are nearly endless. Room correction certainly acts partially as a sophisticated EQ, but these systems can do much more. In the context of a multi-channel setup, other parameters including delays and phase correction can also be performed, sometimes at discrete frequencies. And yes, it is all about getting a pleasing sound from our setups!

[@theHeartlessNooB]

I recently broke out of the NO EQ dogma. Some records absolutely need EQ and no amount of room correction will fix them.

[@ignatiusb.samson977]

I couldn't agree more. I didn't use an EQ for 35 years, simply because no one else was using them. I couldn't have been more foolish.

[@BillGrady]

My speakers are more forgiving than my headphones. When I listen to my music collection over speakers, no tone controls at all. I can get it to sound right with just speaker placement and tuning my subwoofer crossover and levels. Headphones, however, will clearly show the differences between good and thin/dead recordings. Most of the time it's just right. But if a recording needs a low end boost, a couple db on the EQ (I have a Technics EQ that I bought in the 90's) and the recording is perfect. For a recording that sounds flat, a couple db at 6.3 Khz fixes it. EQ seems to be a better, and more enjoyable solution for my music collection.

[@AxiomHomeTheaters]

This is a very good point and something I didn’t consider. Headphones can sometimes make it easier to pick out flaws in a recording, so I can see how EQ can be beneficial in that environment.

[@frossbog]

Most records sound great as-is with the volume down, but IME when you turn up past a certain level, the vocals quickly get harsh. So when I want to crank it I turn on the EQ, which is set with a 2-3 dB cut in the 1K and 2K bands and a VERY small boost to the 40Hz and 80Hz bands. Never boost more than 2 dB. If you want to boost higher, cut everything else instead. If you've EQ'd correctly, the result will be quieter than with it off. But that's what your receiver's volume control is for.

[@michaeldl49]

What do you think about the effect of the listening room? What is the speakers' distance to you or the wall behind them? Lower frequencies can get trapped in parts of the room. Is there a lot of reverberation in the room. So many things can change the sound coming out of the speakers to your ears.

[@ignatiusb.samson977]

Absolutely not. I use a Marantz EQ-20 with a Marantz 2226B into a pair of Kenwood JL-630Ws and a Polk Audio Subwoofer. That EQ makes a HUGE difference. I don't give a single #@$% about tampering with the signal path. I want the sound to sound like I want it to. I would put my system up against others that cost 3 times as much. I also have my tape player running through a BSR 4000XR, which isn't as good as the EQ-20, but is still far and away better than the original signal. Both EQs have a defeater and you can hear clearly the massive difference in clarity and resolution. I was listening to The Talking Heads this morning and playing with the defeater, and there are elements you simply cannot hear in the un-equalized signal, particularly regarding the percussion. I'll never not use an EQ again.

[@SaintKines]

I'm not sure why, but almost every video I watch where you have somebody that doesn't use an EQ, they always seem to leave out the reason most guys I know use one. They all claim they use their EQ to adjust for what the room needs. You see, some audiofiles treat their room by arranging everything around their stereo and putting panels on walls. Other guys find this backwards and use an EQ to adjust for the room. This is never mentioned in any video where a guy who doesn't use EQs lists why you could maybe use an EQ. It makes me wonder if they are the weirdos or the people I know are.

[@elk3909]

i can't not use an eq.i want the sound to match and enhance the frequencies that i can hear.such as bringing up frequencies over 10k since our ears naturally block these out and same with below 40 hertz. i notch out from 60 hertz to 180 hertz since my ears are more sensitive to these.

[@garthreid7114]

It's the last Bastian of tactile rapid response integration before interactivity raised its ugly head with preset multiple button pushing options

[@alanderson4620]

I'm in the "it depends" camp. Some recordings sound great with no equalization - and sound worse when I try to get cute. Sometimes I use straight bass/treble, and sometime I use Yamaha's sound programs. That means I have something in the signal path (that I can shunt), so that's already a compromise; but I'm okay with that because I like options. And I confess as an audio child of the 70s I did have a graphic equalizer. And just like today, I had it all over the map, continually tweaking the sound. (My go-to was more of a McDonald's arch than the straight smile.)

[@AxiomHomeTheaters]

Sounds like the perfect balance (pun intended) for you to have the best of both worlds. Thanks for sharing how you have your set-up to listen both ways.

[@eugenejose9301]

i can't say if its taboo or not. because personally i listen to my music both ways. sometimes with and sometimes without , and i enjoy listening to both. Don't know if It's just me but given a song or any song, i enjoy listening to it both in it's pure essence and with some enhancements. So i can say yes! I definitely wan some sort of equalization and sometimes i'd prefer it pure without any alterations.

[@chinmeysway]

i use vintage set up but more modern speakers at least part time. a graphic EQ is a big part of that. the speakers i have are darker so it’s a great tool! boosting just 10k only on recievers doesn’t do enough. w other speakers that are bright tho i’ve found the EQ unnecessary

[@SdeGat]

I was about to say that I haven’t used EQ since the 80s but then I thought; what about DIRAC and YPAO (and the like)? Don’t they include fairly elaborate EQs to adjust the frequency response of the individual speakers?

[@c.zatara-673]

The thing about having an EQ (assuming you have a decent one): You can always bypass it with a turn of a switch and experience the "pure" signal. The CD or any audio source doesn't sound good? EQ your way back, man! Speakers vary, rooms have different sizes, everything changes. What's the "purest" experience? Reproducing a room the size and specifications of the studio a given song was recorded at? Are your speakers a closed system, or bass reflex? Are you listening to jazz, rock, samba? SO many variables make the discussion about EQs meaningless IMHO.

[@InspiredByBrad]

Can you please offer a suggestion on how to best implement EQ controls in a premium audiophile system that has the absolute least effect on sound quality? I was eyeballing the Helix Burr Brown DSP with optical input to keep all EQ in the digital domain, but am wondering if a premium analog EQ would be worse or better. My needs are such that I have some high frequency hearing loss and very flat sounding AKG headphones, and find a mild smile EQ curve to be perfect sounding, versus the mid-bass and mid-treble oriented tone controls on my receiver. On a side note, I’m using lossless Apple Music on my Mac, and found aftermarket Mac software EQ’s to add a slight but noticeable digital harshness in the highest treble, perhaps related to sampling/clocking? Thank you for all your knowledge sharings!

[@sudd3660]

i have discovered eq in the last 6 years, even the free option was a huge upgrade in sound quality overall. i am sure there is some degradations somewhere but i could not detect it. i am digital source only so it is much easier for me. right now i have a all digital dsp unit between source and dac's, and it does room correction duty, crossover between two subwoofers and main 2 way speakers plus delays where needed. could say that i have a 3way stereo system with seperate boxes. I do the parametric equalization by ear to sound even to my ears from listening position, main areas are lowering around 3khz as i find that region sharp and annoying, even tho it measured flat. And i have a rise in output at about 100hz to 15hz. i do not use more presets for different content, perhaps one for movies since LFE seems a bit on the low side. but for music, especially old albums i listen to them as they are, anything with too much bass or too low i skip to something better.

[@AxiomHomeTheaters]

Interesting to hear about your use of EQ, thank you for sharing with us!

[@vanderhoff66fu]

I have an Onkyo 5100 and if I leave it flat it sounds flat if I do some EQ presets to boost the treble mid-range and bass it sounds way better than the flat the flat sounds like a muddy mess

[@adamant3844]

I keep a Technics sh-8017 equalizer to enhance the sound of a Dolby B cassette deck only. Works well.

[@AxiomHomeTheaters]

That's a great use for an equalizer, thanks for sharing!

[@robertallain506]

I've owned a few equalizers but never found the results an improvement in my musical enjoyment. Fiddling with the frequency response forces you to concentrate on the process, looking for flaws in the system rather than actually listening to the music and enjoying the moment. Is it possible to have a speaker with fine detail that still sounds half decent with poor recordings or are those qualities mutually exclusive?

[@AxiomHomeTheaters]

This is a very good point…you tend to focus on what you’re trying to fix. A good, neutral speaker should not sound terrible with bad recordings…unless it’s truly awful!

[@howardskeivys4184]

I’m unquestionably a purest. That’s how I was indoctrinated into the audiophile world. I’m also a minimalist, a prime advocate of the signal path being kept as short and uncluttered as feasible. In recent years all my family have left home to start their own families. I’ve also become mortgage free. So, I’ve now got more disposable income than I’ve ever had. I’ve seriously upgraded my hi-fi. In so doing, I’ve rigidly adhered to my purest/minimalist principles. Well mastered/recorded music is reproduced beautifully by my upgraded hi-fi. Poorly mastered/recorded music sounds exactly that, poorly recorded, often unlistenable. So, I’m actually ashamed/embarrassed to admit, I’ve placed an order for an equaliser. It’s due to arrive at the dealer in around 6 weeks, so September 2024! I’ll let you know my verdict.

[@colbywallace111]

Hey Howard I just a/b a cd vs youtube music on my hifi system and I was shocked... the difference is extremely obvious. The clarity and dynamic range are strikingly different. Seems youtube uses a loudness flattening algorithm that probably keeps all content at roughly the same volume, but severely thins it. Just wondering what you're using to playback music?

[@howardskeivys4184]

@ my preferred playbac platform used to be vinyl. Via a Project Prospective turntable. I also embraced CDs. Unfortunately, a few years ago my complete vinyl collection was stolen when my house was burgled. I’ve still got that record deck, but I’ve not attempted to rebuild my vinyl collection. I have an extensive CD collection, but these days, the vast majority of my attentive listening is done by streaming, it’s just so damned convenient. When I 1st got into streaming I went mad and subscribed to all the major streaming services. Spotify, Amazan, Qobuz, Tidle, Apple, Disa Etc. Now, I just use Apple. It’s lossless, has an extensive library and is very competitively priced. Plus I’m an Apple man, well ensconced in the Apple echo system. You are right, KZbin playback is compressed. Fine for playback on your smart phone through entry level earbuds. But try and take it up to the next level and its shortfalls show themselves. Comparing lossless streaming to CD playback can be hazardous. You may think your comparing like for like, but frequently, radio, Cd and streaming versions of the same track are mastered differently. My best advice is:- if you get enjoyyment from music at the current quality of reproduction your equipment is providing, then settle at that level. If you step on the ladder of chasing perfection, you will never reach the top. Most of all, enjoy the music.

[@renewidauer8951]

I don't use tone controls, but my preamp does have Dirac room correction, that I would like to try.

[@AxiomHomeTheaters]

There is no harm in trying it and seeing how it compares to your current setup.

[@waldishotinfokiwi]

I use Sonarworks to find my rooms response, and then manualy adjust EQ curve to make it as flat as possible. Then I usually listen all songs 2 times - with EQ and in pure direct mode. Its double fun :)

[@AxiomHomeTheaters]

And which one do you normally think sounds better?

[@waldishotinfokiwi]

​@@AxiomHomeTheaters Pure direct mode almost allways sounds better. But I miss bass management.

[@AxiomHomeTheaters]

@@waldishotinfokiwi Yes, that’s a big disadvantage of some direct bypass functions, you lose all the bass management settings and adjustments.

[@trevornmartinmartin2756]

i love my eq

[@brendanlawton7518]

I used to do the EQ. smile as a kid. Often on a boom box was treble and mids. flat with bass maxed Now haven't played with EQ in years. Have lots of C.D.s only listen to on Headphones/IEM. My M80s rip them to shreds. I had no idea how bad lots of my old disks really were. Muddy, and a really oddly separated soundstage is common with lots of indie. Hiphop /Metal. Sort of like a miss layered 4 track or a cassette tape that had multiple recordings on it and each time it left the last uses in the background. Some are quite entertainingly odd at times.

[@AxiomHomeTheaters]

Yes, unfortunately there are many bad recordings out there, and that’s where EQ _might_ be able to help.

[@aquacamel]

As a fan of early 2nd wave black metal albums that sound like they were recorded on a potato by a potato, I'd be lost without an equaliser.

[@aarontharris]

What's wrong with tuning to taste? Everyone has different ears and different tonal rages that we respond to. Is it blasphemy to make minor tasteful adjustments even if it means its not true to the recording... I have a "dbx 215s" graphic equalizer plumbed into my system. I can bypass it or inline it. Sometimes I like to add a touch of color. Please don't shoot me audiofiles! :)

[@rinkrat06]

So the mcacc on my pioneer avr leave it alone?

[@corymarcotte5853]

Only one thought. Room control. It’s all and great if one has a dead room. But that’s not the norm.

[@MapRef.41degreesN93degrresW]

Frankly, I did not understand at all what the entire deal was with autoeq for so long it's kind of embarrassing. (and I've been using it for years).

[@KirillShutemov]

What about EQ for room correction?

[@AxiomHomeTheaters]

True, it’s another type of EQ. I’m not a fan unless it’s only for low frequency correction.

[@mikesaunders4694]

Press the loudness button and enjoy….I do.

[@davidhauseman9652]

I have a Rega Brio with the M5HPs…sometimes with older recordings I find they need a little help… looking at the Schitt Loki mini plus… anyone have experience with that unit.

[@AxiomHomeTheaters]

I don’t have any direct experience with the Loki Mini, but it does get good reviews from others.

[@Albee213]

I get tired of hearing "that was how it was intended to be listened to". No recording is perfect and sometimes the mastering is a mess. I have many albums that have very little bass, or the treble is rolled off. I try to keep the eq as flat as possible and boost or cut only as needed for my taste. In my experience with many CDs from the 80s they seem to be bass heavy, and treble is cut. When I add a little treble, they sound as good as the LP pressed at the same time. I believe that in the 80s they did flat transfers from the master tapes and they were eq'd for LP pressings that cut the bass and boosted the treble. You should adjust music to how you want to listen to it. We can go on all day about how it was meant to be heard but even that is an opinion. If you had the same engineer mix and album and then had him re-do it a few weeks later, it would sound different. Art is never finished, its only abandoned.

[@geoeira]

is this correct (?): EQ is a creative tool. It is for experimental use for artists that want to DELIBERATELY mess the sound. Or at least, fine tune sounds to their PERSONAL liking. EQ is not for "enhancing" the sound. It doesn't increase quality. It doesn't make you a professional.

[@aparise1]

I think if it sounds good to you...then by all means use one.

[@AxiomHomeTheaters]

Very well said, always go with what sounds good to you.

[@baronofgreymatter14]

What if you have high freq hearing loss?

[@poyocru]

One of the reasons for this it's a boomy too much bass in your setup

[@bb1televator]

There will even be modern video games that have very harsh voice over work and the sibilance is unbearable. And we’re talking about a game you have to sit through and listen to characters talk on and off for 20 hours or even hundreds of hours. Would be nice to have tone controls in such cases

[@philmorin4966]

To the musical "purists" who say tone control is taboo, I say BALDERDASH! We as listeners who generally pay for our choice of music should also have the liberty to adjust ours. I'm plugged into my favorite music on Spotify on my cellphone and those wired ear buds need bass boost, mid-range attenuation and high freqs adjustment which is provided by an EQ in Spotify. The concept is the same with at-home listening with high end speakers. G'head, adjust the recipe to your own tastes.

[@AxiomHomeTheaters]

Very well expressed, everyone should enjoy their own recipe.

[@lamptl3607]

I like tone control as an option to adjust different content. I may like to exaggerate the bass for pop music or science fiction movies. However, without tone control, an AVR will lose its attractiveness because the audience has no intervention or sound control. It is the equipment manufacturer's aim to make its equipment versatile to meet market needs. Maybe not all music audiences like to have one single knob of volume control at the amplifier with a perfect equalizer built in. Maybe tone control is a playing staff for some listeners like me.

[@AxiomHomeTheaters]

You make a good point, and fortunately there are still lots of options out there that offer tone controls or EQ for those that want them.

[@jonfoss3437]

If it is then dsp is taboo

[@randolphtucker1388]

Customize your music to your ears, like fingerprints everyone's earring,room, equipment is different. Don't listen to audiophiles.

[@jonfoss3437]

Then dsp is taboo

[@r.n6775]

I am an audiophile.. but the entire concept of buying/selling gear to eq your sound is ridiculous. I have friends that will do that and will say to me "I'd like to hear your system without the eq"... lol... it's ignorant, snobby, and annoying.

[@chadwichterman7572]

Flat?! SMH! i perfer the music being clear with some warth and good bass. Flat just sounds like shit. I don't h ave a graphic equalizer yet. I keep my bass all the way to the right and the treble half way towards the center from the right.

[@starlightgrecording559]

@starlightgrecording559 Axiom Audio*** Gerard Stroh*** I Been Playing With EQ's for About 50 Years and Lots of EQ's Were Noisy and You Cannot Do Much with A 3 or 5 Band EQ's!!! 2 Years Ago I Got 2 DBX DriveRack Pa2 and You Can Fine-Tune The Audio Stereo System and My Stereo System is A Multi-Channel Stereo PA system and I Don't Use A Smillely EQ Curved in My System infact I Have My Bass Pre-Set and If I Want More Loud Kicking Bass it is Not Easy Because it is All Pre-Set on to My DBX DriveRack and That Don't Mean I Have Bass Busted or Cut Down So What I Have is an Second DBX DriveRack Pa2 and I use One For My Main Speakers and I Use the Second DriveRack Pa2 For My Subwoofers and I Have A Big Mixer and If I Wan't To Have More Bass in My System I Turn Up The 2 Sub Groups on My Mixing Console to Add More Lows into my Audio System*** All From Gerard Stroh!!!!