Vacuum tubed tone control???

Bojack, you are correct. It is the Behringer T1951 Tube Ultra-Q. Parametic EQ with adjustable tube 'warmth' using 12ax7's. Not in the league with hi-end, but around $150 or less, won't hurt to experiment. I have one and would be glad to answer any questions.

Also, isn't the Musical Fidelity X-10D just a tube buffer, with no tone controls?

Tvad, I recently retubed a McIntosh MR71 fm tuner. It takes fourteen tubes in all. Most of the tubes that I rolled into the MR71 are Telefunken with a few Amperex in the mix. I'm amazed at the sound that I'm getting. It's the most musical component that I've heard. I thought that introducing a tubed equalizer into the audio chain might bring some of that musicality to the cd player as well. I really don't want an equalizer as much as I just want to add some NOS tubes to the chain. Stan

why not have a technician create an r-c circuit that will enable you to attenuate the treble frequencies, i.e., generally starting as low as 3000 hz ?

i have had personal experience with such a device.

there is no accounting for personal taste.

I'm not criticizing your choices at all. I just can't comprehend inserting a device to change the sound of your $10,000 preamp, $10,000 CD player and $18,000 amplifiers, which were presumably purchased for their sonic purity (and musicality), and which now it seems you now want to degrade.

I have heard the ARC Ref 3, Pass 600.5, Eggleston Andra II and Meitner CD system in different systems, so I believe I can imagine generally the sound you have at the moment. The Andra II are very musical loudspeakers. The ARC is a very natural sounding preamp. The Meitner and Pass Labs gear are very accurate and neutral components.

IMO, you cannot achieve the musicality you seek without degrading the signal and losing resolution to some degree. Musicality lies on a continuum between uber-resolution (which you now have), and sonic muddiness.

If you want more musical sounding CD playback, try a $500 Paradisea DAC and run your CDSA into the Paradisea.

This is one nutty hobby.

Why is anybody taking this post seriously? It's clearly a joke! I have $40k plus in equipment, but I'm looking to add some NOS flavored musicality -- GIVE ME A BREAK. He's jerking our collective audiophile chain.