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The use of equipment as "tone controls"

Several times in my Audiogon reading and posting over the last couple of years, I've noticed this or that contributor commenting along the lines of: "You shouldn't use your amp/cables/cartridge/whatever as a tone control."

I assume what this is supposed to mean is that there is some absolutely correct sound out there, and we ought not have audio equipment of any kind that deviates from that absolutely correct sound.

I might be able to buy into this if we were listening to live instruments (although their sound is, of course, affected by the space in which they are played, the position of the listener, etc., so is not itself "absolute"). But we're not listening to live music. We're listening to recordings. There are microphones, cables, recording equipment, mastering equipment, storage medium, etc, all of which come between us and the original sound--not to mention the taste and perception of the engineers, producers, etc. In that sense, what we hear coming out of our speakers is all illusion, anyway. And the illusion comes in quite a few "flavors." On one system I had, Bill Evans at the Village Vanguard sounded like he was in my living room. But Leonard Bernstein conducting the NY Phil in the early 60's was so shrill it made me run screaming from the room. In my current system, Bill Evans doesn't sound as "right there" as he used to (now I'm a few of rows back, yet still quite happy), but Leonard Bernstein doesn't make my ears bleed, either.

How did I work that? I experimented with different equipment. I used the equipment as "tone controls" (I guess). It's all respectible equipment: ARC, VTL, BAT, Cardas, etc. Maybe it reduced the "accuracy" of the reproduction of Bill Evans, but it increased the "accuracy" of the reproduction of Leonard Bernstein. Maybe. But who knows for sure?

We all tailor the sound of our systems to suit our preferences. What's wrong with that? And, most equipment has it's own sound character. That seems like a good thing, to me. It allows us to tailor our sound.

Now what we REALLY need is a good set of tone controls on our fancy pre-amps, so we can really tailor our sound!

Food for comment?
eweedhome
wireless200
415 posts
 
A classic trap most of us fall in to when auditioning new components

It's how Pepsi won the "Pepsi Challenge" and caused the New Coke debacle. Pepsi is sweeter than Coke. They were legimately winning the "sip" test because the normal person will pick a sweeter taste over less sweet. In the panic the Pepsi challenge caused, what Coke executives didn't realize is customers drink a whole coke - not one sip. After they made New Coke sweeter than classic Coke people didn't like it. The rest is history.

I chaulk up many of the systems I've owned to that mistake. They sound "incredibly detailed" with "high resolution" and with great bass, the whole nine yards. But drink in a whole CD and they weren't so sweet.
shadorne's avatar
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shadorne
7,333 posts
 
Wireless200,

That was a really great analogy - thanks!

The whole idea of the "BBC Dip" or "scooped" midrange sound of most hi-fi speakers is in order to make a pleasant sound that sells in a taste test. The truth is that it really does sell better.

Same as small ported speakers with poor transient reponse and an overall tendency towards one note bass.

In an A/B it is hard to appreciate that this pleasant coloration will effect your entire experience - everything you play - everything overly sweet and with an emphasis round one note in the bass.

I am one of those who prefer the old Coke.

I also need to drink wine with a meal before I am fully convinced that I like it. Preferably a full bottle ;-)
nilthepill
842 posts
 
Agree. SWEET analogy;-)
nickword
49 posts
 
Anything by Behringer makes Radio Shack gear look like high end audio.
phd
1,008 posts
 
I used to think that tone controls were for people who had an inferior audio system but there are some pieces out there that incorporate them that don't degrade the signal since by design they (the tone controls) are truly out of the signal path till they are engaged or set to 0db. There is nothing wrong with their use if you feel they improve what your listening to. Certain types of music can actually benefit from them. On critical listening & by engaging them you will lose some detail & transparency however life is full of compromises.

Upfront I am guilty of combining different equipment & cabling like many others trying to get a desired outcome, sounds spendy? Change one piece of gear & you might easily find yourself back on the merry-go-round looking for the perfect match. Some will look at this as a labor of love, others will view the search as I should of left well enough alone. My opinion is do what turns you on because you have to please yourself in the end. Don't let people push you into what they consider acceptable high end gear because who else would know better what sounds good working with your particular room, speakers, source and your tastes in music.
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