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Where do you run your tone controls?


mr clean

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Looking at the frequency response of a loudspeaker only gives part of the story. A phase response plot is necessary to properly tune a speaker system. The phase response should approximate a straight line, usually with a downward tilt. Phase is generally controlled by the type of crossover, the slope of the crossover, delays, and EQ. If the system is using a digital loudspeaker processor that has FIR capabilities, the phase can be made flat. If you know what you are doing, of course.

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5 minutes ago, wdecho said:

Most tone controls are made around the 5532 chip that sells for $1.00 or chips like it. Why spend $5000 or more on an amplifier and put a equalizer in the equation that is full of cheap chips that robs the life of music.

 

I agree. If you would like, I could sell you some for $20 each, you know, to keep them dam cheap parts out of the equation.:D

 

The 5532 audio op-amp has been around for a while, is actually pretty good, and is used in many audio products. I think there are some newer low gain audio op-amps on the market, but they aren't expensive either.

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27 minutes ago, wdecho said:

One could use tone controls to lower or raise the treble on either of these amps but at a cost of quality of sound. 

 

EQing a non minimum phase event can adversely affect the sound. Also, the typical tone control has too broad of a range, in most cases, to bandaid an amplifier's frequency response.

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I have been evaluating mine for about three years now which are set to zero at the present time. My latest observations are that with the treble increased (my hearing) the bass seems to be reduced, not electronically but by my ears. This phenomena baffles me to no end at the present time. There must be some kind of quantum scientific name for this. I like a huge amount of bass and a huge amount of treble. This is in the standard 7.1 music mode and not PLC II. I also find that now I like monaural better than stereo because it's much easier to listen too. The PLC II seems to do this but it really cuts into the treble.

JJK

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Had a set of JBL JRX 215 (yeah, yeah, I know) in my bedroom and used a DBX 231 Equalizer to flatten the frequency response of said speakers as a base line. And then adjusted by ear for room correction. Result was outstanding. Components were a Shanling CD T80 and NAD 320BEE. Kimber RCA and Monster 1/4 inch interconnects and AudioQuest speaker cables. So yes, I like it ruler flat. Big difference from when I was a teenager though and put two smiley faces on my 12 Band Technics equalizer. Yes, Technics. Back in the 80s when they were AWESOME. 

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With the same room and gear, one pair of speakers can sound dull and lifeless, and another pair can sound bright and fatiguing (I have personal experience with this).

 

This makes it difficult to understand the room’s and electronics’ contribution to the tonal balance.  This could send one down the “try this, try that” rabbit hole.

 

For the folks that have found "your" perfect tonal balance without use of tone controls/EQ - did you have to go through multiple electronics/speaker/room treatment iterations, or did you just get lucky? :)

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3 hours ago, derrickdj1 said:

You will burn thru a lot of gear shooting for luck.  Find someone to help you take some measurement of the room like frequency response, reverb and bass decay.  The room can be 50 % of what you are hearing and changing the other 50% .may not get you there.

If that was in response to my post above, my question was for the folks who do not use tone controls and EQ, but achieve their perfect tonal balance.  I wonder how many of them measured their room characteristics, then somehow choose the perfect speakers to complement the room.  I would guess not many.  

 

I can say that in my main system, I must be on the lucky side, because I feel that the tonal balance is very good without EQ or tone controls.  It's the RF-7 II in the secondary system that need some treble reduction to sound balanced.  I totally get what you are saying, and have been half-temped to buy a mic and download REW for the fun of it.  It would be very interesting to correlate in-room frequency response to perception of tonal balance across several speakers.  My reservation is that my somewhat OCD nature might send me in several new directions to fix the "flaws" in the REW plots, even if I felt the speaker had good tonal balance without EQ.  :)

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I use my tone controls all the time. Usually up a few ticks on the bass when listening to rap or hip-hop, and down on the bass for Norah Jones and Tracy Chapman etc.. I would suggest if you have them, use them and adjust them to what sounds best to your ears... not to what others say to do ( flat, off, or pancake ).. All music is recorded differently. If flat sounds best (and sometimes it does), then go with it.. if minor adjustments on your tone controls sound better to your ears, then dont let others tell you they don't.

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On my RP 260Fs with Onkyo TX RZ810 all my music is played in Pure Direct mode. My room is about one or two db hot in the 4 to 7khz area due to tile flooring, glass coffee table and glass sliding doors. Only noticable on some violin passages with classical music. Didn't notice this in the carpeted show room where I auditioned them. So I'm blaming the room for now. Otherwise sounds very balanced with all other music and movies which I also play in Pure Direct. As most people here have stated room modes and reflections have a huge impact on sound. I'm going to buy another Klipsch home theater for my other place and will try a Denon receiver and see how it affects the sound. Had a NAD and B&W sysytem that sounded great flat. The key is auditioning plenty of systems and combinations before you buy. 

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