Eating McIntosh crow - mm good

[richieb]

When a great price turned into a good price after needing to tune up Mc

separates C26/2505, and then I wasn't too thrilled with the sound, I

was a bit bummed. Man have they grown on me. You MUST use the 26

tone controls to fine tune for just right sound. I have never

been a fan of tone controls, usually preferring integrateds with

volume only, straight in, straight out. When dialed in and using

the variable loudness control properly this set-up really shines

with Belles. Huge soundstage, deep controlled bass (yeah with Belles)

precise, non-fatiging highs. The loudness control seems to act much

like variable feedback or focus control on a tube amp. On some

settings there is a bit more hiss than I prefer but on the whole this

is a great sounding rig. My apologies to McIntosh Labs. Now I wonder,

how will much more expensive Mc's sound?!

Rich

[jt1stcav]

There has to be a good reason why McIntosh continues to add advanced tone controls to some of their preamps...I assume they feel that straight wire with gain is not always the best way to go, and I applaud them for their continued use of these now unpopular controls to aid in the result of better sound. Their more traditional, yet sophisticated approach to high-end audio is what seems to attract many audiophiles from the other elite, minimalist camp IMO...works for me!

[Gilbert]

I use to think tone controls were a must (essential, even) to getting the absolute best music from any pre. Then I bought a Blueberry, and the rest is history.

[scott0527]

How do you like those Big Blue Meters? If you don't have tubes glowing, Mac blue meters are the next best thing!

[chops]

About 6-8 years ago when I bought my first DD receiver (h/k AVR55), my first REAL pair of speakers (Maggie MGLR-1) and had them paired up with a Carver TFM-35x (350W @ 4 ohms) and a Klipsch 18" pro driver powered by a Carver Pro PM-700 amp (700W @ 8 ohm mono), everyone said you couldn't/shouldn't use an EQ or tone controls with movies because the boosted signals could overload the preamp section with the dynamics of DVDs.

Well, from then on, I never used EQs or tone controls again.

After looking back and remembering the highly inferior equipment and speakers I had before then (all hand-me-downs), I can clearly understand the need for tone controls and EQs. But I soon realised that once you have good equipment and good speakers, you don't need to alter the sound with tone controls and EQs.

If I can't get speakers to sound the way I expect them to in my room, then I get rid of them and find something else that does work. Unfortunately, it took me all these last 6-8 years to realise that I already had them... The Cornwalls! Sure, they don't put out the lowest bass, but I'm sure as heck not going to throw an EQ into the mix and jack the bass control on my receiver way up to try and get them to do something they can't. That's what subwoofers are for.

For me, the only way to go is no EQ and all tone controls bypassed.

BTW, my current system is the best sounding out of all of the different variations I've had over the years.

Just my 2 pennies. []

[Allan Songer]

After looking back and remembering the highly inferior equipment and speakers I had before then (all hand-me-downs), I can clearly understand the need for tone controls and EQs. But I soon realised that once you have good equipment and good speakers, you don't need to alter the sound with tone controls and EQs.

Don't ever try to play 78s without tone controls--or any other non-RIAA curve record.

I actually play 78s at least 5-6 times a year--sometimes for an entire weekend--without tone controls I'd be sunk.

[whell]

You spend a fortune on equipment, swapping components and speakers in and out until you think you've got the sound just the way you like it. Then, you do something mundane, like move furniture or move your equipment to another room, and it sounds like cr@p. Maybe the answer isn't turning over the equipment and speakers again, and spending another fortune. Maybe its doing something simple, like turning the bass knob a couple of clicks.

[jpm]

The purists will be here shortly to spank you for uttering such blasphemy.

Your gear is crap if cluttered with any tone control. Get with it, man!

[chops]

You spend a fortune on equipment, swapping components and speakers in and out until you think you've got the sound just the way you like it. Then, you do something mundane, like move furniture or move your equipment to another room, and it sounds like cr@p. Maybe the answer isn't turning over the equipment and speakers again, and spending another fortune. Maybe its doing something simple, like turning the bass knob a couple of clicks.

Most "bass knobs" are centered around 100Hz, maybe 75Hz. How is that going to improve the sound?! Maybe to the untrained ear it sounds good, but not to my ears. But anyway...

Besides, you missed my point. Once you have decent equipment and loudspeakers, they will sound good in any room. Some will be better than others of course, but all it takes is proper speaker placement and simple room treatments which can do wonders to the sound, without tone controls and EQs.