Do some audiophiles really prefer flat frequency response?

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It depends on how many cold beers really. I find my system starts to sound really nice but too quiet after a beer or three. After that I find I need a logarithmic increase in volume dependent with my alcohol intake.

Yes indeed! Funny how you need it louder as the night wears on.

As long as the beer itself isn't flat. :cool:

That would be a tragedy.
 
It’s funny what passes for knowledge.....

It’s about what people can hear, or what they need to hear. Perspective based upon objectivity is a lost art...
 
How is the engineer supposed to know what you want to hear?

They don't - and that's where EQing can help. How effectively depends upon where the "problems" lie.

If, for example the engineer applied too much bass, that situation can be improved upon. While less than perfect, it's still better than nothing. OTOH, if the problem is due poor microphone placement - probably not so much EQ is going to accomplish there.

Maybe you should write them when they are mastering an album.:biggrin:

Believe me - there are plenty who I'd be more than happy to critique based on their output.
 
I’m actually surprised....

People think that no matter what equipment the engineers used, no matter the personal equipment used for playback it should all sound the same if recorded correctly and if using no tonal adjustments. You have many brands of equipment with a house sound that creates a distinct sound then many people mix the pieces from multiple manufacturers combining the house sounds. As if there is no contribution to the sound from the circuitry at all.

Then to top it off everyone’s experiences would be the same based upon that fallacy. Our individual brain chemistry can’t even interpret sound the same. But somehow we can all hear exactly what the engineers intent was when the music was being mastered ??? Then somehow using equipment of differing quality with no adjustments should be made because it changes the way the song originally sounded.

I have news for you...no ones equipment can duplicate the sound from the recording studio...

But there are many people here that have to think that their equipment has to create the same sound that the engineers were listening to when they created a master tape...

As if.......

Assumes facts not in evidence. Personally, I don't use tone controls, but I suffer no such delusions. I simply prefer not to use them; I don't claim that makes my system more accurate, or more anything, compared to others, including whatever the engineers used. Those who set up with calibrated mics and room treatments have a greater likelihood of claiming accuracy - whatever that means. For me, it is more about not wanting or needing to fiddle with tone controls, then resetting them for the next recording, or whatever. Basically, I don't use them because I'm just too damn lazy, I guess. I just try to put together systems I like with remote control of power on/off, source selection, and volume.

Nor do I believe that most fellow enthusiasts believe as you wrote. I give 'em more credit than that.
 
Assumes facts not in evidence. Personally, I don't use tone controls, but I suffer no such delusions. I simply prefer not to use them; I don't claim that makes my system more accurate, or more anything, compared to others, including whatever the engineers used. Those who set up with calibrated mics and room treatments have a greater likelihood of claiming accuracy - whatever that means. For me, it is more about not wanting or needing to fiddle with tone controls, then resetting them for the next recording, or whatever. Basically, I don't use them because I'm just too damn lazy, I guess. I just try to put together systems I like with remote control of power on/off, source selection, and volume.

Nor do I believe that most fellow enthusiasts believe as you wrote. I give 'em more credit than that.

I’m just as lazy ‘cept my EQ has programmable settings and a remote....
 
Never believe generalizations. However, I used to play with "the knobs", until I started buying gear and testing it all. I guess in order to use a reference point I always set to flat. This way the sound is coming through as unaltered as possible, and therefore reflects the unit itself. This doesn't mean I wont get knob crazy. I recently bought a pair of Klipsch Heresy's and hooked them to my best sounding receiver, my Denon DRA 635. From using the Denon on flat, I know what IT SHOULD sound like. At first I thought the Klipsch's were broken, so sharp and bright and shitty bass. I tweaked the "knobs" until I got a sound I liked. After a few days I ran some rope chaulk to seal the back panel and put the Heresy's on the floor. What a difference!! I tuned the Denon back to flat and Voila!, great sound!..... So for me, it's about "How things sound"... and flat gives a reference you can rely on.....
 
Never believe generalizations. However, I used to play with "the knobs", until I started buying gear and testing it all. I guess in order to use a reference point I always set to flat. This way the sound is coming through as unaltered as possible, and therefore reflects the unit itself. This doesn't mean I wont get knob crazy. I recently bought a pair of Klipsch Heresy's and hooked them to my best sounding receiver, my Denon DRA 635. From using the Denon on flat, I know what IT SHOULD sound like. At first I thought the Klipsch's were broken, so sharp and bright and shitty bass. I tweaked the "knobs" until I got a sound I liked. After a few days I ran some rope chaulk to seal the back panel and put the Heresy's on the floor. What a difference!! I tuned the Denon back to flat and Voila!, great sound!..... So for me, it's about "How things sound"... and flat gives a reference you can rely on.....
You can make them sound even better by ditching the solid state receiver and hooking them up to a decent tube amplifier. :beatnik:
 
I've been listening tonight without loudness and minimal EQ and I admit there is more midrange. Hard to get the dynamics at reasonable levels though.
 
You can make them sound even better by ditching the solid state receiver and hooking them up to a decent tube amplifier. :beatnik:

Or even a decent pre + power amp. The combination of Schiit Saga + darTZeel NHB-108 copy seems to trump any tube or SS integrated amp I've ever heard. Very tube like despite being solid state ;)
 
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