Do some audiophiles really prefer flat frequency response?

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My take.

1. Most equalizers I’ve seen change the sound when set to flat/bypass. This observation is a negative to me.

2. Equalizers are supposed to by used to compensate for the room. If I had equipment to make room measurements then I might consider one, but probably would prefer to rely on room treatments and speaker placement like I do now.

3. My best gear does not have tone controls, not even a bypass switch. I just don’t miss them and prefer the equipment be designed with cost spent on better parts and less complexity.

4. Since I can tailor my sound with preamp tube selection, phono cartridge selection, etc, I don’t assume I am listening to a flat response just because I have no tone controls. Other components factor into the overall sound too.

Cheers!
 
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I can think of only one - D'Agostino.
Is that their flagship/ TOTL?

Tone Controls?
Just in case you missed it, the Momentum has tone controls: Bass and Treble. You remember those from the old days, don't you? Their range of adjustability is ±6dB, but the instruction manual doesn't provide a plot of their active bandwidths. Nonetheless, I attempted to repair the damage MoFi had done to The Beatles. When I reduced the bass by –3dB and the treble by –4dB, up (relatively) came the midrange, restoring much of the better tonal balance found on the original release. The midrange was still a bit thin, but overall, it made the boxed set far more listenable and truer to the original.

Mostly, though, I listened without using the tone controls, so rich, lush, and perfectly aggressive and edgy—when so required by the recording—was the sound of the D'Agostino Momentum. Analogue Productions' vinyl reissues of RCA Living Stereo recordings, mastered directly from the three-track tapes by Ryan K. Smith, revealed just how remarkable was the Momentum's sound—or the lack thereof.


In other words, bells and whistles, the fix was better media
 
Click the link I provided for the answer. Or, simply read the URL. :)
That site sucks, I could not find a line up of equipment ie: pecking order. Why the games I ask you a question, yes or no will be fine.

Is that supposed to be their TOTL flagship preamp?
 
Don’t get me wrong I am cool with how it looks! But our tiny house is industrial kinda steampunk mid century modern.

:beerchug:
 
2nd update: still weening myself off the loudness button as per this thread with good results. Definitely was missing some midrange with it engaged. Once I got over the diminished bass, it actually sounds quite pleasant and more balanced.
 
I read all about it. It's a steam-powered preamp.

Really, I'm sure the sound is great, but it's cosmetic design isn't my cuppa.
 
2nd update: still weening myself off the loudness button as per this thread with good results. Definitely was missing some midrange with it engaged. Once I got over the diminished bass, it actually sounds quite pleasant and more balanced.

Isn’t Kool Aid tasty :smoke:

:beerchug:
 
Did you say you have book shelf speakers? If so try them on the floor and make a triangle with them and your seating.

Despite my sig, I'm currently listening to BA A150s against the wall as recommended. My listening setup is really far from ideal, it's pretty much near-field with a big desk in the middle.
 
nce I got over the diminished bass

I will give you a bit of mine. Last thing I am tweaking, pretty sure it’s this loft floor, been getting better as I mess with “treatments”

Edit: but if the final fix with this set up is some knob twisting then I will hook the tone controls back up with more gooder pots.
 
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