How important is a flat response?

Of course equipment can influence response. Much of the peaking comes from the speakers, speaker-room interaction, and amp-speakers coupling (usually less so). You have good speakers.
Look into the room & speaker placement to reduce modes.
You want to trim the peaks. Leave the "valleys" alone for now:)
However, wait till you get your new amp, to see what's going on there.

It depends how important it is to you. Achieving flat response could be part of the learning process,and it is doubtlessy important.However, I do not think I would recognize it. I think I assign it importance because it is held as one of the markers of an accurate system and a pathway to fidelity. I value that very much, even if only in an ideal.And I would be pleased to be able to descern the difference, which perhaps I will someday. But as it stands, my system colors recordings unbelievably and I go happily along.I imagine the degree of its value to your listening would arrive with your exerience of it, so that you had some way to compare.

A judiciously treated room will transform your system from a "bar sound" to that of a "concert hall". It will not fix the response of a flawed component.

I would like to hear Rives Audio's input on this one!
Rives?...
Also, I know a little about at least seeing pictures of what room modes look like, and I have a question. if you use an equalizer to eliminate a frequency mode, does that remove the dip at that frequency? If so can't you simply remove all the bass modes with an equalizer, dips, peaks and all? I'd like an asnwer to this. Or, can you simply eliminate the peaks in a room with an equalizer, like the Rives PARC. Maybe I should email Rives myself.
Rives?...

Flat frequency response is only a portion of what we strive to achieve in a high linearity system. It is quite possible to achieve something that one finds to be "quite enjoyable" without being anywhere near "flat". This is where personal preference comes into play. Some people like a specific sound and tailor their system to achieve that whereas others want the system to try its' best at reproducing what is on the recording without introducing a lot of its' own colourations. This is the difference between a "music lover" and an "audiophile". Due to the amount of highly coloured speakers being marketed and devoured by consumers, i would say that most people, even many that consider themselves to be "audiophiles", fall more into the "music lover" camp. This is not meant to be a "put-down" to "music lovers", only to show that there is a difference. Sean
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