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Tone controls -- assuming you're ok with them, when would you try them?

So, I'm learning and experimenting w/ speaker/sub placement. I've had some success. Presently using my old Adcom GTP-400 preamp (treble, bass, and loudness/contour controls). It's likely my next amps won't have tone controls (nor balance). 

Beyond compensating for old/bad recordings, I realize there is, nevertheless, a standing debate whether tone controls are worth the (likely) sound degradation. Imagine that debate was settled and tone controls were deemed worthwhile, overall. IF you'll stipulate to all that, my question is this:

QUESTION: If the sound is not right in your room, and you've placed speakers as best you can, what do you try next? At what point do you go for tone controls?

Perhaps some just go for tone controls from the get-go…happy to hear from you all, too.

FWIW, I saw this nice list from @erik_squires on this topic:   
erik_squires8,293 posts
08-19-2017 11:06am
Tone controls help us compensate for differences in recording trends across decades of recordings.
Tone controls help us adjust our sound quality to different listening situations and volumes.
Tone controls help us adjust for speaker placement.
Tone controls are much cheaper and more efficient way of doing this than most other solutions.
A good tone control is a lot easier to implement than a good equalizer. Fewer bands so more affordable to use high quality parts.

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decooney
2,183 posts
 
@erik_squires 
...Meaning, it's' good to set up your system so that it's in the middle of the lane for the music you listen to, at the volumes you listen to. If you like rock or heavy metal, get speakers for that, instead of buying neutral and jacking up the bass and treble. 

But, once you know where the middle of the road is, your tone controls act as subtle adjustments. Also, tone controls can be lifestyle tools. :) Need to keep the speakers too close to the rear wall? Turn the bass down. 

+1, good advice.  

And, I was anti-tone controls for decades until I heard some really good preamps/integrated amps with them.

A good friend and total tube nut with several custom built boutique tube preamps recently picked up a nice tube preamp with quality tone controls.  He absolutely loves it.  He uses it for (-1) tuning of high frequencies (mainly for streamed content) when listening to older/bad recordings of tracks he enjoys listening to.  Says it expanded his listening library. "can listen to anything now".  

Now it's his favorite preamp in his tube preamp collection.  
d2girls's avatar
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d2girls
1,029 posts
 
I'm about to receive ownership of a C53 solid state stereo preamp next week and it has many knobs on the front for 9 band EQ.
erik_squires
16,377 posts
 
Hey @d2girls weren't you about to buy an Accuphase??
millercarbon's avatar
millercarbon
12,531 posts
 
QUESTION: If the sound is not right in your room, and you've placed speakers as best you can, what do you try next? At what point do you go for tone controls? 

There is no point at which you go for tone controls.
vegasears
1,173 posts
 
I have tone controls on my pre-amp, don't use them.  I use the digital equalizer in iTunes for a few great performances that were poorly recorded.  I look at the subject of tone controls pretty simple, It's my music, I paid for it and I'll listen to it any darn way I want.

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