2. amps-preamps
  3. 175792-134479

I miss my Loudness Button and Tone Controls....

So I recently upgraded my system to a Rogue Audio Sphinx integrated amplifier, V2.

Prior to this purchase I was using a NAD C162 preamp, and an Emotive UA-200 amplifier.

After a month of listening, I have to say, I miss the tone controls and the loudness feature on the old NAD pre-amp, especially when listening at lower volumes. The Rogue amp sounds great when played at a minimum of 50% of its output, but at lower volumes, it just seems flat. I do use a sub (SVS SB-2000 pro, and I'm using a very efficient speaker (Zu Audio DW's).

I've toyed with the idea of buying an EQ of some sort that has a bypass so that I can boost some of the frequencies when listening at lower volumes, and then bypass when I listening at higher volumes.

Any thoughts on this? Anyone experience anything similar? I'm about to pack and sell the Rogue amp, as the cons outweigh the pros for me.

 

 

barkeyzee1
mwinkc
367 posts
 

I’ve had Maggies for most of the last 40+ years.

All that time I HAD to have bass & treble controls to compensate for lower level listening.

Last year I had to downsize and after shoehorning my 5½ foot tall speakers into the smaller room, I finally came to the heartbreaking conclusion that it was time to sell the Maggies.

I bought a pair of Kef R300’s. Not the most efficient speaker in the world but way more efficient than the Maggies had been. I also got a Parasound NewClassic 200 Integrated amp. It was represented as being accurate and musical, plus it had my precious bass, treble and even sub level controls...all of which could be adjust via remote from the listening position.

I don’t know if it’s the sensitivity or the Coax drivers, but I haven’t used any of the tone controls since getting the room set up for the last year...I just run the controls flat and it sounds great.

Sure, I miss the humongous sound stage of the Maggies, the the Kefs hold their own and the sound at lower volumes is excellent.

Zu’s are very sensitive, yet your not having good luck...so maybe it’s not the sensitivity that is helping me out here. I haven’t listened to Zu’s so I have no idea how they are voiced.

clearthinker's avatar
clearthinker
1,582 posts
 

Tone controls are good for two things:

Fixing room anomalies.   Second best to fixing the anomalies.

Letting you play record producer.  Probably only for kids.

jimijam
53 posts
 

I have a Technics SH 8020 EQ love it  great old school

vanson1
126 posts
 

I use BW speakers and they sound wonderful at any volume. 

treblebob
13 posts
 

X2 with older ears and hearing changes.

barkeyzee1, do you use a digital streamer?  Some of them have ways of implementing tone controls and even some sub crossover stuff.  The Bluesound Node 2i has these- just have to toggle them on.  I currently have a Peachtree Nova 300 and it lacks tone controls.  My next rig will have them.  Need the price of Luxman to come down...  ha

How are you liking the Zu DW's???  They are on my short list.  

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