Schiit Loki Max?

I am pretty in the same boat as you and i concur with the way you express it about EQ...

Just a correction about "timbre" which is not only tonal balance or spectral envelope but also "Time envelope" and onset of the sound etc to described it briefly :

From wiki ...

1. Range between tonal and noiselike character
2. Spectral envelope
3. Time envelope in terms of rise, duration, and decay (ADSR, which stands for "attack, decay, sustain, release")
4. Changes both of spectral envelope (formant-glide) and fundamental frequency (micro-intonation)
5. Prefix, or onset of a sound, quite dissimilar to the ensuing lasting vibration

Then the timbre experience to be set rightin a room or in headphone  ask for more acoustic factors to work with than just tonal balance ...

One view -- the one I hold -- is that some kind of rather precise, fixed EQ will be needed to make many systems sound the most natural. Certainly in the bass, and sometimes higher up to correct quirks of the loudspeakers or headphones.

THEN, one has to deal with the different approaches taken in producing different recordings. Some producers will use EQ or microphones that do not sound accurate. In many cases, broadband EQ like the early Cello devices and the new Schiit ones will be able to make substantial improvements.

One could call the first kind of EQ timbre correction and the second kind tonal-balance correction without objection from me. Still, if one is wrong, the other will be wrong, almost by definition, since timbre is largely the balance of harmonics, i.e., tonal balance in some sense. That is to me not worth much discussion, being mainly semantics. My main point is that pinpoint EQ and broadband EQ are two different items and for two different purposes.

I have had MY LOKI Max for about a year and I must say I could not do without it in my system. I have space limitations in my room, which cause me to locate my bookshelf speakers close to the rear wall. What I like most about the Loki, is it seems to change more the characteristic of the speaker then the sound. Someone ask about transparency. Absolutely to my ears it is. I have remove it dozens of times from my Pass 250 and I can not detect any difference in or out. I have my room treated so I don’t need to use it often, but it sure is handy when I need it. Most of the time is just a very small adjustment here or there. Nothing like adjusting from a chair. I did use a black magic marker to color the notches on the knobs, to heal me see. It’s a bit pricey, but if somehow it stopped working I would immediately get another if it was not repairable. 

@dwest1023 

"it seems to change more the characteristic of the speaker than the sound"

Which characteristic(s) ???

@mahgister 

I appreciate you taking the time to offer a more detailed explanation of timbre and for clarifying the distinction between pinpoint and broadband EQ. 

I have all three Loki. Lokies? The three band got relegated to the garage system pretty quickly. The Lokius is better but is now in the studio. The Max is a keeper - more bands yield a narrower Q, plus the memory and the ability to switch it in and out from "the seat." I haven't used it a lot because my purchase was looking toward modification of certain recordings, not speakers or the room. Were I to complain I would mention it gets warmer than I expected, give it clearance.

For ref my system is  Gato pre, Rose 150b, Marantz SACD, Michell and Pro-Ject TTs, Lounge Audio and Vincent TT pre, Perreaux R350, Martin Logan Expression 13a and various subs. Aside from the usual piano and female vocals I like nylon stringed guitar for comparisons.