Should Equalizers make a comeback?

Aberyclar, I will answer your question with a question. Do you want to listen to music the way you want to listen to it or the way you think the engineer who cut the CD/Album want you to listen to it? I don't own an EQ but my choice is the first one. I like listening to music the way I want to listen to it. Sorry but I have tons of recordings (CD, LP, Digital downloads) that don't sound good. Years ago I visited Cello (Mark Levinson) and listen to some of my recordings though the Audio Palette. Man if I could have only been able to afford that thing!

I hate tone controls , but I like what they do .

Audioengr, thanks for the information about Amarra pro music software. It may may replace iTunes, I just hate paying for software.

Shadorne, I agree a 100 percent. A little goes a long way.

As I stated in another forum, I have not owned amplification equipment for well over 20 yrs that had either balance or tone controls. In my advancing years, though, my hearing accuity has deteriorated making it necessary to either start wearing hearing aids (I've tried this twice), buy amplification that does have these controls or add an equalizer. I don't like the aids and the amps I'm interested in don't have these controls, so I added EQ's which I know is an affront to the sensibilities of many audiophiles.

It's the best single choice I've made in quite a few years; I can now accommodate, at least to some extent, challenging listening room issues as well as correct for my hearing loss which mostly occurs above 3500Hz.

Relatively few of us hobbyists have ideally designed listening rooms and, with age, many of us will experience some level of hearing loss so, yes, IMO, the use of good EQ's is appropriate, even important, for some applications.

They already have. Well, at least in non high end audio circles. Except now they are digital not analog, done with software, not hardware and bundled into various devices.

For example My desktop PC has more elaborate equalization and sound processing functionality built into its software than most people have ever owned.

Digital changes the game when it comes to potential for signal processing applications, good old fashioned equalization being just one of the more recognizable ones. When applied appropriately and done well, it should be all up side and virtually no down. Its like the ultimate Swiss Army knife for audio. Could greatly reduce the need for other kinds of tweaks that audiophiles are historically fond of, if properly mastered.