Nor would the fact that they were necessary be true. I think it is a plus that equalizers like that have fallen out of favor. The digital correction we have today is much better.
The digital correction may be better these days, but the dwelling architecture and interior decor trends are the pits. Back then, the EQ was more for recording variables than room acoustic issues. In all but dedicated theater or sound rooms these days, general living space sound systems start out as a train wreck that manual EQ could never touch.
Graphic EQ in the older living spaces I tend to historically choose, was always around flat with a slight boost in (more of a frown) the mids, provided the system had enough headroom across the board. It's still similar with modern speakers but mostly flat with the highs ticked down. A friend who insisted on letting him try to enact the auto room correction on my receiver, was surprised it had pretty much inflicted the same result, more or less. Only difference was that I had the subs a little hot, and that was for the older recordings I was listening to at the time, washed out (likely so it would all fit on vinyl) bass.
Tone controls and manual EQ still work for 2 channel music, at least for those with a lot of practice using them. Most people who were heavy into music from the '70s on in our group, were into it enough to make it a topic of discussion and there were always pretty much unanimous agreement with regard to adjustments made during group sessions that could last for days when a new record came out.
These days, people don't want to make their own coffee or cook their own meals, never mind being tasked with spontaneously and selectively EQ'ng their music on the fly. Heaven forbid, we ever disagree with the so-called, perfected technology.
