Novice Question.

[ski2xblack]

Don't mind me, just gryping about the path the industry followed, seemingly in disregard to basic realities. All my rigs have at least one flavor or another of eq that I use for loudness compensation. Most of my listening is done at way below reference levels, so I can't live without it.

Another part that I often forget about is the source recording. Some of them just suck and I have to remember that isn't the fault of my system

Indeed. A good system will get out of the way of the music. Your rig is so good that it will get completely out of the way of whatever is on the source material, exposing all it's glory, or faults as the case may be. Many recordings leave a lot to be desired. (This is further justification for an equalizer/tone controls.)

I may be a stubborn old fool, but at least I'm in good company. Toole himself endorses eq/tone controls, and also criticizes their absence on modern kit.

 

[Gio-G]

Don't mind me, just gryping about the path the industry followed, seemingly in disregard to basic realities. All my rigs have at least one flavor or another of eq that I use for loudness compensation. Most of my listening is done at way below reference levels, so I can't live without it.


Indeed. A good system will get out of the way of the music. Your rig is so good that it will get completely out of the way of whatever is on the source material, exposing all it's glory, or faults as the case may be. Many recordings leave a lot to be desired. (This is further justification for an equalizer/tone controls.)

I may be a stubborn old fool, but at least I'm in good company. Toole himself endorses eq/tone controls, and also criticizes their absence on modern kit.

I'm right there with you!

I'm stuck with my stuff because I like it but I know very well there are better or at least equal things out there for less $$. Stubborn is probably part of it, and laziness too.

And the joys of a total poop recording do really come to life. Not lately, but very early on in my system building phase I was questioning if I made good choices. As it turned out a lot of my early CDs were overly compressed and poorly recorded hard rock hits and the like so my playback was not good.

Luckily I didn't voice that at an audio dealership or I'd probably have 22K worth of cables here to "equalize" my sound.

Off to a party for the night.

Stay in touch!

 

[m. zillch]

lpf= low pass filter. hpf= high pass filter.

Speaking of which, I hate that terminology everyone uses. When we talk about filtering something aren't we usually talking about what they filter out? Not what they fail to filter out?

I have no problem with "low-cut filter", of course, because that's what it does.

 

[lovinthehd]

Speaking of which, I hate that terminology everyone uses. When we talk about filtering something aren't we usually talking about what they filter out? Not what they fail to filter out?

I have no problem with "low-cut filter", of course, because that's what it does.

One term for looking at it from one direction, and another term for a different view. I usually call a low cut filter simply the high pass filter it is

 

[m. zillch]

One term for looking at it from one direction, and another term for a different view. I usually call a low cut filter simply the high pass filter it is

I guess using this methodology we should call IR and UV filters for camera lenses "visible light pass filters".

 

[m. zillch]

I may be a stubborn old fool, but at least I'm in good company. Toole himself endorses eq/tone controls, and also criticizes their absence on modern kit.

When I hear the snobby audiophiles ramble on about how they prefer a "purist" signal with no stages of EQ I love breaking it to them that their precious format, vinyl, is heavily dependent on using EQ [specifically RIAA]. First they have a blank stare like a deer in headlights, then they start shaking, and finally their head explodes!

 

[lovinthehd]

I guess using this methodology we should call IR and UV filters for camera lenses "visible light pass filters".

Not a camera guy, but that doesn't sound right.

 

[m. zillch]

Q. What does a filter do?
A. It filters.
Q. Multiple choice: What does this verb "filter" mean?

A. to allow something to pass through
B. to filter , um, block or remove something

I prefer B.

 

[Nondemo01]

Don't mind me, just gryping about the path the industry followed, seemingly in disregard to basic realities. All my rigs have at least one flavor or another of eq that I use for loudness compensation. Most of my listening is done at way below reference levels, so I can't live without it.


Indeed. A good system will get out of the way of the music. Your rig is so good that it will get completely out of the way of whatever is on the source material, exposing all it's glory, or faults as the case may be. Many recordings leave a lot to be desired. (This is further justification for an equalizer/tone controls.)

I may be a stubborn old fool, but at least I'm in good company. Toole himself endorses eq/tone controls, and also criticizes their absence on modern kit.

+1 for bringing back tone/EQ controls! Sometimes, I want warm mellow, other times I want clinical - all without having to swap out a speaker cable. (Joking.)

The 5 band EQ was one of the deciding factors behind my purchase of the McIntosh MA352. (other than the cool blue meters and tube lights that is...)