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Tone controls- to use or not?

Thanks to years of playing in bands, and more recently working in a noisy environment, I've come to the sad realisation that my 40-year old ears no longer have their original upper frequency response. Adding a bit of "treble" on my amp's tone controls helps, but I'm normally loathe to use these controls.

Should I be looking at changing my setup to incorporate "brighter" sounding components, or is adding a little treble with the tone controls legitimate?

My system is a Cambridge 640C player, NAD c720 stereo receiver (based on c320 amp) and B&W DM602 speakers, Monster cable IC's and heavy guage "Kordz" (Australian) copper speaker wires.
carl109

Showing 1 response by carl109

carl109 OP
134 posts
 
Thanks for the replies. I guess as we age we have to make the best of what hearing we have left!
For me the tone controls are a double-egded sword. If I add a little treble, the top-end opens up nicely, but when I use the tone bypass switch, the overall sound is better in terms of clarity and soundstage.

Would the component to change be the amp? I'm led to believe NAD amps are generally warmer sounding, and perhaps I should audition a Cambridge or Marantz?
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