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Are tone controls worth a second look ?


Are tone controls still prohibited from ''high end''audio?

Seems to me that with all of the advances in electronic design, they starting to make sense again.

In my humble opinion, tone controls are not unlike adding, or substracting sonic flavor to music reproduction. Like switching interconnects or speaker cables that will affect the sound in X or Y manner.

I am not reffering to a technical comparison between tone controls and cables, but rather that their effect could be similar. When you think of it, cables have their own colors. And we pay dearly for this without the opportunity of a ''tone defeat'' button.

What do you think?
sonicbeauty
rwwear
2,847 posts
 
I suppose tone controls can be helpful in certain situations. But they do add distortion and phase shift that room tuning and other tweeks don't.
onhwy61's avatar
onhwy61
5,137 posts
 
I have two quality systems and both have tone controls. The McIntosh C42 has an 8 band EQ. In the downstairs system the Drawmer D/A has a 4 band parametric EQ and a single band dynamic EQ. Basically the controls are set and forget, but they are engaged. What theoretical distortions they add are easily overridden by the tonal benefits they enable.
trelja
3,223 posts
 
I'm impressed, Onhwy61.

Thanks for the kind words guys! I myself had a Jadis Orchestra Reference with tone controls. It was kind of a bold move on the part of Jadis, but I can tell you I greatly appreciated having them onboard. Currently, I have a DA30 and DA60, and though I respect them immensely (the DA60 is about as good a high-end audio component as I've encountered), I do miss the tone controls. Almost all of the current Orchestra and Orchestra Reference variants brought into the North American market by the Jadis importer today lacks them, as he explained to me he's not a fan. What a shame...
rleff
1,065 posts
 
I think there is a place in audio for them as not everyones hearing is the same.
stewie
187 posts
 
The trouble with tone controls is that they're too pedestrian. First, the dial: stoves, irons, thermostats, washings machines--all have dials, and none of them are high end. Second, anyone can operate them: warm, hot, permanent press; hi, medium, low; bass, treble. Strike three: any fool can hear the difference: none of that "I just noticed a roll off at 3khz--I knew I should have cryo'd those Valhallas!"
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