Tone controls- to use or not?

Shadorne - all the sliders on those mixing tables are most likely level control. There are also, as far as I know, Equalizers but extremely expensive (for a reason). Typical tone controls in home amps use pots with very poor matching.

As for not caring by the artists about sound - many of them have their personal sound engineers for recording that replace one in studio wherever they're recording. Home system should replicate exactly what was recorded and not to improve it. Fixing shortcomings of the system or the room with tone control is a bad idea.

One more thing. Equalizers used in recording studio adjust each individual microphone/instrument BEFORE mix. They don't equalize mixed stereo image. Correct me if I'm wrong (any sound engineers here?).

Mr K- You are correct that each channel on a typical mixing board has it's own EQ. Used correctly, these can be adjusted to convey that instrument or vocalist with as natural a presentation as possible. There are also "pan" controls that can move the performers/vocalists around the sound stage at the technician's(or the artist's) whim. The entire mix is generally adjusted for balance, loudness and EQ'd(often distorted) during the "Mastering" process(nowdays mostly utilizing computerized digital editors). Then too- You almost never get back what you send to the people that produce and press the records or CD's(those guys love their compressors/limiters). My personal philosophy has always been, "Less is Better!" with regard to signal manipulation. To me the best results are always accomplished with a really good setup in the studio, and as little after-tweeking as possible.

hi rodman99999:

there is no definitive definition of audiophile. there are many definitions. it's all subjective. "supposed to be" is but an opinion, since it is neither true nor false.

your idea of sonic degredation may be someone's audio nirvana, which follows from the adage "one person's trash is another person's treasure".

i will admit that using tone controls by definition alters the signal and creates inaccuracy. that's another issue.

even if your hypothesis is: accuracy is the hallmark of a high quality stereo system, it is but one of many methods for assessing the merits of stereo systems.

hi kijanki:

not altering the signal is but one method of configuring a stereo system. this is not a definitive approach for listening to music in the home. it is your opinion.
i disagree. one should do to the recording whatever is pleasurable to the listener.

again, the goal of accuracy is one of many purposes of a stereo system. it is better not to dictate what others should be doing with their stereo system.

accuracy is a criterion for evaluating stereo systems. however, it is arbitrary and not the sole means of doing so.