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Transparent Pre amps?

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Posted on March 30, 2015 at 14:17:45
SkippyG22@yahoo.com
Audiophile

Posts: 18
Location: California
Joined: March 30, 2015
Hello everyone,

It seems I've been incorrect in thinking audiophile meant only that you have nice equipment. It seems there's more to it than that. Back in the day when my dad spent thousands of dollars on a system (Carver CT-17, TFM-25, fancy vacuum tube CD player and tape deck, Kef towers and eventually that crazy little Sunfire dual 10" sub followed by more Kef, more Carver amps, B&K Ref 20 followed by a Ref 30. I always noticed everything was set flat for tone controls and wandered why all his music sounded like it had no heart untill movies brought that sub to life. With a little reluctance when I was grown, I was allowed to "borrow" the CT-17 and liberate it from my parents house. I went on to build a kind of vintage system of my own(his pre-amp, Carver M-200t and Paradigm 5se mk1. I loved my little system. Dynamically I think it put those Kef's to shame. Treble always set 66-75%, midrange a smidge less than 50% and the base 75%. Loudness never used but SonicHolography always on. I made one mention of leaving the with the wife and our little boy on the way and I was made to trade for the B&K Ref 20. I think yay, newer older tech. I set it all up at home and not one mention of tonal control in the manual. I call the support number only to find out that there isn't any. The guy on the phone tells me that most hi end pre amp/receivers don't come with that option, it's supposed to be supposed to be tranparent. You hear it as the artist/ engineer/ producer intended. I love bass (not excessive, but I wanna hear it all. I cut a sub cabinet on my CNC at work, painted it gloss black, tuned it 22hz and threw in my beloved 12" Eclipse (TC9) powered by a Crown pro audio amp. I would just prefer to hear my music the way I want to, not necessarilly the way someone else forces me to. Who makes something that sold for that high a price that you cannot truly make your own? Is this what it is to be an audiophile? Help me to understand.

 

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The Answer, posted on March 30, 2015 at 15:14:44
E-Stat
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Joined: May 12, 2000
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April 5, 2002
Who makes something that sold for that high a price that you cannot truly make your own? Is this what it is to be an audiophile? Help me to understand.

is called an "equalizer" that allows you to adjust tonal quality however you please. Many of us, however, have sufficiently neutral systems and don't find the need for such a device.

 

Maybe "neutral" system, seldom neutral ROOM...NT, posted on March 30, 2015 at 18:26:18
Coner
Audiophile

Posts: 3703
Location: S.W. Washington state, USA
Joined: November 17, 2001
.

 

RE: Maybe "neutral" system, seldom neutral ROOM...NT, posted on March 30, 2015 at 21:53:39
SkippyG22@yahoo.com
Audiophile

Posts: 18
Location: California
Joined: March 30, 2015
I replied to the post a couple of hours ago but, didn't see it. Let's try again. I called my dad and had a little talk about the lack of tonal control. He purshased that preamp in 99' knowing he was just going to listen to it as pure as possible. As far as equalizers, I know they exist, I had stand alones in my fancy overpriced and overpowered car stereos that had to fight with interiors. I just assumed at this preamps price point, it would all make into one box. Anyway, I listened to it all day and I am not disapointed. I will try it out for a while, I will be adding an Art Clean Box to account for the discrepancy between the out voltage (unbalanced) and my crown (balanced). Thanks and sorry for the rant.

 

I prefer using room treatments, posted on March 31, 2015 at 06:16:17
E-Stat
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for addressing that issue.

 

If you have a PC based source,, posted on March 31, 2015 at 06:44:13
G Squared
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Posts: 8491
Location: Washington, DC Metro Area
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  Since:
May 23, 2023
you can use parametric EQ plug ins. They work well and are very flexible.

or you can buy on of these fun to play with babies:
Gsquared

 

RE: Transparent Pre amps?, posted on March 31, 2015 at 07:03:19
fantja
Audiophile

Posts: 15524
Location: Alabama
Joined: September 11, 2010
Welcome! Skippy.

 

RE: If you have a PC based source,, posted on March 31, 2015 at 07:49:10
SkippyG22@yahoo.com
Audiophile

Posts: 18
Location: California
Joined: March 30, 2015
Wow! That thing is quite substantial. Too bad I have no more room.

 

RE: I prefer using room treatments, posted on March 31, 2015 at 09:06:19
Coner
Audiophile

Posts: 3703
Location: S.W. Washington state, USA
Joined: November 17, 2001
That would be best, if WAF issues not in the way, among
other factors...but I keep an EQ handy at all times!.

 

Hence, posted on March 31, 2015 at 09:19:15
E-Stat
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...but I keep an EQ handy at all times!.

my suggestion to the OP.

I use the built in parametric EQ in the HT's processor for taming a room mode using 3 db attenuation in two bands centered around 90-105 hz.

 

RE: Hence, posted on March 31, 2015 at 09:26:13
SkippyG22@yahoo.com
Audiophile

Posts: 18
Location: California
Joined: March 30, 2015
Ah, I'll the manual that came in the box, thanks for the idea.

 

The SYSTEM includes the room, most do - nt, posted on March 31, 2015 at 10:32:09
AbeCollins
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.

 

RE: If you have a PC based source,, posted on March 31, 2015 at 10:34:36
AbeCollins
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I rarely use EQ except at very low listening levels at night when I bring up the bass response in software.









 

RE: If you have a PC based source,, posted on April 1, 2015 at 12:58:29
jazzcan
Audiophile

Posts: 68
Location: Canada
Joined: June 9, 2003
I'm PC Based and I've been using a 1973 Stillwell app. for many years. However, I don't really change the levels all that often (unless something is really recorded poorly), so really I'm compensating for room issues.

http://www.stillwellaudio.com/plugins/1973-2/

 

RE: Hence, posted on April 2, 2015 at 07:17:06
SkippyG22@yahoo.com
Audiophile

Posts: 18
Location: California
Joined: March 30, 2015
Ah, I'll the manual that came in the box, thanks for the idea.

 

RE: Hence, posted on April 2, 2015 at 14:01:29
SkippyG22@yahoo.com
Audiophile

Posts: 18
Location: California
Joined: March 30, 2015
Oh, now I get it, took my 22" tall speakers off the bookshelf stands they were never intended for and on the floor for now. Haven't heard the Nut Cracker suite like this since hearing it live, absolutely no sub needed. Will likely find stands that take them a little off the floor.

 

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