ARCHIVED FORUM -- March 2012 to February 2022READ ONLY FORUM
This is the second Archived Forum which was active between 1st March 2012 and 23rd February 2022
If you look at what you got in the way of controls with older B&O equipment you usually got treble and bass filters, plus a loudness control for upping the bass when playing at low volumes. All reflecting the preferences and perceptions of human hearing.
These days there is a trend to listen to music just as it has been recorded or broadcast, with high-end audio systems often having no means of adjusting treble and bass unless some third party software is added.
Non- classical music tends now to be recorded with a heavy bass, and is listened to through devices like headphones and mobile phones that themselves just add an uncontrolled bass emphasis. Just look at the comments in other threads about the Lumigon T2 phone or the Beoplay H6 headphones. When this extra uncontrolled bass is not present many users criticise the product.
Am I alone in wanting flat/ neutral outputs so that I can adjust the treble and bass to suit my own preferences?
If you compare the audio and video threads on this forum there seems to be a general preference for having too much and fixed bass in audio, but to avoid fixed picture settings on TVs. Do we all just adjust to what the manufacturers give us and then make false comparisons?
Graham
Your not the only one who find recordings sound muddy, clipped and lack punch.
There are 2 types of music fans in the world, those who can hear the effects of the ‘loudness war’, and those who can’t. The majority don’t care about it or think it just sounds great. Labels and artist feel they have to crush their music onto CD at the highest possible level to be competitive, but in this process it removes all contrast , shade, light and depth, thus ruining the sound. Its all very pointless.
Glad to find you in the group that likes a good dynamic record.
I try to choose very carefully my music and avoid records who are recorded at the digital maximum ‘ceiling’ level. I’m using some instruments for it, as the TT Dynamic Range meter as a first step, and keep the records who had a overall measurement of DR10 to 14.
Also using a Dirac IRC filter with my player, to optimize my sound system and correct the coloration from walls and surfaces in my room.
Its not always easy to find good records…
"Believe nothing you read and only half of what you see, let your ears tell you the truth."
Well, one quick point, the "Loudness" button also increases treble, but not as much as bass, in line with the Fletcher Munsen curves of human hearing response as it varies with level.
But that nit aside, I'm right with you that the so called "purist" approach of no tone controls is useless. It's OK I guess if all you listen to is a handful of very well recorded audiophile discs, but even then room issues can make it suboptimal. And if you listen to the wider variety of recorded music the ability to vary the tonal palette is important. Also, again right on that too many recordings are done poorly, loudness wars, etc.
You can go overboard though and wind up with too many controls, living with a 10 or even 30 band equalizer can drive you nuts if you use it to vary the settings for every recording. There's such a thing as too much choice which leaves you spending more time playing with the EQ device than listening to music. In iTunes I guess you could play this game, as you can assign an EQ setting to each song, but that's limited I believe to their precanned settings and not truly customizable.
I've always found that for the vast majority of recordings the bass and treble controls on my bs9000 worked very well to trim up a bad recording and improve it. And the additional benefit is they are adjustable from my listening chair via the remote, and you can see the setting on the display (if your eyes are good enough!).
Jeff
I'm afraid I'm recovering from the BeoVirus.
even 50 years ago I thought the whole chain of tweaking was amusing / suspect
every engineer and listener competing against one another to try to get back to the true source sound
the only control I use - and then only rarely is LOUDNESS
ell at ht's partially true
I also use volume a lot
I did recently try the iPhone equaliser given how many here have mentioned it
I very quickly retreated to the default setting
I search for natural sounding recordings and believe that B&O is the right set up for them
one reason I like classical and jazz with female vocalists
BTW I have been invited to one of those LINN events ... that will be an interesting experience
BeoNut since '75
I can advice anyone, who are interested in 'the sound issue', to read the Articles of Geoff Martin on his blog.
You might, not only get more sensible on what sound in general is, but you also might also learn how they work with sound at B&O.
And you can learn which options, you - as an enduser - could have with the new 'Audio Engine' (working in the newer BV's).
If you haven't already read them, try these two::
http://www.tonmeister.ca/wordpress/2014/06/07/bo-tech-what-is-loudness/
http://www.tonmeister.ca/wordpress/2014/06/23/bo-tech-listening-tips-tricks/
MM
There is a tv - and there is a BV
elephant:even 50 years ago I thought the whole chain of tweaking was amusing / suspect every engineer and listener competing against one another to try to get back to the true source sound the only control I use - and then only rarely is LOUDNESS ell at ht's partially true I also use volume a lot I did recently try the iPhone equaliser given how many here have mentioned it I very quickly retreated to the default setting I search for natural sounding recordings and believe that B&O is the right set up for them one reason I like classical and jazz with female vocalists BTW I have been invited to one of those LINN events ... that will be an interesting experience The Essence of B&O is discretion in design and life
Beosound Stage, Beovision 8-40, Beolit 20, Beosound Explore.