The Equalizer

[mahler10th]

Well, most of us have Equalizers on our systems.  I don't equalise anything and usually try to leave things either off or on default.  Why is it that I should have to play with equaliser settings to get the best out of music which has already been pressed to CD with it's own native acoustics or pre-engineered by sound boffins?  If I want to hear the music as authentically as possible, where is the wisdom in using an equalizer?  And anyway, apart from that, what settings do you use and why?
I am an equalizer dafty.  

[springrite]

I don't use equalizers. I use the play button and the volume knob. That's about it.

[Bulldog]

Well, most of us have Equalizers on our systems.  I don't equalise anything and usually try to leave things either off or on default.  Why is it that I should have to play with equaliser settings to get the best out of music which has already been pressed to CD with it's own native acoustics or pre-engineered by sound boffins?  If I want to hear the music as authentically as possible, where is the wisdom in using an equalizer?  And anyway, apart from that, what settings do you use and why?

I use an equalizer to get the best out of the music; I simply want to maximize my enjoyment and don't accept the premise that the engineering has already accounted for my preferences.

I don't tend to use any particular settings; the whole field is available.  Also, I sometimes change settings from one track to the next.

[DavidRoss]

Well, most of us have Equalizers on our systems.

Really?  I don't even have tone controls on my present pre-amp, though the previous two had bass & treble plus a defeat switch to bypass the circuit.  I prefer a "straight wire with gain" to tweaking circuitry that could introduce distortion.  The system as a whole is pretty flat and clean, the main issue is a hump in the listening room reinforcing the midbass at around 60 Hz in my usual listening position, but I've tamed that enough that it's not an issue with most recordings.

[Herman]

Well, most of us have Equalizers on our systems.

Me neither.

[DavidW]

The equalizer is important due to room acoustics.  Destructive and constructive interference with multiple speakers, the walls and the furniture wreck the flat frequency response.  An equalizer can boost or reduce different frequencies to compensate for that.  The goal is to re-achieve flat frequency response again, i.e. compensate for room acoustics.

I think that for 5.1 surround (i.e. home theater) it's very important, while stereo setups you can simply sit in the sweet spot and it won't be that problematic.  I could be wrong.

But anyway there is no special universal settings, it depends on your setup, your room, your furniture.

[Bulldog]

But anyway there is no special universal settings, it depends on your setup, your room, your furniture.

And your ears.

[Todd]

None of my systems have equalizers, so I obviously don't use any equalization.  I see no reason to purposely distort the signal, though if people like the sound, then equalize away, I say.  There will never be any "correct" settings.

[karlhenning]

You gents are missing out on a golden opportunity.

Don't you realize that the systems with no equalizer are . . . part of a conspiracy?

[mahler10th]

Well, looks like I'm not alone leaving the equalizer alone.

[Herman]

You gents are missing out on a golden opportunity.

Don't you realize that the systems with no equalizer are . . . part of a conspiracy?

well, no. It's the other way around. The conspiracy is to get you to buy the equalizer with all the pretty buttons.

And then more speakerboxes!

[маразм1]

too many choices is not a good thing.  I use the same principle when playing electric guitar.  I do set up my sound, but do not own an EQ pedal.  I hate those amps that have 20 different levers -- I can never get a good tone on them!