C45, 500, 1000 question

[Alberto]

Originally Posted by gregswaim

Alberto: A lot of music is currently being remastered in the digital and analog domains which will eliminate the need for expensive EQ gear. I'm currently in the process of replacing a few recordings in both CD and vinyl with better remastered copies. You might want to check into that as a possible option.

Thanks Greg. I have looking into, and purchased, several remasters, but they can be a mixed bag. A lot of songs on Led Zeppelin's Mothership, for example, are remastered with considerably more compression than older issues. I read an interview in Hifi News (or HiFi+, or some other Brit magazine) where the mastering engineers actually acknowledged that they added compression because "... that's the sound most people prefer these days ...".

In either case, while I appreciate that some people like their music "straight", I know - for sure - that I sometimes prefer some of my music with a judicious dash of EQ. Considering that the mastering engineers have different electronics, different speakers, a VERY different room and VERY different ears, I am not sure I am hearing what they or the artists intended anyway. I actually think that some of them would be horrified, but not necessarily surprised, of what some of their records sound like in some high-end system.

As for the phase and other issues introduced by some mild tone controls, they are minimal compared to other EQ that happens during the recording and playback. Have you looked at the RIAA EQ curve that's used before and after (in reverse of course) in vinyl recording and playback:



That's one heck of an EQ, innit?

On top of that, there are phase shifts introduced by crossovers and huge frequency response and phase anomalies introduced by your room. When you also take into account all the messing around with the sound that happens with your typical recording (I am not including audiophile-class recordings with minimal miking and mixing), what we do to the sound with a few dbs of EQ at home is nothing.

Alberto

[gregswaim]

Originally Posted by Alberto

Thanks Greg. I have looking into, and purchased, several remasters, but they can be a mixed bag. A lot of songs on Led Zeppelin's Mothership, for example, are remastered with considerably more compression than older issues. I read an interview in Hifi News (or HiFi+, or some other Brit magazine) where the mastering engineers actually acknowledged that they added compression because "... that's the sound most people prefer these days ...".

In either case, while I appreciate that some people like their music "straight", I know - for sure - that I sometimes prefer some of my music with a judicious dash of EQ. Considering that the mastering engineers have different electronics, different speakers, a VERY different room and VERY different ears, I am not sure I am hearing what they or the artists intended anyway. I actually think that some of them would be horrified, but not necessarily surprised, of what some of their records sound like in some high-end system.

As for the phase and other issues introduced by some mild tone controls, they are minimal compared to other EQ that happens during the recording and playback. Have you looked at the RIAA EQ curve that's used before and after (in reverse of course) in vinyl recording and playback:



That's one heck of an EQ, innit?

On top of that, there are phase shifts introduced by crossovers and huge frequency response and phase anomalies introduced by your room. When you also take into account all the messing around with the sound that happens with your typical recording (I am not including audiophile-class recordings with minimal miking and mixing), what we do to the sound with a few dbs of EQ at home is nothing.

Alberto

I totally agree with you on Led Zeppelin "Mothership". I bought this box set last week.The last time that I bought a new Led Zeppelin was in 1978! The songs from Zep 1 + 2 on "Mothership" are not a improvement( sorry Steve Hoffman) and I'd recommend getting the latest CD remasters of Zep 1+2 -they are better than the original LP's. I know this because I owned both and purchased them new back in 1969/1970.
As for the rest of "Mothership", there's a marginal improvement in sound. The Zep LP's from Zep lll and up sounded terrible anyway so any improvement is a good thing. I really like Zeppelin's music, too bad most of it was recorded so poorly.

[woodlander]

I do not, at present , have anything connected to the loop. I have had an EQ in the past, but I did not like the sound. I am shopping for something that will work better.

If only McIntosh had seen fit to make the built-in EQ full range so it would be possible to compensate for poorly-engineered CDs, I wouldn't need an external unit.

[Supercronopio]

nothing in the loop.

[Jerome W]

Originally Posted by jdandy

Ron-C.......I am not using the processor loop on my C1000P.

Neither do I Ron. But who knows, if Mc comes out with a great EQ not costing a fortune....

[Alex F.]

I wish the MA6500 I use in one of our systems had a remote-controlled processor loop. I would then insert one of my Audio Control EQs, which would do a much better job than the 6500's bass control in reducing the room's single, narrow-band bass peak, which is a problem on some recordings.

[Jean-Marc jmajma]

No processor in the loop . As for Jérôme, if Mc makes it, I'd surely be interested to buy it.

[Ron-C]

Maybe not the most popular feature now a days..

Thanks,
Ron-C

[Masterlu]

Welcome to AA Alex F.

[jdandy]

Ron-C.......Is this your feeler gauge? McIntosh considering dropping the processor loop feature?