tone controls

[zombie boy 2000]

quick question --
i've read alot about setting the tone controls to neutral (makes sense, i'll experiment)
my HK 240 has the option of either setting the bass and treble to 0 (in stereo mode) or turning off the DSP all-together (again, in stereo), thus bypassing all tone control -- is there any difference?
thanks :p
fyi - i'm using analogs from the dvd player, but have a digital coax

[F1nut]

Real stereos don't need no stinkin' tone controls.

To answer your question, when bypassing all the tone controls, you get a cleaner signal.

[RuSsMaN]

The HK probably isn't bypassing anything. Ruler flat is where you need to be, regardless. In the 'old' days, some manufacturers, Luxman for example, had a 'CD DIRECT' button, which actually did re-route the circuit - so it never hit the tone pots.

They chose to call it 'cd direct', because that magic 5 inch disc was the latest tech with it's associated d/a converters - and it gave the end user the option to REALLY hear what (different) cd players were, or were not doing.

Tone controls are a bandaid, on a bigger audio issue. They can be a crutch too. I've been there. I can remember running the bass hot, treble hot, loudness contour engaged AND a 10 band EQ in the prototypical 'V' through the tape monitor. I had to ween myself from it, even at a time where I didn't have decent equipment. I'm not proud of it, but I can relate.

Now, on the Legacy Classics for example, I can't imagine having a loudness contour - I'd knock the sheetrock off the walls, the speakers would fart like Reeltrouble at a buffet, and my audio days would be DONE.

Once you've got proper hifi, you soon forget about all those extra knobs, switches, and DSP modes. An old timer on these boards once told me 'The more bells and whistles, lights and buzzers, the worse the peice will sound'. Words to live and die by for audio.

Cheers,
Russ

[zombie boy 2000]

great info russman -- this is real good stuff
F1 -- agree whole-heartedly
the reason i mentioned that i have both analog and digital cables is because the HK can shut off it's DSP when analogs are used, but not with digital cables
in other words, when in stereo mode w/ analogs -- i can set the bass and treble to 0 (flat) or i can turn off the tone controls all-together by turning off the dsp
is there a difference?

[PolkThug]

i can set the bass and treble to 0 (flat) or i can turn off the tone controls all-together by turning off the dsp
is there a difference?

Can you hear a difference?

[RuSsMaN]

Or better yet, can he provide a graph proving he can hear a difference, right?