Whatever happened to Grapic EQs on stereo receivers? (high end, monitor, sounds)

[Drover]

Not so much a "computer" question but there's no general Electronics forum and this was the closest I could find.

So anyway, what happened to graphic equalizers on stereo receivers? I miss being able to fine-tune the sound output. With everything now back to a "treble" knob and "bass" knob I feel like we've gone back to the 1970s.

[Bo]

Too many controls for modern tastes, I imagine. It seems like the trend in radio interfaces is to put every control related to sound, besides volume, in a menu.

[mensaguy]

I think an graphic EQ is more "stuff" than most people are willing to pay extra to have in their rig.

Of course, I have two graphic equalizers set up a separate components in my rigs.

[Drover]

Originally Posted by Saul1957

Dedicated stereo receivers and graphic equalizers? So 70's. A Google search shows lots of places that are selling those antiques.

I prefer the equalizer displayed on my 25" computer monitor (plus I have the ability to pull in stereo broadcasts from all over the world via the 'net).

Right. So then what do you use to power your home theater system? Or do you even have one?

[hoffdano]

I think there are several factors at play.

First of all, the high end audio companies preferred NO tone controls of any type. Some of the most respected and best sounding equipment have just an input selector, a volume control, and a balance control. The fewer circuits in the path, the better the sound. This happened long before home theater.

Most of the people I know/knew with graphic equalizers had horrible sounding audio systems. They often shoved the bass levels up near the max, boosted treble, and either left the mid alone or pushed it down. The result was an exagerrated sound that had no accuracy at all. It amazed me that these people liked the sound.

Home theater changed almost everything with no less than five speakers. You would need EQ for five channels. There isn't room on a front panel or remote for that without using a menu. Now some A/V receivers use the calibration microphone and perform automated EQ, primarily to adjust the sound for the room.

With good speakers, I find no need at all for an equalizer. At most a slight "tilt" for bass and/or treble is all that should be required. I do not want that much circuitry, analog or digital, in the signal path.

[hoffdano]

Originally Posted by Saul1957

Dedicated stereo receivers and graphic equalizers? So 70's. A Google search shows lots of places that are selling those antiques.

I prefer the equalizer displayed on my 25" computer monitor (plus I have the ability to pull in stereo broadcasts from all over the world via the 'net).

You can still buy new stereo receivers from a number of companies such as Denon, Onkyo, and Yamaha. Lots of stereo separates (preamps and power amps) and integrated amplifiers. But not so many EQ units.

[sunsprit]

As a fan of C-J, ARC, Linn, and similar equipment ... I never had a use for "graphic equalizers". An on-off switch, signal source selector, and no tone controls whatsoever were the hallmark of this equipment.

I've never heard a sound system that benefitted from having a graphic equalizer except to distort the musicality of a performance.

I've seen a lot of Soundcraftsman and similar gear in use, and for acoustic music ... IMO, they suck. But the owners are happy with all of the electronic noise that they produce from the "music" of their choices.

My friends in the audio retailing biz regarded the equalizers as "bells and whistles" which went a long way toward making sales with unknowledgeable consumers. More buttons, more dials, more "stuff" to play with on the face of the units made one piece of gear "better" than another ... but not necesarily any improvement in the sound reproduction, musicality, staging, image, etc.

[irman]

Comments inserted

Originally Posted by sunsprit

I've never heard a sound system that benefitted from having a graphic equalizer except to distort the musicality of a performance.

I often attend *live performance* concerts, in my case NOT the popular NOISE producing events.
Since I do that rather often, I think I have some idea what *live music* sounds like.
We also have an *above average* Piano (Schimmel, which we tune twice a year), and we all pay rather well,
so I do know what a piano should sound like when you sit right next to it.

At home, I have a medium rated system, (aka average cost hi-fi),
and found that leaving the bass and treble knob at the halfway mark,
is the most natural sound I like to listen to.

So no need for an *equaliser*.


I've seen a lot of Soundcraftsman and similar gear in use, and for acoustic music ... IMO, they suck. But the owners are happy with all of the electronic noise that they produce from the "music" of their choices.

How many *listeners* of that kind of music are really Music Buffs ??

My friends in the audio retailing biz regarded the equalizers as "bells and whistles" which went a long way toward making sales with unknowledgeable consumers. More buttons, more dials, more "stuff" to play with on the face of the units made one piece of gear "better" than another ... but not necesarily any improvement in the sound reproduction, musicality, staging, image, etc.

Sales gimmicks ? If it works to sell more stuff, then that is all it is/was.

[PanTerra]

Originally Posted by Drover

Not so much a "computer" question but there's no general Electronics forum and this was the closest I could find.

I have seen a few stereo related threads in the hobbies and recreation forum.

So anyway, what happened to graphic equalizers on stereo receivers? I miss being able to fine-tune the sound output. With everything now back to a "treble" knob and "bass" knob I feel like we've gone back to the 1970s.

Those cheesy 5 or 7 band graphic equilizers integrated into the receivers on those big box 'rack' systems that I saw sold in the 80s, were as others have stated, more bells and whistles than anything else, even though they were functional. When GEs were sold with speakers, as in the Blose 901 speakers, they were needed because the speakers alone sounded horrible, revealing the huge shortcomings of the speakers. I have an ADCOM system from the mid 80s, that while there are tone controls, there is the option of bypassing that entire circuit. In fact, if your speakers are good enough, and you don't have any radical room effects to worry about, GEs are completely superfluous, as you want to run your system flat (FR) because your speakers are so good and don't need it. GEs have their place in PRO-Audio setups used in clubs, concert halls, and other large venues. I suppose that the desire for a home audio system to be thought of as better than my neighbors' is that it looks so pro with a GE, so it's got to be better. Pro is better than amateur, right?

[irman]

One more question about graphic equalisers.
Do those people in cars with those enormous bass producing speakers in their trunk, or wherever, use graphic equalisers ?

Speaking about *bass* sound.
We have a three year old grandson who seems to be interested in music more that the rest of the grand kids,
simply because he is always *tingle-tangling* on our piano.
When he listens to music on our *music system*, (he knows how to turn it on, and we let him),
he always turns up the individual knob on the woofer, to all the way up for more bass sound.
When we turn it back down, he comes right over and turns it back up ...
I hope he does not grow up like those people in the cars I mentioned above ...

I wonder if he can not hear the bass sound ? But then how did he know that there was more bass available ?