I haven't read through the whole thread, but some people seem to be assuming that only one person decides the sound of the recording. The recording engineer, mixing engineer, mastering engineer, producer/s, and artist/s all have a say on the final sound of a recording. Live to tape will combine some of these roles, but the notion that it's one person's decisions is still null.
I personally want my system as transparent as possible to be able to hear every choice and change. Others love the coloration decisions of their system, and want everything to sound "good".
I prefer no tone controls, as everything adds some level of coloration, and they are usually a ham-handed approach. It's akin to eating a quality steak with a spoon, instead of a fork and knife. If I want a change, I'm going to use the best mastering EQs & processors, to remaster the material.
