Ivan -
Just curious. In the examples above, wouldn't that be better if dealt with using input EQ? Don't you want the preset based on outside, no reflections, and then you use the input eq to adjust for room and temperature conditions, array size, etc.
Though don't get me wrong, I've had my share of disagreements with factory decisions. I've seen examples of where factory techs made real mistakes, some obvious without listening (by looking at the preset on the factory processor vs their published preferred settings) and some by listening (wow they must have set the amp gains incorrectly between bands on the PLM presets). I've seen several examples where factory presets had entirely incorrect limiter settings or other examples of where they didn't dot their Is and cross their Ts.
Jason
Yes the "voicing" should be done on the input side.
And yes-people do make mistakes.
But not just at the factory level.
I have seen systems tuned by some of the "best and most respected" in the business-that were obviously wrong. The left side doesn't sound like the right side---------
So yes-it depends.
But I would not make a blanket statement like "all factory presets need adjustments" and also "do not adjust the factory presets". Situations vary.
Different manufacturers have different ways of dealing with it. Some rely soley on external processing-in which all sorts of errors could be made by the user-many of whom "think" they know more than factory-but have no way to prove it.
Others make the box sound very good by itself-so it is a lot harder to screw up externally.