Listening to Tannoys in the all flat position wold be just fine providing the recording engineers didn't spike up the highs to make up for their hearing preferences and monitors with unrealistic hi frequency production. Then too I like to attend un-amplified live performances and with air absorption there is a natural roll off. I prefer to to have about a 6db roll off of the high frequencies as a normal setting. Then using my remote on my processor for HT and the graphic controls for the Stereo pre amp I can return to flat if I wish. I use parametric Eq's for room Eq to control a bump here or there. So I follow the B-curve Ortofon and Roger Russell suggested many years ago. It works for me. With some big band recordings I reduce the highs further if I'm day dreaming or reading at the same time, but If I want to recall my days of participating in Dance and Lab bands then I might even crank the highs even more above flat. Basie recordings give me the biggest fits, with some reissues being overly bright and others being just plain lacking in much above 7 khz in natural sound. Having heard, Basie, Kenton, Woody, Buddy Rich so many times live either back stage, under earphones, mixing sound, or dancing at concerts I have my own ideas what they sound like live. And so starting out with the highs turned down 6 db is the right place to start for me.
Now the Marine band, Navy Band, Norad, Band, others require adjustments, too. Mike placement and type used during the recording process make such a big difference. You could set your speakers in almost any variant and you would have to use a great Graphic EQ to get the sound right. I Have heard the Marine band in Symphonic halls, auditoriums, gyms and out doors. Heard recordings with Big diaphragm mics and small diaphragm mics. Some with omni patterns and others with variations of cardioid patterns each adding a flavor to the natural sound. My big is issue is always getting the bass right first and then building the rest of the sound on top of that. Highs can be adjusted quite easily as opposed to getting the balance of the bottom octaves and the associated octaves of the midrange covered by the woofer smooth and life like.
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