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I wan to say "don't like the idea" or "Never!", but there are times I wonder if it would solve some problems. I just feel that having another obsticale in the signal path is detrimental.
In last week's Vote, many readers reported that they had solved their speaker/room problems with a digital equalizer. What do you think about using digital EQ?
For digital sources I use the built in parametric EQ on my DA5ES. Doesn't get me to perfectly flat, but sure helps the high end rolloff I was experiencing. In addition I'm planning on getting a Behringer Feedback Destroyer for my sub to flatten out my bass response if room treatments fail to work sufficiently.
I answered "don't like the idea" because of the SACD factor. I think that all digital equalizers out there are PCM based, so that inherently changes how SACD presents the music signal. For CDs or other PCM encoded data, if it helps, then why not?
I think digital equalizers are a great idea, not just for taming rooms, but also to potentially compensate as us baby boomers lose hearing at certain frequency ranges. However due to cost, I currently use an analog equalizer in the tape loop of my premp. This allows me to switch it in and out easily via remote control. Any degradation in sound is worth the taming of room brightness.
i think the idea of room EQ is great. however i dont like the idea that somehting is altering the signal. i take the view that physical room tuning is a far better mode of approach to improve sound quality, however im sure like many other audiophiles i have to have my stereo in a room that is more than just a dedicated listening room, in this case i dont see any problem with using digi EQ.
I recently have got my Tact RCS 2.0 upgraded to the new 2.0S version. I'm using room corrections since more than 3 years now. No system will perform to it's full potential without it. This is valid for entry level systems to the very high end
I recently have got my Tact RCS 2.0 upgraded to the new 2.0S version. I've been using room correction for more than three years now. No system will perform to its full potential without it. This is true for everything from entry level systems to those at the extreme high end.
It takes some TacT to get the EQ well ;-) For me, without the possibility to create a 'tuned' listening room (and who does?) this is the solution! Within a few years such a divice is a standard component in your hifi system - yes, also/especially in High-End systems!
I have a Goldline Digital Parametric Equalizer in my audio room (and two in my home theater). The difference in sound is very dramatic. Without the equalizer, the sound (even with my Krell KPS, Krell 650 M monoblocks, and Transparent Audio Reference cables, and Owens-Corning sound panels) is dull and seemed to have a veil covering the sound. But with the Goldline equalizer, properly equalized, the sound is open, detailed, and vibrant. One has to hear the difference to believe it. It brings out the best in your system. I cannot listen to music without it.
Eqing for speaker/room problems can be useful but has some limitations. One can reduce the peaks but might not be able to correct the dips as that could drive the speakers into distortion and, on bass, room problems could become worse. Also the speaker/room correction is for one microphone position, presumably at the listening position. The rest of the room could end up much worse off. Infinity successfully corrects one room bump from their subs with the RABOS system. Perpetual Technologies has done impressive speaker correction demos and has long promised a room correction system. Tact demonstrated their systems with room correction at T.H.E. SHOW in Las Vegas last January. Both had tremendous dynamics at the high cost of extreme digititas. I
At this point it looks like $4000+ for non-lossy fullrange equalization, $2000+ for non-lossy bass equalization, or $300 for lossy fullrange equalization used just for the bass, which is less critical. Throw in the interconnects, speaker cables, rack space, and time and we are into big spending no matter which option we take. Wonderful sound I imagine, but my personal audio dollars in the near term may be better spent on one of the better power conditioners.