Behringer DEQ2496 - wow

I posted a review on the DEC2496. It worked so well for the front channels of my multichannel system, that I bought a second one for the rears.

IMHO, this unit is an example of how pro sound equipment, at reasonable cost, is rapidly approaching high end performance. High end manufacturers may still have a slight advantage, but must realize that the free ride is over.

Smeyers...I used to do the Rives audio disc and RS meter thing. The autoeq feature of the DEQ2496 is much better, and takes about 2 minutes vs an hour. If you don't want flat response, you can set in the "target" response for the autoeq to work to. Also, the "Room Corr" feature provides the high frequency tilt that you mention, and which I also like.

Smeyers...The internal A/D and D/A are fine IMHO. To check this out, set the EQ flat, and then compare the EQ output using Bypass mode of the unit. Of course having the option of digital in and out is nice if it suits your system. But, you might consider if the Behringer A/D and D/A could actually be better than other equipment.

The graphic EQ is 1/3 octave, and this works for me. I actually do have an analog parametric equalizer, 7 bands, for my center channel, (which is an identical set of speaker and subwoofer) so I can do a good comparison. The Behringer does a better job, and there is no comparison of the effort required. The parametric Eq settings in my system are all more than 1/3 octave width.

Maril555...A XLR connector can be used for a single ended (unbalanced) signal. My DEQ2496 are single ended in. The unit detects whether the input and/or output is balanced or unbalanced, and adjusts gain to compensate.

Sean...The graph that comes with the Behringer ECM800 mic (which BTW is omnidirectional) looks "flat" to me, although it obviously wasn't drawn with a ruler. There is no broad band of boost or cut that would affect overall sound, and the small deviations that are shown are tiny compared with the frequency aberations (room effects) which the unit is measuring and correcting. Furthermore, these deviations are similar to those of the Shure mics, away from the high and low frequency ranges where the Shure mics are (deliberately) very nonlinear.

Of course it would be nice to design the living room for acoustic properties, but I agee with Smeyers that this is not going to happen. Even Rives audio, of room treatment fame, says that it doesn't work for low frequency problems, where active equalization is needed.

Smeyers...Regardless of what Sean says, the Behringer mic is a calibrated instrumentation mic. If your ears give different results, perhaps you ought to get your ears calibrated. I have just been through the process of having my wife's ears tested and hearing aids "installed". What you are doing with equalization and your audio system is very similar to what the audioligist did when she set up the algorithms in the hearing aids.

Rgodin...When I was shopping I got turned off on the DBX because of (would you believe) high noise complaints. My Behringer is dead quiet. Maybe yours was defective.

The auto equalization works perfectly, even in the SW range where Behringer suggests that there might be a problem. My three front speakers are bipolar MG1.6, with three colocated SW.

Abrahavt...If you use the DAC in the CDP you have an analog signal, which must be input to the DEQ2496 as an analog signal. If you did not want to use the DAC in the CDP you could input a digital signal to the DEQ2496, and you could take a digital output from the DEQ2496 to some other piece of equipment with a DAC...even to a power amp with provision for digital input.