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Colorizing The Sound

For last 7 years I've been using "regular" audio system which consisted of CD player, equalizer, SS integrated amplifier and speakers. Every element in this system was purchased as new for the price ranging from 600 dollars for CD player to 1K for amp. Now I replaced everything by Oracle Turntable, DK Design integrated amp and M.Logans speakers. The turntable connected to amp with 700 dollars cable and speakers use 500 dollars version. Everything is above an average...or at least better than I had before. The soudstage now is wider, deeper... The overall sound is - I would say - more intelligent, sophisticated.. Like a good old wine.....Most likely I didn't yet grow to the level of expertise to start to appreciate the real hi-fi quality...but I really do miss those bass and treble knobs I had on my old amplifier. While (according to what I read here) having them on amplifier would ad some unnecessary electric circuity...I really think they play important role in creating richer and more colorful sound.
On top of bass and treble controls of my old Yamaha amplifier I used equalizer which probably tripled colorization of sound. Many of you could say that those equalizers and bass/treble controls just distort the music throwing it away from real, flat sound a good amplifier delivers...away from the sound of real unamplified instrument.
I wonder what you guys use to substitute missing treble/bass controls? Are there any electronic devices(may be equalizers?) which let control (to add or to subtract) tones of music? Please correct me if I am wrong.
sputniks

Showing 4 responses by eldartford

eldartford
4,262 posts
 
Equalizers today are not your father's equalizers. All the talk about degrading the signal is left-over myth from long ago. Rather than argue with people whose minds are made up, I suggest that you simply try one and see for yourself. Personally I like the Behringer DEQ2496, which will do the room equalization chore automatically.

The signal that was put on your CD or LP has been equalized, or worse, by the recording engineer. Also, even if the recording engineer did his job well, he had no way of knowing about the peculiarities of your system, your room, and your ears.
eldartford
4,262 posts
 
Sputniks...Did you download the owner's manual? The DEQ2496 can be controlled as either a 31 band graphic or 7 band parametric equalizer. (And it can do other clever things that you might have fun playing with).

The input and output can be either balanced or unbalanced, but they do operate at line level, so you will need to find the pre-out point of your integrated amp. To use the auto equalization feature you need to buy the Behringer calibration mic, and a suitable mic cable.
eldartford
4,262 posts
 
Sputniks...

1...I think I made the manual download from the website of WWW.samedaymusic.com which is where I bought mine.

2...The connectors on the Behringer are XLR type, but these can be used for single ended electrical interface (as well as for balanced). You can use XLR/RCA adapters if you want to use existing single ended RCA interconnects, or you can have single ended cables made with XLR terminations on the ends that go to the Behringer, and RCA terminations on the other end. www.a2zcables.com is a good source. I have single ended going in from my Rotel SS processor, and balanced going out about 25 feet to my power amps which are near the speakers.

3...You cannot connect a phono pickup directly into the Behringer (or any other equalizer for that matter). You need to connect it where the signal is at "line level" (about one volt) and this is between the preamp and the power amp. If you have an integrated amp the preamp and the power amp are all in one piece. Some integrated amps have "pre out" and "power in" connectors that are normally jumpered, and some have switch-selected "Tape Monitor" outputs and inputs.
eldartford
4,262 posts
 
The link doesn't work.

A picture of the DK Design amp that I found in a review shows the back panel with jumpers from pre out to power in.
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