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Digital Room Correction: Where in the chain?

I’ve been contemplating the purchase of the McIntosh MEN220. I have a challenging room, and I’ve done my best with equipment placement, furnishings, and room treatments. My listening is 80% digital (streaming and discs), 20% vinyl. My digital chain is Roon/Qobuz, Lumin U2 Mini, Denafrips Pontus II 15th, McIntosh C-53, MC312, B&W702 S3 and REL T/7x. Transport is the MCT500 to the C-53 via din connector.


My hesitation is that the MEN220 requires an analog to digital to analog conversion. It seems like it would be best to apply any and all DSP in the upstream digital before my respectable DAC does the conversion.  Is this midstream ADA negating my digital front end? Is there inherent loss in the extra conversion cycle?  Or am I thinking about this wrong?

mattsca

Showing 1 response by mashif

mashif
383 posts
 

I was on the verge of buying a Weiss 502 DAC for exactly that reason. It has DSP for room correction, or enhancement, built in so everything works in the digital domain before the analog conversion. EQ, De-esser, vinyl emulation, etc. 

It's a brilliant piece of engineering and a phenomenal sounding DAC. But I just don't like the way DSP sounds. I agree it sounds "thin" and unnatural. It's ok on a subwoofer but not for my main speakers. So I changed my mind and stayed analog. 

I have a White Instruments 1/3 octave equalizer between my preamp and amp. It's quiet, transparent and musical sounding. It allows fine tuning of specific frequency ranges. I use it primarily to reduce sibilance but also tweak a few other areas. It's a tool I have a lot of experience with but it's not brain science. A USB microphone, REW, and your ears are sufficient. 

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