2. misc-audio
  3. 1137452459

EQ's... why doesnt everybody have one?

Just browsing around the systems on this site, i knoticed that very few have equalizers. I realize some claim they introduce unacceptable noise but i would hardly call my Furman Q-2312, at %>.01 20Hz-40kHz, unacceptable. This $200 piece of equiptment ($100 on sale at musiciansfriend.com) replaces several thousand dollars in assembling a perfectly linear system in perfectly linear room, and in my opinion, accomplishes the task better than any room design could no matter how well engineered. It brought my system (onkyo reciever, NHT SB-3 speakers and Sony CD changer) to a level i could not have dreamed. It extends the SB-3's frequency response by at least 10 Hz to a satisfying 30 Hz without any rolloff or sacrifice in clarity, but the greatest improvement was definately in the Mid-range, around the SB-3s crossover frequency of 2.6kHz. The clarity of vocals, strings, guitars, brass... anything in this range rivals that of uneq'd systems costing well into the thousands of dollars... my total cost; $800. One of the more supprising differences is a marked improvement in immaging, it think this might have to do with eliminating several resonances in the right channel caused by my back wall (the left back wall has a curtain over it). The second my dad heard the difference he got on my computer to buy one for himself, he couldnt even wait to get back to his own, he then kicked me outa the listening chair and wouldnt get up for the better part of an hour.
-Dan-
dk89

Showing 8 responses by drubin

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drubin
3,267 posts
 
Well, just don't do any correction above your preferred frequency.
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drubin
3,267 posts
 
What accessories do you need to use the DEQ? A microphone, or does one come with it?
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drubin
3,267 posts
 
It strikes me that TacT has fallen behind the technology curve. The 2.0S is priced the same as the 2.0 from several years ago but seems to have been improved only a little (perhaps I am mistaken about this). Yet, the kind of processing power that is readily and cheaply available has increased quit dramatically in that timeframe. If you look at what you get for $300 from Slim Devices or Behringer, to name but two, sophisticated digital processing is practically free these days. Granted, TacT has made a huge investment in software, which they can and should charge for, but the box should either be cheaper now or it should be much more robust in terms of capabilities and ease of use.

I owned a TacT for a while and, while I never had great results with it, I continue to believe in the technology and think Peter Lyngdorf is one of the few genuine geniuses in high-end audio. I may try one again in the future, but I just ordered a Behringer. For the RTA alone, it's a steal, assuming I can figure out how to work it.

Dan
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drubin
3,267 posts
 
Oh, I did not know that. Will have to check it out.
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drubin
3,267 posts
 
The difference with the Parc is the fact that it uses high end components inside that are less likely to degrade the sound. A $200-300 EQ is like running your hifi gear through a clock radio
Well, the PARC is analog. I agree with your clock radio analogy for a $200-$300 analog EQ. Digital is a different kettle of fish, though that price point may still be too low for gen-u-ine audiophile requirements.
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drubin
3,267 posts
 
Cinematic says:
I think its very telling that the only "EQ" brands that exist in the audiophile consciousness is the ones that are marketed as "audiophile Grade" or are from a discount 5&10 store. There are plenty of EQ's that are "audiophile grade" and many more that would be insulted by the label
Care to name a few names?

By the way, the word you want is "commensurate."
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drubin
3,267 posts
 
Yes, when I had the TacT, I wished there was a way to "bypass" certain parts of the frequency spectrum and just apply the curve to the areas you choose. Seems like it wouldn't be so hard to do that. However, if the system is making adjustments in the time domain, presumably you would want those to happen from 20-20K, right?
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drubin
3,267 posts
 
Presumably he's comparing the Rives in Bypass mode with the Rives out of the system altogether. Or maybe not.
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