Equalizer in a Hi Fi system

A little update on aftermarket PCs from an EQ perspective. Joy of all joys, two great things are observed with my system nowadays. 1.  More and better bass. Better more popping and detailed articulation in mids. These are great great baseline changes that I would always equivocate with better hi fi. 2.  Surprisingly more headroom with analog bass boost so less prone to analog distortion. I didn’t expect this one. I love that at this point I have this current system maxed out completely. Only component or speaker upgrades can improve it now. 
Aftermarket PCs really matter! 

I confess to being lazy in the last year with pursuing digital EQ for both room correction or target curves. One day…it’s hard to make changes to something so good. 

@jtcf , still enjoying your studio equalizer?

I am super curious how well treble target curves work when you have actively done crossover using your high end DSP system and biamping. So very curious. @mijostyn ?  Comments?  We’re talking a broad bell centered at 15khz with a Q of 0.65-1. 1 probably better and more natural. 

Giving @bigwave1 a shout out for favorably mentioning his Charter Oak PEQ-1 on “biggest influence on…” thread recently. Thanks Dave!  Dave has always killer system. BTW,  I brought my 3rd CO unit up to Audible Images in Melbourne FL. Heard it in between Mac tube pre and mono blocks driving Sonus Faber. The 20 k and 40 hz were glorious bands!

The VOX software fully parametric EQ for Qobuz is the best software EQ I’ve heard to date, sonically. I am using it exclusively with my exercise buds, Senne Momentum TW 4. While it can do largely anything without distortion, which is great, it still lacks that 3D soundstage depth and roundness of notes and full layered textures that my CO delivers. So I still feel for my use case of adding tone, analog EQ better. Admit though results are highly variable. I’ve been lucky to have found a couple of good boxes out there. 😊🎶

“I met Mike at NAMM in Anaheim, January 2014. I was looking at his EQ, and he talked me into buying the compressor as well. I wrote him a check on the spot for both, and took them home after the show. So I suppose technically they should be called demo units, but only demonstrated by Mike, and from the looks of them, very little. I used them briefly for an archival restoration, and then put them back in their boxes, and forgot about them until years later when I moved. That's the truth! 

Oh, I have my check stub for the purchase, that I can show you if you are serious about buying them. Also, I did just take them out and test them on my AP, and they are fine in all respects. No scratchy pots or other age-related issues.”

Ian

Above is about a used like new CO for sale on eBay. I inquired of the age and got the above answer. THIS IS A GREAT GREAT FIND!  Someone should jump on it. 

https://www.ebay.com/itm/277064890882?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-127632-2357-0&ssspo=-c_owSiBTry&sssrc=4429486&ssuid=vlylgtfgsgk&var=&widget_ver=artemis&media=MORE

I use two low cost equalizer...

One was the Douk  tube equaliser TB pro 7 levels for my low cost powered speakers... With success at peanuts cost... Great immediate improvement...

( i add others improvements at no cost but it is impossible now to communicate some experiments without being mocked )

I use the internal equalizer of my Hidizs  to improve greatly the AKG K340 hibtyd...

Not only that but i use the tone control of the Sansui alpha...

Why ?

Because there is 2 cells working in the K340, one electrostatic and one dynamic with a crossover at 4,000 Hertz...

I max the highs on the tone control and the highs already good become celestial...

Not only i had deep clear bass as the heaviest organ tone, but the violin put me in ectasy... The mids are totally natural...

It takes me 6 months of research and experiment with 6 optimizations modifications even reading the patent of Dr. Gorike to understand how this TOP headphone can work with his 5 resonators and his dual acoustic chamber volume.  (it is the more complex ever designed because most use only  one type of  cell ,planar dynamic or electrostatic...)

Tone controls and equalization for a better S.Q.  is as claimed by

I know another who speaks highly of onboard Sansui EQ in pre. The Douk T8 Pro7. Looks cool. I wonder for sh-ts and giggles how it’d conmpare sonically to CO. Temptyto find out. Cheap on Amazon. 

I dont doubt that the Sansui EQ is very good...

I always used a Sansui alpha for my headphone, especially after i tried one year ago one of the top tube headphone amplifier to replace it... ( i will not name it because it is a good headphone amp no doubt,if not i would have not order it,  but not for my K340  picky needs, no headphone amplifier can drive the K340 ideally )

It takes me 15 minutes to return it back so much the difference was huge on all count (save the noise floor level way better with this upgrade costly linear power supply which go with it even if the Sansui noise floor is good it is not pure black but all other factors were  completely absent, holography, timbre naturalness, out of the head soundfield, physical tactile bass etc )

The Douk T8 pro is peanuts cost and do not introduce noise... ( audible from my system)

I will not use the Douk in a costly system... But i can recommend it for anyone who cannot put a 2,000 bucks equalizer in a few thousand bucks audio system for sure...

I am curious to compare the Douk to any equalizer under 500 bucks...

I know another who speaks highly of onboard Sansui EQ in pre. The Douk T8 Pro7. Looks cool. I wonder for sh-ts and giggles how it’d conmpare sonically to CO. Temptyto find out. Cheap on Amazon. 

I have checked further this CO on EBay. It’s in PRISTINE like new condition. Someone who wants high end analog tone and whose system is all XLR balanced really ought to jump on this!  It WILL sell quick. That’s how great they sound. If I didn’t own 3 right now I’d buy it immediately!

I have found an interesting article.  On tonal vs corrective EQ  see link I will send  

Can’t attach link. Don’t know why. Sheesh. Google Icon Collective what’s the best effects chain order for mixing?  So annoying!  Sorry. Read section 5.  
I argue that with a finished product, a post mastered recording, that tonal and only tonal EQ plays a role. Not corrective EQ. That is in my mind only applicable in mixing and mastering in the studio. And from reading this thread you know what that means… in the playback scenario only analog EQ and only boosts. Don’t take it from me. Read what’s out there.  That’s absolutely been my personal experience with all kinds of EQ. And my boost only analog only approach seems vindicated by every thing I read. No doing cuts with a digital EQ or crappy analog EQ will NEVER get the kind of full saturated, note dense, 3D, harmonically pleasing, “tone is king” kind of result I’m getting. The caveat though is that now I’ve played with a number of analog EQ hardware devices. They are NOT all created equal. Particularly when it comes to treble. You have to find a great one. But when you do it is the “keys to the Kingdom “ and nothing beats it b

Incidentally that Charter Oak on EBay sold like 2 days after I posted about it. They are tonally wonderful EQs and the pros know it. They are rare gear and highly sought after. 

i am pretty sure you are right!

But i had no  extended experience with EQ as you demonstrated here...

Just an anecdote :

My analog tone control of the Sansui alpha are very good...

It is the top of Sansui design history...

My AKG K340 are a TOP headphone for many reasons...

 The electrostatic cell of this hybrid work gradually  till 4,000 HERTZ crossover for the dynamic cell...

 If i boosted with my tone control  the higher frequencies, the violin become celestial honey and any bass head will become High head...

This prove what good analog tone control can do ...

I cannot do that with my digital equalizer which i use also to reach nearer Harman curve (with success though)

But only the tone control give me ecstasy after hours of violins listening on good recording with no fatigue, no tinnitus, or stress... On the contrary like a bass head i want more higher frequencies..

 It is also proof how a K340 well driven can reach (deep bass and out of the head sound-stage with natural timbre) i never touch in any of my other 10 headphones which are  in the bin trash now...(Save the sextett K240 as secondary tool designed by the same Dr. Gorike as my K340 even if for sure they dont even compare they beat the AKG K701 unnatural timbre )

If i had money i will buy one of the EQ you recommended for sure....

But i am happy as i am right now with my 2 systems anyway...

i just wanted to confirm from my experience what you just said :

No doing cuts with a digital EQ or crappy analog EQ will NEVER get the kind of full saturated, note dense, 3D, harmonically pleasing, “tone is king” kind of result I’m getting.

“ If i boosted with my tone control  the higher frequencies, the violin become celestial honey and any bass head will become High head...”

I love this quote. Exactly!

@mahgister ,

I wish I could hear your naturally tuned system with the resonators you use coupled with your Sansui EQ!  I will simply bet for the relatively small monetary outlay that it sounds heavenly!

My first acoustic dedicated room takes me 2 years full time to make... (100 Helmholtz resonators among many others devices)

I sold my house 2 years ago by obligation...

 My second dedicated room is smaller and not comparable to the first, good but with smaller speakers, and in nearfield...

my main system is now  AKG K340 for serious listenings...

It rival my first room near it but do not beat it. No headphone can beat an acoustically well done system/room...

 It takes me 6 months to experiment with the K340... Trust me to optimize it you must understand how it work.... Expert headphone reviewer gave it a critics not completely positive because he did not know how to use them... It takes me 6 months  and using the patent...

All my other headphones sound like trash  ( 2 electrostatic, 2 planars  6 dyna«mics) i never go back to them again..

I used the sextett also designed by Dr. Gorike for my secondary system (documentary, series, youtube etc)..

My small speakers are so well embedded now i can listen music but it does not equal the K340 naturalness and holography...I use the Douk T8 pro tube  equaliser, for the low price which is very useful...

I dont need more because you cannot couple a thousand bucks equalizer with low cost active speakers...

 I wish i could bought the EQ you recommended but i will never upgrade my speakers systems and the K340 go astoundingly well with Sansui alpha tone controls...

@mahgister ,

I wish I could hear your naturally tuned system with the resonators you use coupled with your Sansui EQ!  I will simply bet for the relatively small monetary outlay that it sounds heavenly!

👍🎧🎶

I love folks like yourself, Denis, who are not afraid to seek out good quality treble tone control and Boost…for better space, timbre and harmonic structure in upper range. Often mids sound more realistic doing so, as I think you have also found.  Too many audiophiles absolutely do not know what they are missing because they are treble shy and only cut there. And likely that’s because of poor implementation on that tone control or EQ, making a boost sound bad. As I have said before, finding a true balanced transparent treble tone control that enhances the music boosted without degrading is truly a magic experience with hi fi gear. The true Keys to the Kingdom!

To the treble cutters, the truth is that if you added a modest nice broad bass shelf of  say 4 db or so and possibly a mild touch of mids boost, then you’d never cut treble. You’d want to boost with a high quality treble shelf or bell. When we hear  music and want to cut treble (lean, presence region forward with straight signal), it’s almost always better to do the boosts mentioned above than cut. But only if the EQ is up to snuff. You really need analog EQ to do this right. And almost every audiophile uses digital. Which doesn’t boost well, particularly in 2 or 3 places in the FR. Gotta be analog!

TONE IS KING!! 
But I must have resolution, pace, stage, dynamics and timbre also!  I simply am not satisfied unless I have it all!  And I’d rather do it my way than spend 200K on a system with no tone controls!

For any system under some price,it is impossible to go without  equalization and tone controls... Analog is better S.Q. /price ratio...

I had no experience with very high end...

Anyone using the Hendy Amps Michelangelo EQ? 

I see they offer it in Tube or Mosfet version.

Looks interesting, but cannot find any information, on using it in a home 2 channel setup. 

I had it in my chain for a month. Loved it. It performs wonderfully as an outboard tone box. It has incredibly clean and powerful treble boosting ability (which was comparable to my beloved CO EQ. Bass more than adequate for most applications. And it could execute very seamless effective gentle cuts when called for. Excellent noise floor. Transparent on flat. I think you’d love it. If I didn’t like my Charter Oak PEQ-1 a smidge better I’d still own it. 

I had MOSFET version, BTW