To Z or Not To Z - Systems

Hi Florian - The CD sounds real good and really puts my system through a workout. Thanks. The 8024 just died after many years - it sounded about like most analog eq's I have tried. I did not see the digital upgrade at its website but will check again. I have a digital looking Alesis I use in another system but it is analog in and out also. It sounds just like the 8024. I say looking because it has digital readouts and controls. I noticed the big price drop in the 8024 at Musiciansfriend.com. I thought maybe a digital correction might be better than my two tone controls on my Mcintosh 2200 tube preamp. I use a Peavey Kosmos between my preamp and amp and it is a lot of fun. Gives things more presence and expands the soundstage with more guts in the bass when I want there to be. It can also be defeated.

Behringer now offers a digital upgrade for the 8024, so that you could e.g. run it between the Electrocompaniet and the Chord. I understand that this is a new option. See for their website, if interesting for you. Or was the 8024 so disappointing that you threw it out for good? I think about ordering it myself, but so far have only read about it. I have a German Audionet Art V2 CD-transport and a Chord DAC-64 as well, going into a McIntosh C200. Did you try and compare the 8024 within the processor loop of your Mc-preamp? Florian

I have an 8024 but it is only digital in the sense of functions. It is still analog in and analog out. I used it in a second system and it eventually went out. Not worth fixing. They may have another version which is digital in/out.

Look at the Behringer 8024, too (www.behringer.de). It's a digital equalizer with an automatic room correction function, sounds very interesting and is cheap. There was a lot of discussion on it on audioasylum, and a review on enjoythemusic.com which you'll find via google, typing "Behringer equalizer"

Yeah, anyone who can afford one should have one, if only to tweak their cds. But, of course, everyone's room is a problem, except mine, where my speakers are absolutely flat, which is why I havent bought one. :-)

Finally something to talk about that makes sense! I use the rdp-1 with absolute enthusiasm. I agree that it is totally transparent. It allows one to tweak weak recordings and also to correct for room funk, (which everyone has.) Also, if one is so inclined, you could actually learn something about frequency deviations, (which ones you prefer and those that are so often attributed to this component or that one...)

Charlie

I own the Z-systems AND a Sigtech. The Sigtech corrects for my room. The Z systems lets me alter the tonal balance of poorly produced recordings. It is quite transparent.

The Z systems is NOT a substitute for a Tact or Sigtech room equalizer.

Quite different. The z-systems is a totally digital and manually adjustable parametric EQ. I found it remarkably transparent.

The TacT is a computer-managed room equalizer with software for parametric EQ. It offers options for a/d and d/a, as well.