External XO Question


I want to upgrade the dbx equalizer that came with my Sanders Speakers.

I need xlr connectors and all analog.

 

Suggestions?

 

 

128x128jeffseight

High end "graphic" EQ’s are a tough thing to find today. Most were professional (like the dbx) so they were balanced. Klark Technique was well known graphic EQ manufacturer back in the UK a long time ago, considered a good sounding one. Not neutral. They are still around but no longer UK and I don’t even know if they make EQ’s anymore. Most pros got out of graphics eq’s ages ago, they all ended up being set like smiley curves- which defeated the purpose of them (correcting for room anomalies). Graphics are usually default a glorified tone control without careful measurement and moderation which was always a rarity.

Some room tuners who used measurement kept using EQs, but they used parametric EQ’s that offered much greater control. The only ones that made it to high end land were pro brands like GML or another company (favored by many room tuners) built a passive EQ called White. GML is still around and still seen in many mastering rooms and this would be the only EQ I would ever put in a high end system with a caveat: I’d need a lot of measurement to help me understand what to do with it.

Today most of the work done by EQ is really now living in DSP software, via some program that measures and adjusts EQ parametrically for you based on what a little microphone tells it. DIRAC (or something like that) is common. There is endless debate about the value of such software. I know many who hate it saying changing the direct sound based on reflections is wrong- the direct sound was never the problem. Fix the reflections with acoustics work, not electrical work that applies to everything including what isn’t broken. Then there are some who use it and say, "oh wow, better" and love it.

There is much being done via software for the next generation of "correction" using the newest technology which goes further than the single measurement point "room correction" (a misnomer because it doesn’t really correct a room, it EQ’s a room+ speaker for a single position). The next generation of DSP will focus on speaker correction and this will offer significant improvements to the speaker and the "speaker in the room" behavior. There are some companies offering solutions in this regard, we have a dealer in Northern California called Acoustic Frontiers that does this type of work.

Brad

 

I just bought a ’better’ DBX equalizer

model 2231, 2 channel, 31 bands (1/3 octave)

there are many absolutely identical copies of it by China makers, dbx were made in Malaysia, I chose EB831EQ via amazon because the units are already in USA, not just quicker, but if a problem, return it to Amazon (probably free return)

DBX Manual Inside the box,

they have a 1231, same 31 bands, but the 2231 is a step up, adds dbx Type 3 Noise Reduction.

Rack size: 1231 is 2U, 2231 is 3U, (5-1/4" high) the extra height needed for added features (probably a taller printed circuit board). It’s surprisingly heavy compared to the Rockville unit I sent back.

An advantage of extra height is the sliders are taller (longer more precise movement). The sliders have center ’0’ detent, of course you can bypass it, use Type III NR or not, ....

I don’t need it for my space, I have a hearing test scheduled, I’m sure at 75 that they will find something. Whether I need/get a hearing aid or not, there is the option of using the equalizer without the hearing aid to ’reverse’ what they find.