Full Range EQ Options - DCX2496???

[laserstl]

I am new to the forum but I have been reading lots of the threads trying to learn what this is all about. I would like to do some full range EQ on my 2-channel music setup. Are the behringer units a good option to accomplish this?

I have read a ton of stuff about people using them to manage bass, but I havent seen alot of people that have used them for full range EQ. Is there a reason for this?

Also, my preamp does not have bass management built in, so I was thinking about going with the DCX2496 to use its crossover between my mains and the sub.

Will this unit work well for this purpose? Will there be loss in sound quality?

Any advice/ideas/suggestions are greatly appreciated!

[brucek]

I havent seen alot of people that have used them for full range EQ. Is there a reason for this?

Taking your pristine analog stereo signal and digitizing it, running it through a DSP, and then converting it back to analog will degrade the signal quality and raise the noise floor. Most people stick to equalizing their subwoofers.

brucek

[Wayne A. Pflughaupt]

I have read a ton of stuff about people using them to manage bass, but I havent seen alot of people that have used them for full range EQ. Is there a reason for this?

Sure is. Most people have receivers, and adding outboard equalizers also requires the addition of outboard amps. Usually adds up to a considerable chuck of change, especially in the case of multi-channel HT systems, more than most people want to pay.

Also, most receivers these days, at least those above the bottom of the product line, have adequate equalization capabilities available on-board.

I was thinking about going with the DCX2496 to use its crossover between my mains and the sub. Will this unit work well for this purpose? Will there be loss in sound quality?

Many people have been happy with it, others not so much so. It is a rather low end product as far as pro audio gear goes. I expect it all depends on the quality level of your system, and your own hearing abilities.

Regards,
Wayne

[laserstl]

brucek wrote:

Taking your pristine analog stereo signal and digitizing it, running it through a DSP, and then converting it back to analog will degrade the signal quality and raise the noise floor. Most people stick to equalizing their subwoofers.

brucek

What about a setup like this:

Cd transport --> DEQ2496 --> DAC --> preamp --> amp --> speakers

In this setup there would only be one digital/analog conversion.
Will there be any quality loss going through a deq2496 from digital in to digital out?

[brucek]

I suppose the jitter police would probably put you in jail, but it would likely give you better results than putting it between the preamp and amp........

brucek

[Wayne A. Pflughaupt]

In this setup there would only be one digital/analog conversion.
Will there be any quality loss going through a deq2496 from digital in to digital out?

Maybe you’re making this harder than it needs to be? If an equalizer degrades the signal quality or raises the noise floor, then you need a better equalizer, plain and simple. Same as with any other component.

Regards,
Wayne

[laserstl]

brucek wrote:

I suppose the jitter police would probably put you in jail, but it would likely give you better results than putting it between the preamp and amp........

brucek

Could you please explain in detail exactly what you mean by that?

Wayne A. Pflughaupt wrote:

Maybe you’re making this harder than it needs to be? If an equalizer degrades the signal quality or raises the noise floor, then you need a better equalizer, plain and simple. Same as with any other component.

Regards,
Wayne

What would be a better choice?

[tcarcio]

I run pro amps in my 7.1 and I have an outboard EQ for my front's and I use it just to tweek the sound to my liking. It is a Nady GEQ 231 31 band and I have not noticed any degradation or noise floor increase but then again my speakers are not higher end so I am sure that would make a difference.

[brucek]

Could you please explain in detail exactly what you mean by that?

It's a small joke actually. Every time you transmit and receive over SPDIF you introduce jitter into the signal.

You're proposal introduces several digital transmissions that may cause some jitter. There are those that may not feel this is significant, but many two channel audiophiles would frown. They would prefer to take the analog signal direct from the CD (where there is no jitter, since the same clock extracts the bits from the disk that is used to DAC those bits), then into an analog preamp and out to the power amp. That's the optimum path.

Most audiophiles would frown on your arrangement for two channel systems.

That was the joke - but it loses something when explained... hehe

brucek

[Wayne A. Pflughaupt]

You're proposal introduces several digital transmissions that may cause some jitter. There are those that may not feel this is significant, but many audiophiles would frown. They would prefer to take the analog signal direct from the CD (where there is no jitter, since the same clock extracts the bits from the disk that is used to DAC those bits) into an analog preamp and out to the power amp. That's the optimum path.

What are your thoughts on this article? (I have no opinion, as my system is not sophisticated enough to be concerned with such things. )

Regards,
Wayne

[Wayne A. Pflughaupt]

laserstl wrote:

What would be a better choice?

As I noted, a lot of people have been happy with the DCX. No reason to go looking for something else until you determine you’re unhappy with it. You might check Post #8 on this thread for a few crude but effective exercises you can perform on the DCX to help gauge its sound quality.

Regards,
Wayne

[brucek]

What are your thoughts on this article?

I don't know that it proves what level of jitter is audible. Downloading some wave files produced on someone elses machine and playing them on your computer isn't going to expose the level of jitter you can perceive....

brucek