EQ's : share your thoughts

[Pure_Brew]

I had one once, Audio Control. Used it for a short time. It added noise as I recall. No sense in messing with signal purity. Fix the issues with different speakers, components, positioning etc.

But every vinyl lover has one, and some are adjustable. The phono preamp.
Speakers are also "EQ'd" in a way as well, are they not? Passively I suppose, and different amplifiers respond differently to complex loads.

Does this mean passive EQ is ok but not active?
Do you use any sort?

 

[speakerman1]

Why do you feel the need for one?

 

[dingus]

depends on the equipment and application.

the venerable Pioneer HPM-100 speaker is a good example. in my experience its a speaker that is impossible to sound good without proper equalization. other cases may be room dependent.

Why do you feel the need for one?

Larry, my apologies if i've misunderstood what you've done with your Vandersteen's, but wasnt all that tweaking it took to get them to sound right to your ear a form of equalization? if you had used a decent equalizer, i wonder if you could have dialed in the sound in a matter of minutes...

 

[Pure_Brew]

Why do you feel the need for one?

Im just curious what people think about them, who likes em, doesn't like why etc.

 

[dingus]

i've used a dedicated equalizer in the past (several decades ago), and i wouldnt have a problem with using one again if i felt there was a need to.

 

[speakerman1]

depends on the equipment and application.

the venerable Pioneer HPM-100 speaker is a good example. in my experience its a speaker that is impossible to sound good without proper equalization. other cases may be room dependent.


Larry, my apologies if i've misunderstood what you've done with your Vandersteen's, but wasnt all that tweaking it took to get them to sound right to your ear a form of equalization? if you had used a decent equalizer, i wonder if you could have dialed in the sound in a matter of minutes...

Most of my tweaking cured itself when things got burned in. I have finally went totally flat. So I am back where I didn't start. LOL The highs have mellowed out immensely. If I had an EQ would I have known the final outcome?

 

[Pure_Brew]

Most of my tweaking cured itself when things got burned in. I have finally went totally flat. So I am back where I didn't start. LOL The highs have mellowed out immensely. If I had an EQ would I have known the final outcome?

My thought is when you are adjusting a system for balancing regarding the outcome of the percieved stereo image ( placement and depth of instruments, voices and the focus of those individual components etc in the media), then placement tweaking is probably the only way to resolve that.

If its just tonal balance, that's a job an EQ can do, and pretty much the only job. If your stuck with a particular speaker in a particular location, EQ seems like a sensible option. But if say Larry EQ'd his system prior to moving it for the best location to achieve the best image/soundstage etc, then it may have only initially confused the effort.

On phono preamps and carts, EQ has to be used because of tonal balance.

 

[jbeckva]

In my travels, the earlier implementations of EQ's definitely introduced way too much noise into the signal path. SNR's were pretty dismal. But the later half-decent models seem to have overcame that issue. The BSR EQ3000 I am using now is a good example - 100 db SNR with .008 THD. I use it judiciously tho... never "too much" boost here and there, just "enough".

 

[Web Police]

I use eq's mostly for the spectrum analyzer light shows, but they help with vinyl, tapes and dubbing tapes recorded from dubious sources. Most of the time the tone controls are all I need but once in awhile the eq is needed to tame some sound.

 

[speakerman1]

I have listened so long to all controls flat or out of the picture that I wonder when I do use them Why? Been reading about RIAA curve and why it is used. To me less is better.

 

[Fairchild]

I have used a Soundshaper in the past with other speakers, since I got my Legacy's I haven't felt the need for one.

Jim

 

[Fast Forward]

I used to use a Yamaha Pre that would do some interesting things to my system,,,when it developed a POP I put it away and went back to my MAC which I only use to give my base a little pump,, in my present set-up My Marantz Imperials sound fine

 

[laatsch55]

Since the White Oak board and my K's, they are extranneous...

 

[Pure_Brew]

I use eq's mostly for the spectrum analyzer light shows, but they help with vinyl, tapes and dubbing tapes recorded from dubious sources. Most of the time the tone controls are all I need but once in awhile the eq is needed to tame some sound.

Web, what's the rest of your set up like.

 

[Web Police]

Web, what's the rest of your set up like.

I have quite a few different systems, but currently in use is a Pioneer M90/C72 Amp/Pre setup and a Grant Fidelity Int Tube amp. The Pioneer setup pushes some Definitive Tech BP2000TL's and the Tube Amp outputs into some Klipsch KG 5.5's. I use an Onyx Cd player with the Pioneer setup and a Yaqin Tube CD player with the Grant Fidelity. I use several different tape decks with either system. Currently using an JVC TD-V711.

I have various Eq's that I use as needed, as I explained mostly for light show purposes. If I get a tape or even a CD that needs some tonal balance, then I use either the tone controls or the EQ to straighten the sound out some. Mostly I have the tone controls set to 12 oclock for most inputs.

I sold off all my TT's and Albums in the early 2000's. I now either listen to CD's, Tapes or Flac recordings and have no desire to get back into TT's.

I sold off all my RTR equipment in the late 1990's, don't know if I will go back to these or not. I sold 6 10" RTR decks and about 300 10" tapes. I should have hung on to them for another 10 years, but who knew?

 

[Pure_Brew]

RTR is supposedly one of, if not the best sources. But like anything else, it's "potentially" great, I suppose.

I used to sell definitive and klipsch too, back in the day. I think 5.5's were from the mid 90's. BP 2000's are very cool.

On EQ, I don't feel I need that so much on CD. But with vinyl, I feel that sometimes an EQ might be nice. The AT440mla is such an awesome tracker, but a bit fatiguing. I like the Shure for a bunch of Jazz, but it can be a bit too soft on some recordings.

tried Parrallel resistive loading the AT, ok results, could use more testing. That is equalization to me at this point. There is capacitive loading for some carts, not an option on my pre. Might be a cart that's juuuuust right.

 

[Elite-ist]

Joe: I sometimes use an equalizer, and it's, usually, my Pioneer SG-9500. There are some records and, even, CDs that need that extra frequency accentuation for my listening pleasure. Recently, I made a recording from a CD, which was recorded directly off the sound board in a live venue. It needed the eq to liven it up, and not many who heard my recording, guessed it was modified from the original with a sound processor.

Here's my Pioneer SG-90. It's about 1983 vintage and features 17 bands per side, negligible distortion and even my 70's Pioneer SG-9500 has good specs. There's no need to think you'll be adding noise to your system with any of the good eqs out there.

Specifications
Equalizer frequency: 16, 25, 40, 63, 100, 160, 250, 400, 630, 1K, 1.6K, 2.5K, 4K, 6.3K, 10K, 16K, 25K
Equalizer level: +-12dB, +-6dB
Total harmonic distortion: 0.001%
Frequency response: 10 to 100,000Hz
Hum and noise: 120dB
Gain: 0dB (flat)
Auto fade in time: 4 sec
Auto fade out time: 6 sec

Nando.

 

[laatsch55]

Nando, you've answered that question admirably and with your usual style!!

 

[Pure_Brew]

Nando that looks quite nice. I don't doubt that some recordings can benefit from equalization

An friend of mine bought an HK-990 integrated that has room correction/equalization on board. He's loving it.

 

[Lazarus Short]

EQ's are sometimes needed, but everything else being equal (pun alert), the signal is routed through several pots, and pots are evil. So, it's a balance between frequency control and extra noise, IMHO.

OTOH, I enjoy the advantage of having EQ on my MX-1 which is electronic and does not involve electro-mechanical pots. Even so, I rarely use it.