Anybody still using an equalizer?

I'm sorry, but the way this is worded doesn't sound right.. STILL.. like you grow up and your ear changes?

My definition of an audiophile? A person with a closed mind... Someone that won't understand you can change the sound that the equipment makes to suit your taste... Nothing wrong at all with EQs and a lot of times many systems really could stand to have one in it..
 
Yes I use three . for my 4 channel I have one ADC SS-117EX for my front,and a ADC SS-115X for my rear. Then am using a BSR-EQ-3000 on the two channel
 
no audiophile purist I ...

Here's my experience with several sound processors and why I moved away from equalizers.

I have had 2 equalizers that used to be always hooked up for decades.

Haven't used in last 5 years since moving. Recently, I hooked it up to a Yamaha CR-800 just to see if they still worked. Gave it some significant nice bass and treble boost. But too lazy to incorporate on a permanent basis.

Also bought a Pioneer EX-9000 Expander a few months back. Too much garish dancing lights can be nauseous. Garishly annoying actually. And although it works, not enough to keep it in rotation. Required more adjusting than the equalizer from source to source.

Now the processor that I really love is the Hughes AK-100 SRS processor. It's like Ambience on my Phase Linear 2000 Series Two preamp which requires rear amp and speakers. But with the AK you only need two speakers to achieve the 3D effect. Still have it hooked up. My first impression is it can save me an upgrade step. It can make your system sound more expensive by making it sound more revealing and achieve that they are in your room feeling.

Yes, in between, they introduced digital surround and delay processes like Jazz Club, Hall Surround, Church which made Quatravox and Ambience obsolete ... but the AK-100 is simple and works with just 2 speakers. The purpose is to recover lost ambience sound. It works. It really makes you think that you are hearing more of the instruments in its native habitat. It really enhances sound effects from comedy albums and music with spacey reverb. Hendrix Axis Bold As Love, Miller Fly Like an Eagle. Like all ambience types, processor results can vary. But the AK-100 just seems to make itself welcome and worth the bother.

Although the 2000 requires additional speakers and amp, I still highly recommend it. A little goes a long way but it does have an Ambience knob to reduce the effect which some find too echoey.

The Carver Sonic Hologram Generator C-9 attempts the same thing in a smaller package. But lacks the controls for fine tuning like the AK-100. The AK-100 looks like a stereo component, the C-9 looks like a big harmonica for Barney. That said, the C-9 is worthwhile, just wouldn't pay as much for it.
 
Last edited:
Eqs add yet more distortion (albeit quite low distortion) but allow you to tailor your music to your taste. Be aware though, you can create quite nasty conditions for your amp and speakers if you abuse the eq.
You know, there are GOOD equalizers out there. Not all of them are cheap junk. :lmao:

If you use a professional-quality equalizer and USE IT PROPERLY you won't introduce any distortion. Just cut instead of boosting, especially if the EQ doesn't have unity-gain controls. A bad piece of equipment can always add distortion, whether it's an EQ, or a pre-amp.
 
No two engineers ears are exactly alike, different studio monitors used by engineers sound different, and speakers and rooms all have unique affects on the frequency response of what you're listening to.

I've argued this point with so called stereo experts, namely the idiot sales people at the big$$ audio store, and a few hardcore audio snobs that have way too much money so they buy the best because they can. Here's an example I used once and it really drove the point home. Put on the recording of Tommy Bolin Private Eyes and listened to overly rich and lush bass, reverberant mids and crisp upper end, not the best recording but that wasn't the point here. Then put on a recording of Journey; it sounded as if someone quickly came into the speaker audition room and removed the Infinity's we had been listening to and replaced them with soup cans and string, it was absolutely horrible. I finally got the stereo snobs at the store, those of the mentality of tone controls on stereo should be against the law, to pay attention to what I was attempting to tell them. All this garbage about EQ's adding signal coloration, degradation, manipulation, distortion, noise, :blah:, to the original signal will completely ruin a recording was proven to actually help more than it hurt.

Consumers don't live in anechoic chambers nor do most of their living rooms remotely resemble one.The reality here is this: microphones, mic cable, xlr connections, recording amplifiers, mixing boards, mastering tape, interconnections of studio gear, acoustic connection between studio monitors and recording engineer's ears, recording engineer's tin ear, medium used for mass production of recording for consumer playback, and the realm of consumer playback equipment all add or subtract something from the original sonic event. So to tell me that the BEST sound, one could possibly achieve, is to have a signal path free of additional signal processing equipment before the arrival to the speakers just doesn't make sense to the MUSIC. However, if getting as close to the original signal provided to us by the recording people is what you seek than that would be your cup-O-tea not mine. Futhermore, I detest being treated as though I don't understand audio equipment just because I choose to have control over what I hear.

I didn't buy audio equipment to listen to how good or bad a recording engineer did his job, I bought it to listen and enjoy the sound of the music. I found most signal processing equipment got bad raps from subjective reviewers because it was used in excess. Case in point, a review I saw for the dbx range expanders (can't quote the pub) said that range expanders caused the music to exhibit an audible pumping or breathing effect to the sound, end quote. Lesser quality single band units will do that especially if the expansion level is set too high, but to say that all expanders do that is an injustice to a concept that really does make the MUSIC sound more lifelike. So I'll keep using my processing gear and think nothing more or less of you if it's your decision not to use any of it, but please don't slam me if I do.

By the way; I use an SAE E101 to flatten the room acoustics, an Audiocontrol C-101 to fine tune the recorded material and a stack of dbx gear to breath some life back into some of the mass produced recorded material I have.

Remember; it's all about the music.:music:


(wow, did I just write all that? I think I need a nap now):boring:
 

Attachments

  • C101 & dbx.jpg
    C101 & dbx.jpg
    76.7 KB · Views: 36
Last edited:
yeah, you did write that, and it was spot on

I use one, should say have one hooked up, but usually to lazy to play with it

but it looks cool, silver faced with all them red bulbs
 
I'd had a pretty awesome audio setup here at one time.... :D

Nah! It's just p'raps one that I'd liked one heckuva lot. It no longer is functional; I have other priorities in life than keeping that effing albatross going,.

It worked for me back in the day....

And I do use equalization on occasion--although not all the time. I only use it if it seems to improve my own personal enjoyment of stuff I listen to on my own miserable equipment as I have working now...And I don't let the purists haunt my decision....

Audio purists need to get a life. They need to think more about people, and a bit less about how perfect they think their ear is. They need a high colonic--most of them.

There is nothing demonstrated yet to verify that their ears are any better than the rest of ours.

Screw this crap!

I've been around a long time. And I know that they haven't got a clue.

One of the homely biggies here, folks, is that most of us are too far gone to hear past 15KHz anyway.

So what is this all about....?

I'll additionally say that even back in the day where it would've made a difference to me when I was hearing 19KHZ and above that the difference never amounted to a pisshole in the snow with most of the recorded music I heard over such systems we had back in the day that had power amps that could do 60KHz at full power, and preamps that could go out to well over 2MHz.

Sometimes I'd notice a difference back then. Big deal...I can't any longer....

Now I just want to enjoy the music, and not worry over much about this stuff. I'm done trying to demonstrate anything.

Yeh; I'm a grumpy old man! Bully for me! :thmbsp:
 
Last edited:
In justice I should additionally remark that a good audio reproduction system should at least have a flat response within what we can hear. And not have any appreciable db/oct slope within that range. That is a good start to a good audio reproducer--IMHO....
 
I use my Pioneer SG-9500 in one of my current set-ups. I like to define the sound to my liking. I believe an EQ can make up for some of the variables such as room acoustics, music from the source, speakers, music format, etc. Not everyone's ears are the same and the EQ helps me, in many listening situations, to control my listening environment. To each their own.
 
Sorry if i'm hijacking this here, but Joekid, how do you like that BSR EQ 3000? I've liked the looks of those units for awhile now and was wondering how they sound. Ok, hijack over.
 
Not any more. Had one hooked up to one of my systems until recently but used it only for the lights, and they were cool but I needed space for another component (turntable), so to the workshop the EQ went.

I can't say if I'll use it again down the road...
 
i love eq's...
sometimes 'flat' is boring to listen to..

Yeah, I hear ya! Sometimes I like a good dollop of tabasco on my vanilla ice cream. Hey, we have the right. I say that if one wants an eek in the signal line one is entitled. I'm on that side--and not the side of the "purist" that pooh-poohs this.... :yes:
 
I use my Pioneer SG-9500 in one of my current set-ups. I like to define the sound to my liking.

One of my favorite EQ's is the Pioneer SG-9800, and still have the one I bought back in 1980. My kid is still trying to get it from me and I keep telling him things like; pry from my cold dead hands, in your wildest fantasies, are you tone deaf?! I said NO!

So far I've holding him at bay.
 
My Infinity RSIIbs come with an equalizer, which provides boost for the low bass and a contour control that works up to 1000Hz. Infinity says it is a MUST HAVE for those speakers, so it stays, but I'm upgrading it as far as I can, meaning all new electrolytics with PP bypasses (Solens for the power supply, Mundorf Supreme on Nichicon Muze KZ for the output), PRP 1% metal film resistors to replace the stock carbon comp and carbon film, silver wire for the signal path, eliminating some unnecessary extra solder joints/connections, 4% silver solder, etc. Some in-progress pics below.

I'm also experimenting with different opamps (it uses 2 of them, one per channel) to see how that affects the flavor. They are socketed, so swapping is fast and easy.

My rule: if it has to be in-line, it has to be as transparent as possible.
 

Attachments

  • RSIIb LF Equalizer Rebuild 004.jpg
    RSIIb LF Equalizer Rebuild 004.jpg
    30 KB · Views: 9
  • RSIIb Crossover 007.jpg
    RSIIb Crossover 007.jpg
    26.2 KB · Views: 7
  • RSIIb Crossover 008.jpg
    RSIIb Crossover 008.jpg
    29.7 KB · Views: 7
Last edited:
One of my favorite EQ's is the Pioneer SG-9800, and still have the one I bought back in 1980. My kid is still trying to get it from me and I keep telling him things like; pry from my cold dead hands, in your wildest fantasies, are you tone deaf?! I said NO!

So far I've holding him at bay.

It will eventually be mine......:D He is just angry that I have already abducted 5 other pieces of gear from him, never mind the fact that you NEVER used them, or they didn't work when I got them :D!

I have a Technics SH-8020 (don't laugh!) graphic equalizer, and the specs rival the SG-9800 from Pioneer-the looks aren't bad either. I have found that yes, no two recordings are the same, and that you might also have to make up for errors in speakers as well. I find that EQ's are a valuable tool to have, but can very easily be used to excess. The highest boost or cut that I use is +/- 3db. Not a lot, but just enough.

It was a unit that my dad got years ago, but because he already owned the 9800, it never got used, and some of the caps dried out, so when I turned it on one day "POP!". A couple dollars and a trip to the Rat Shack later, it is still working. Here is a pic of it just so everyone gets and idea of what it looks like.
 

Attachments

  • P1012586_resize.JPG
    P1012586_resize.JPG
    143.3 KB · Views: 29
Back
Top Bottom