Need advice: Which equalizer?

[barendh]

Can anyone advise on a good equalizer, intended for hifi?
I want to correct my nasty bumps and valleys 90-200 Hz.
I do not like the Behringers, they appear to degrade the sound.
I own a Velodyne SMS1, but it can't go high enough.
Tried building a twin-T notch filter for the most offending frequency (95Hz) as on www.sound.westhost.com, but I can't get it to work, no matter what I try- tried a buffer before and after, nope.
The only thing I see on the scope is the signal coming through, no dip whatsoever...

[Evenharmonics]

90 – 200 Hz, that’s bass region, which means your room mode is more likely the culprit. Try different speaker location / orientation or change the listening spot. If it doesn’t work, you need some bass traps. If you already have bass traps and tried repositioning, then it may be time to try equalizer as a last resort. Ashly and Rane both make good analogue parametric and graphic EQ. They cost more than Behringer but that much better in my opinion.

[Cloth Ears]

Rane PE17 (mono) parametric equaliser sounds like your ticket, as you can program any of the 5 bands at any point on the sound spectrum (from about 10Hz up). But, you need 2 for a stereo set-up. And I klnow you said you don't like Behringers, but the PEQ2200 (also mono, so requiring 2) would fit the bill - with 3 bands within your 90-200Hz range.

Behringer do offer good advice (and this is in no way meant to be insulting): "An equalizer is no solution for bad equipment, but it is an extremely useful and effective sound tool for musical fine-tuning." In this case, please taje it in this context as me agreeing with Evenharmonics, in that your room probably needs a look at.

If, as he says, you have already tried this, then you can go down the EQ route, but I'm not sure that it will make your musical enjoyment any better. I've heard some room in venues that were being attemtped to be used for live music for the first time (and had very bad acoustics). You could equalise them so that the music frequencies were reasonably flat (dip at the top, slight boost in the mid-bass), but they still didn't sound very good to listen to music in. They rarely lasted as the patrons would only come for the good bands - and they didn't want these rooms.

Last, SCV make the RE209, which is a stereo, full room, parametric, EQ system - which would cover all your bases. I think they're only available second hand, but finding one of these might help.

Good luck!

[Zarathu]

If you have to use an equalizer for more than +/- 3db, then you need to redesign your system to begin with.

If you buy one either by parametric or make sure its Constant-Q. This means that as you raise or lower the db the curve doesn't spread outward but only up and down.

I also recommend a 1/3 octave version. I have a DOD 2/3 octave Constant Q. I don't use it much and currently I don't even have it in the loop.

Zarathu

[barendh]

Thanks for your inputs, friends!

I optimized the position of my front speakers with the audio generator.
That's all the change my wife allows.

My previous setup was succesfully tamed by the DEQ2496, and sounded OK, but now I bough a lot of used Linn kit and the sound is audibly impaired: the lovely treble sparkle and much dynamics are lost- also the sound is a bit congested if I switch in the Behringer.
I blame it on the DEQ2496's AD converter not getting enough signal to perform properly; only the bottom LED lights- sometimes.
I did not notice it before, but with this wonderful Linn stuff it is very obvious.

So the way to go seems a really good sharp analog EQ.
With "good" I mean really highend sound quality...
BTW- do these exist specially for hifi, with phono sockets etc.?
Fmax does not have to be much above 200 Hz.
I would even go build it myself...does anyone have a good schematics?

My speakers are Akkurate 242's, fully activated, which means all 5 speaker chassis per 242 have their own Chakra final amp channel, with the passive crossover disabled, and active crossover cards placed in the amps.
Bass below 80 Hz is handled by two ACI subs.
So the low bass channel is 80-205 Hz.
I think this lessens any possible sound impairment, although of course 120-200Hz is also a very important band and still prone to bumps and valleys.

Hope you are still with me ...please again put your Thinking Hats on.
Do I surprise you when I declare myself a real Tweaking Hifi Nut? !
Every advice is more than welcome !
Barend

[Foxx510]

Could you not just eq the low end amps and thus avoid degrading all that nice top end?

[barendh]

@Foxx510

Yes, that's the idea- problem is most EQ's aren't exactly made for hifi applications; further more they're usually bulky, ugly and have a lot of higher fq faders I will never use...
Which is the reason for my question if somebody knows a "different" equalizer...

[agent.5]

Originally posted by barendh
@Foxx510

Yes, that's the idea- problem is most EQ's aren't exactly made for hifi applications; further more they're usually bulky, ugly and have a lot of higher fq faders I will never use...
Which is the reason for my question if somebody knows a "different" equalizer...

Rane is my pick. From its literature, "


This allows the PE 17 to be configured one time as a
5-band subwoofer parametric equalizer, with all bands
covering the range of 10 Hz to 200 Hz"

[Foxx510]

I guess I was thinking that the behringer eq you have now might be ok on just the low end amps, that way your highs would be untouched, but it sounds like you want a smaller unit. Otherwise, perhaps you could show us the circuit you are trying to get going and maybe we can help with it. There should be something on the elliot sound site that suits your purpose should you want to go down that route.

[barendh]

Thanks , I will check it out!

BTW- anyone got a good circuit diagram that suits my requirements?
I have quite a lot of OPA2604 opamps by Burr Brown lying with their feet up, doing nothing...