Cheapest way to a parametric EQ

DiG

DiG

DiG

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Joined
16 Mar 2004
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Hi,
I've been playing with Room EQ Wizard and my new minidsp usb microphone. It's made me realise how bad my room is and also how little control over the EQ I have with my current equipment!

I've moved everything around to get the best possible response, and its made a big difference, but I'm hungry for more.

Does anyone know the cheapest way of getting full control over the crossovers for individual speakers and applying parametric EQ to individual speakers (and the sub, in particular)?

I'd ideally like something thats going to be able to cope with what I have now (a collection of second hand stuff, Castle front speakers, Gale center and surrounds, M&S 309 sub, cheap Sony AVR) and much better equipment when I have more money to spend!
 
The cheapest way has to be changing the amp for one with Audyssey processing built-in. A secondhand amp at that.
 
I would really recommend saving pennies however you can and getting an anthem mrx 300. The room correction is phenomenal out of the box and if you really want you can do endless tinkering. You might be able to get one second hand for 600-700 if you're lucky

The problem is, cheaper audyssey systems won't do much at all with your sub and will probably leave you wanting more.
 
Hi,
Had a look at the anthem mrx 300, seems like it would do exactly what I want but also costs more than all of my current setup combined!

Do the cheaper audyssey systems not give you manual control over the settings?

I was thinking something a little more hacky, maybe an old live sound EQ could be wired in somehow? I'd be happy with a software solution for the HTPC (99% of films I watch are via XBMC) but I can't find anything that would do the job
 
DiG said:
Hi,
Had a look at the anthem mrx 300, seems like it would do exactly what I want but also costs more than all of my current setup combined!

Do the cheaper audyssey systems not give you manual control over the settings?

I was thinking something a little more hacky, maybe an old live sound EQ could be wired in somehow? I'd be happy with a software solution for the HTPC (99% of films I watch are via XBMC) but I can't find anything that would do the job
Click to expand...

I think the only audyssey system that gives you manual control is their pro system which is crazy expensive (and prob not even as good as what comes with the anthem!)

If it is mainly the sub giving you issues then a sub eq like antimode might be a better bet, otherwise I think you're just going to make matters worse :(
 
I've found an excellent piece of software called Equalizer APO which allows you to apply a parametric EQ to all sound coming out of Windows. At the moment it applies the EQ to all channels, but I've managed to make some improvements.

Before
beforelo.jpg


After
afterke.jpg


Haven't had much time to listen to the result yet, but I'm going to try and dial in a good house curve and see how I get on
 
The other thing you need to consider is although you could start applying parametric EQ to remove room modes or various oddites. As you add equalisation all equalisers will induce some degree of non-coherent phase across the spectrum and this can sound just as bad as a slightly prominent frequencies. A better way to tone down such issues is with physical adjustments to the room, bass trapping and dispersion.

If you did want a physical EQ something like a Behringer DCX2496 is about as cheap as it gets for very controllable DSP however IMO spending time treating and arranging the room is better.
 
I'm guessing you have around a 3 meter square room ?...... You have bass hump at 40hz, so that will be measured with the sub switched on?
Are you trying to tune for music or films ?
Just correct the 40hz bass issue, by tuning the sub or use audyssey in an AV amp should work....try the sub in different room positions. For films should be fine.
Then balance the room echo with soft furnishings.
Beyond that it will get expensive, either passive or active.
 
Close, its around 3 x 4, maybe a little bigger. As its the only system I have it has to be a jack of all trades so 70% film 30% music.

The changes I've already made have had a huge effect, it really is night and day better. Instead on nothing nothing nothing BASS nothing, its just equal and smooth! So much more pleasant a listening experience!

I'd already moved the sub around to find the best place before taking the before reading, would hate to have seen what the graph was before moving the sub! In terms of other passive things, its a rented flat and money is tight, so I'm really limited in what I can do.

Until I'm in a place where I can a) Change stuff and b) Not have neighbours below me to worry about I think I'm going to have to stop where i am now
 
That Equalizer APO solution looks an interesting solution.

I tried using the EQ plugin in foobar2000 to cancel out the 3 boosted curves I saw in my REW graph and it worked quite well for the obvious booms in music I was getting and I'd rate that 6/10 compared to what I hear now.

I now use an Anti-mode 2.0 Dual Core to cover all my sources (X360, Freesat, Voyage MPD and HTPC) as the issue was very obvious once I knew there was a big problem.

Couldn't be happier as it worked beautifully on its first calibration and and I've not needed to tweak the house curve at all. Probably will fiddle with it again when I add a .1 to the current 2.0 setup.
 
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