Equalizer

[debzkool]

I am on the look out for a equalizer for my home stereo setup. I currently have a Norge 2060 amp with a SSP Preamp. I lost my tone controls after installing the SSP preamp. Thought the sound quality is perfect with the SSP, I would like to have the option of adjusting the colour of the sound to my hearing likes.

Could anyone please suggest an equalizer available in India within 15k. No looking out for something very fancy. Should just serve my purpose without adding any hiss or humm to the sound.

Please help out with your suggestions.

Regards,
Deb

 

[reubensm]

If you are ready to stretch your budget by just over 10k, then you can get yourself the ultimate piece of gear in this domain, the Behringer DEQ2496. Here is an Indian online store llink:

Buy Online | Lowest Price | Free Shipping| Behringer DEQ2496 Ultracurve PRO - Buy online at the guaranteed lowest price in India - BAJAAO - Buy online and Review Musical Instruments, Pro Audio, Studio, P.A. Audio Equipment in India

If bought in the United States, a new unit will cost you just over $250 which is about 15-17k less than the Indian price provided you have someone to pick it up and bring it back to India, for you.

If you are looking at the usual mass produced equalizers, you'd often find the odd Yamaha, Technics, Sony, Kenwood or Sansui graphic equalizer on olx or quickr.

Some like these (do not know the seller, posting out of general interest)

technics 12+12 equalizer. - Bangalore - Electronics

optimus equalizer - Bangalore - Electronics

Sansui se8 equalizer japan - Chennai - Electronics

Technics brand: Stereo Graphic Equalizer SH-8045 - Tumkur - Electronics

and many more.

 

[hemantwaghe]

Have Technics SH-GE90 equalizer.

For 8.5 K plus shipping

Digital parametric equaliser lets you boost or attenuate response at any three of 24 center frequencies

Six preset sound settings (Heavy, Clear, Soft, Vocal, Headphone Stereo, Car Stereo)

Six preset settings (Hall, Live, Disco, Church, Stadium, Theater

Karaoke/Voice Mute button with handy key control and reverb/echo effects

Two microphone inputs with level control

3-mode spectrum analyzer curve


This was featured in tnt-audio - audiophile italian / us site .
Technics SH-GE90

 

[Audio_Freek]

I am on the look out for a equalizer for my home stereo setup. I currently have a Norge 2060 amp with a SSP Preamp. I lost my tone controls after installing the SSP preamp. Thought the sound quality is perfect with the SSP, I would like to have the option of adjusting the colour of the sound to my hearing likes.
Please help out with your suggestions.

Regards,
Deb

With 15K budget you can try Technics or Sansui Pre-owned Equalizer, Which is VFM, I am using COX 10+10, and Sansui 7+7 also Technics 7+7,which are pre-owned and Vintage gear.

Am not selling these anyways, just suggested to go with two brands which sure amazes you.

Rule 1: Never buy any pre-owned without inspection if its got from unknown people.So check for the Olx.Quickr in Bangalore location.

Rule 2:For EQ- Test the quality by making all the frequency bands to max and check for any HUzzz,buzz ,distortion as well as keep all the frequencies to minimum and increase the volume, you should not get any distortion.

Rule 3:Just request the owner to open the panel and check for the any repairs(Soldering) or change in capacitors (As EQ have small board, finding fault in board is very easy.

Rule 4:Just check all the buttons and change the input settings.

All the best for your purchasehyeah:

 

[reubensm]

+1 to that.

Also, hum/ripple and distortion are the hallmark of improperly maintained pre-used equalizers. Keep all the controls in flat position and put your ear near the speakers (mid range speaker if available) and listen carefully for powersupply hum/ripple. Then turn up the amp volume and listen for hiss (if the eq is a good one, you'll here hiss only if high quality low noise ICs/Transistors are not used to replace blown ones during its service history). Then without turning on the source, boost each slider, one at a time and listen for hum (you may hear static due to dust in the sliders which can be cleaned provided the sliders are not worn or damaged). Then play something through the eq and repeat the procedure with each slider and listen carefully for distortion in max boost position (assuming you have a clean source without distortion). If you get favourable results, proceed with the buy.

Please also keep in mind how you plan to wire your eq to your rig. If you are placing it in the loop between your Preamp and Poweramp then the above mentioned becomes even more critical.

Hope this helps.

With 15K budget you can try Technics or Sansui Pre-owned Equalizer, Which is VFM, I am using COX 10+10, and Sansui 7+7 also Technics 7+7,which are pre-owned and Vintage gear.

Am not selling these anyways, just suggested to go with two brands which sure amazes you.

Rule 1: Never buy any pre-owned without inspection if its got from unknown people.So check for the Olx.Quickr in Bangalore location.

Rule 2:For EQ- Test the quality by making all the frequency bands to max and check for any HUzzz,buzz ,distortion as well as keep all the frequencies to minimum and increase the volume, you should not get any distortion.

Rule 3:Just request the owner to open the panel and check for the any repairs(Soldering) or change in capacitors (As EQ have small board, finding fault in board is very easy.

Rule 4:Just check all the buttons and change the input settings.

All the best for your purchasehyeah:

 

[Audio_Freek]

+1 to that.

Please also keep in mind how you plan to wire your eq to your rig. If you are placing it in the loop between your Preamp and Poweramp then the above mentioned becomes even more critical.

Hope this helps.

Reubensm,

I dont use Pre's but having plans to get pre's.

What i understand on Equalizers is that " It need to be connected from the SOURCE" of player and later DAC,or,Pre or power can be connected serially.

How does EQ performs when in order

Player-->EQ-->DAC-->PRE-->Power

and

Player-->DAC-->PRE-->EQ-->Power

Is there any exact process is available to set-up EQ in Stereo?

 

[Shivam]

Try once again asking yourself -
Do I really want to add another useless component in the signal path ?

 

[debzkool]

I wouldnt want to go for a pre-owned one until and unless it is absolutely necessary.
Been checking out some Behringer, DBX and NX. But dont really know which one to go for. Most of them have phono/xlr inputs and hence is a big turn off. Would rather prefer an RCA input. Some of them are way over my budget and really dont need such a complicated equalizer for my home setup.

I am also concerned about the connection is it
Source->EQ->Pre->Power
OR
Source->Pre->EQ->Power

P.S: Answer to "Do I really want to add another useless component in the signal path ?"
I have asked myself the same question numerous time but there are two reasons to it 1)after implementing the PRE which has no sort of tone control, I feel the new pre has added a bit of colour to my sound which I would want to neutralize or change.
2)My room is not what you would call an accoustical friendly rooma nd hence some frequencies are way more enhanced and overpowering than others.
Hence the plan of going for an equalizer

 

[reubensm]

Player-->EQ-->DAC-->PRE-->Power

and

Player-->DAC-->PRE-->EQ-->Power

Player-->EQ-->DAC-->PRE-->Power: you will not be able to do this unless your eq has digital inputs and outputs. Remember, the eqs you are after are analogue and hence this type of placement is not possible

Player-->DAC-->PRE-->EQ-->Power: with this placement, your eq would be available for use only with your CD source. You cannot use arrangement for multiple sources without doing some plugging and un-plugging every time you want to change your source

 

[reubensm]

Try once again asking yourself -
Do I really want to add another useless component in the signal path ?

+1 to that, additing components in the signal path generally causes degradation.

However, the ground rule in audio is to set up and maintain what works best for you and most importantly, what sounds best for you.

 

[reubensm]

Source->EQ->Pre->Power

Or

Source->Pre->EQ->Powe

1)after implementing the PRE which has no sort of tone control, I feel the new pre has added a bit of colour to my sound which I would want to neutralize or change.
2)My room is not what you would call an accoustical friendly rooma nd hence some frequencies are way more enhanced and overpowering than others. Hence the plan of going for an equalizer

Good points but again, it would depend on your listening taste as well. Different genres have different types of sound signatures. That is why very high end audiophile equipment may not be suitable for listening to genres like Heavy Metal and trance while coloured sound is not appropriate for classical music, jazz, speach recordings, etc. I would say, if you listen to multiple genres, an eq is highly reccomended. At times, music does sound appealing with a bit of colour and at times, colour can be extremely un-welcome.

also

Source->EQ->Pre->Power: Again, with this arrangement, you'll be able to use your eq with only one source at a time, and will have to do some un plugging and plugging, each time you want to change the source

Source->Pre->EQ->Power: This is the most commonlly used config. Your eq will work with your pre's out as the source and hence will be available to your all your sources. However your power amp should have the built-in input protection/limiter circuitry or a level control, else you may hear some nasty sounds especiallly if your cabling is not great.

 

[deba]

Adding EQ is surely stretching your signal path but it gives more control over your sound shaping which is required in most home audio setup.....

 

[manoj.p]

To OP:

You need to do your homework about adding an equalizer and buy it for a reason. If its tone control, then so be it. But understand this - almost all the multiband equalizers nowadays are digital. They have analog input/outputs, but do Analog to digital conversion, apply the filters and then do Digital to analog conversion again. So, that determines the final quality. Although, the modern devices manufactured after 2004 or so have ADC/DAC chips which are very much transparent. Any device that has 24 bit ADC/DAC has good transparent conversion. But you still need to understand this and get the right equalizer.

Or just get an amp with tone control if that's what you desire.

 

[reubensm]

also if using an equalizer with a pre/power combo, suggest the pre's tone defeat is activated (may not be applicable in your case as your ssp does not have tone controls anyways)

 

[trittya]

Try once again asking yourself -
Do I really want to add another useless component in the signal path ?

That, Dr Sahib, is YOUR opinion,:indifferent14: something that each of us is entitled to.
Nevertheless, I, for one, would merely like to interject that an EQ definitely has its uses, provided one discerns when/where it is needed and knows how to use it.

Regards

 

[Audio_Freek]

That, Dr Sahib, is YOUR opinion,:indifferent14: something that each of us is entitled to.
Nevertheless, I, for one, would merely like to interject that an EQ definitely has its uses, provided one discerns when/where it is needed and knows how to use it.

Regards

+1 Trittya,
Perfectly set,Its about what we got used to.I use to be in a audio Cassette Recording studio spending 2-3 hours during the High school days over there, i used to feel on the magic EQ is doing to music,I was more attracted to than.Since then i love to add up EQ with my setup for Customized listening.



Making the Low freq in top and listening some ARR melodies during the Midnight,is awesome, which is possible for me only with EQ,Also can adjust the setting for Old songs(Which are very noisy recorded) and make it sounding sweet

 

[trittya]

Here's some more insight

why audiophiles hate equalizers ? - diyAudio

 

[debzkool]

Anybody with any advice on a make and model of a new (not pre-used/obsolete) equalizer ? I am aware of the consequences of using an equalizer and hence decided to go for one for my setup. Its a matter of personal choice really.
Any other suggestion other than DEQ 2496 (way over my budget)
Audio_Freek how much did your cox 10+10 cost and where did you buy it from?

 

[trittya]

Anybody with any advice on a make and model of a new (not pre-used/obsolete) equalizer?
Any other suggestion other than DEQ 2496 (way over my budget)

What's your budget?
I suggest you go for a pro-grade EQ from the likes of Rane or Ashly etc. Try getting at least 20+20 bands. Normally these are built to last and are easily serviceable and/or repairable.
IMO, Its better to go in for a pre-owned (recently) discontinued model with more bands than a contemporary model with lesser bands.

Just audition and check ALL controls and innards before taking the plunge. Also, make sure it has normal RCA inputs/output option ALSO and is offered with the original/genuine external power supply, if any. Some of these work on 9/12 volts AC, you see.
HTH

 

[Audio_Freek]

Anybody with any advice on a make and model of a new (not pre-used/obsolete) equalizer ? I am aware of the consequences of using an equalizer and hence decided to go for one for my setup. Its a matter of personal choice really.
Any other suggestion other than DEQ 2496 (way over my budget)
Audio_Freek how much did your cox 10+10 cost and where did you buy it from?

DBK,
I got the COX EQ before 5 years from one of friend's Uncle who was running a cassette recording studio and was vacating. I paid 5k.

20+20 might be right choice, but you need to learn and work a Lot to get what we exactly want, I used to spend 5-10 Min for setting the EQ

IMHO 10+10 should be okie for Home use and more will consume much time of yours, as w never get satisfy working on 20 bands very easily