Equalizers- are they needed anymore?

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With all of the new features/programs with the surround sound/audio
systems these days, do you feel like an equalizer is necessary anymore
for DVD/Stereo/CD systems? Or are they just another 'toy' that is pretty
much obsolete these days?

Thanks for any help/input.

Craig

Archived from groups: rec.audio.high-end (More info?)

"Craig James" <PermissionToLand@webtv.net> wrote in message
news:cj40qg03bf@news1.newsguy.com...
> With all of the new features/programs with the surround sound/audio
> systems these days, do you feel like an equalizer is necessary anymore
> for DVD/Stereo/CD systems? Or are they just another 'toy' that is pretty
> much obsolete these days?
>
> Thanks for any help/input.
>
> Craig

They can be helpful, particularly with subwoofer(s), but room acoustics
should take priority.

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"Craig James" <PermissionToLand@webtv.net> wrote in message
news:cj40qg03bf@news1.newsguy.com...
> With all of the new features/programs with the surround sound/audio
> systems these days, do you feel like an equalizer is necessary anymore
> for DVD/Stereo/CD systems? Or are they just another 'toy' that is pretty
> much obsolete these days?

Since an equalizer's best use is to try to correct problems with room
acoustics they will be useful as long as we have rooms that are not
acoustically perfect. The only way new systems will obsolete them is to have
them built into the systems, which is beginning to happen. I hear that it's
a big help.

Wylie Williams

Archived from groups: rec.audio.high-end (More info?)

Equalisers are totally unnecessary and distort the sound from how it was
originally mixed and recorded. My amps don't even have bass or treble knobs
on them.

Kevin Smith

"Wylie Williams" <wyliewill@charter.net> wrote in message
news:cj4lvc01vd@news3.newsguy.com...
> "Craig James" <PermissionToLand@webtv.net> wrote in message
> news:cj40qg03bf@news1.newsguy.com...
>> With all of the new features/programs with the surround sound/audio
>> systems these days, do you feel like an equalizer is necessary anymore
>> for DVD/Stereo/CD systems? Or are they just another 'toy' that is pretty
>> much obsolete these days?
>
> Since an equalizer's best use is to try to correct problems with room
> acoustics they will be useful as long as we have rooms that are not
> acoustically perfect. The only way new systems will obsolete them is to
> have
> them built into the systems, which is beginning to happen. I hear that
> it's
> a big help.
>
> Wylie Williams
>

Archived from groups: rec.audio.high-end (More info?)

EQs can be useful to correct for room problems. Even the best rooms
usually have some problems. A 10 band (octave) equalizer is not really
up to the job however. A 1/3 octave or parametric equalizer can correct
for most room problems. It is best used in conjunction with a signal
generator and a sound pressure level meter.


---MIKE---

Archived from groups: rec.audio.high-end (More info?)

Kevin Smith <KevinSmith@shiraz-time.fsnet.co.uk> wrote:
> Equalisers are totally unnecessary and distort the sound from how it was
> originally mixed and recorded. My amps don't even have bass or treble knobs
> on them.


Thena again, equalizers were almost certainly used on the vast majority
of recordings you enjoy, during their recording, mixing and mastering.


So they can hardly be called totally unnecessary, can they?



--
-S
Your a boring little troll. How does it feel? Go blow your bad breath elsewhere.

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Steven Sullivan wrote:

> Kevin Smith <KevinSmith@shiraz-time.fsnet.co.uk> wrote:
>
>>Equalisers are totally unnecessary and distort the sound from how it was
>>originally mixed and recorded. My amps don't even have bass or treble knobs
>>on them.
>
>
>
> Thena again, equalizers were almost certainly used on the vast majority
> of recordings you enjoy, during their recording, mixing and mastering.
>
>
> So they can hardly be called totally unnecessary, can they?

Mind you, these are 30-50+ band monster mixing boards. A 6-8 band
equalizer is hardly any more useful than tone controls. I have
seen a few 30+ band home models, though.

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Craig James <PermissionToLand@webtv.net> wrote:
> With all of the new features/programs with the surround sound/audio
> systems these days, do you feel like an equalizer is necessary anymore
> for DVD/Stereo/CD systems?

The white papers at :

http://www.harman.com/wp/index.jsp?articleId=121
http://www.harman.com/wp/pdf/Loudspeakers&RoomsPt2.pdf
http://www.harman.com/wp/index.jsp?articleId=122
http://www.harman.com/wp/pdf/Loudspeakers&RoomsPt3.pdf

argue that parametric equalizers can and should be used to control
ressonances on the room/speakers. See page 16 on the first pdf and
page 17 on the second.

> Or are they just another 'toy' that is pretty
> much obsolete these days?

They are now integrated in medium-high-end receivers with an
automatic system to set it up. See, for instance, the Yamaha RX-V750
and higher models (Yamaha call its system Yamaha Parametric Room
Acoustic Optimizer (YPAO) ):

http://www.yamaha.com/yec/customer [...] _V750_.PDF
http://www.yamaha-service.de/servi [...] nglish.pdf

--
http://www.mat.uc.pt/~rps/

..pt is Portugal| `Whom the gods love die young'-Menander (342-292 BC)
Europe | Villeneuve 50-82, Toivonen 56-86, Senna 60-94

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imispgh wrote:
> Craig James wrote:
>
>> With all of the new features/programs with the surround sound/audio
>> systems these days, do you feel like an equalizer is necessary anymore
>> for DVD/Stereo/CD systems? Or are they just another 'toy' that is pretty
>> much obsolete these days?
>>
>> Thanks for any help/input.
>>
>> Craig
>
> I think EQs are actually necesary to get people in to high end - which
> means eventually eliminating them.
>
> I have helped several friends get the most out of their "rack systems".
> In doing so I used test discs and a sound meter to show how far off
> their systems are especially when they had to mount speakers in
> cabinets/shelves. Doing that drives the low mids all over the place -
> more than 10db swings. Most of these people did not want to replace
> everything, So I got them 10 band EQs from Ebay-used. Every one of
> them appreciates the difference. One even upgraded his satellites with
> Paradigms.
>
> EQs-in examples like this - provide dramatic A/B differences.
What test dics and sound meters? I'd like to do that to my system. Do
you mean something like the Stereophile tests CDs and an inexpensive
sound meter by Radio Shack?

CD

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"Codifus" <codifus@optonline.net> wrote in message
news:cjct5v01a0p@news1.newsguy.com...
>> I have helped several friends get the most out of
>> their "rack systems". In doing so I used test discs
>> and a sound meter to show how far off their systems
>> are ...
>
> What test dics and sound meters? I'd like to do that
> to my system. Do you mean something like the
> Stereophile tests CDs and an inexpensive sound meter
> by Radio Shack?

You can get a test CD from Rives Audio ("Test CD 2" )
that has been calibrated for the nominal response of
the Radio Shack SPL meter: http://www.rivesaudio.com/.
Once you see what your real response is, you'll
probably wish you didn't know! But that's normal.
Read the info at Rives Audio to find out why. And stay
away from the ubiquitous 10-band graphic EQ!

Regards,
Tip

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"Codifus" <codifus@optonline.net> wrote in message
news:cjct9901a7c@news1.newsguy.com...
> Kevin Smith wrote:
>
>> Equalisers are totally unnecessary and distort the
>> sound from how it was originally mixed and recorded.
>> My amps don't even have bass or treble knobs on
>> them.
>
> I'm with you. I always listen with source-direct
> selected on my amp, bypassing the tone controls
> completely.

It's not your electronics and it's not really your
speakers, it's the room that needs EQ. The room
distorts the sound more than any component in your
system. The resonant frequencies of your room will
affect the sound of the speakers. You can reduce these
effects by careful placement of the speakers and
listening position, and by selecting a speaker design
that does not excite the room modes as much (e.g.,
line-source, panel speakers, smaller speakers). And
then you can use EQ to remove the problems that still
exist. This month's issue of The Absolute Sound (#150)
has some very good articles on room acoustics and EQ
that you should read.

Regards,
Tip

Archived from groups: rec.audio.high-end (More info?)

Hi JJ,

>>>>> With all of the new features/programs with the
>>>>> surround sound/audio
>>>>> systems these days, do you feel like an equalizer
>>>>> is necessary anymore
>>>>> for DVD/Stereo/CD systems? Or are they just
>>>>> another 'toy' that is pretty
>>>>> much obsolete these days?
>
> The point is that equalizers cannot correct common
> room problems
> such as resonances and refective problems.

Digital EQ like the Tact Audio RCS can correct room
resonances. I highly recommend to everyone that they
read the latest issue of The Absolute Sound (#150) for
a primer on room acoustics and digital EQ. (Sorry if
I'm repeating myself ;^))

Regards,
Tip

Archived from groups: rec.audio.high-end (More info?)

Tip <Tip_Johnson@comcast.net> wrote:
>> The point is that equalizers cannot correct common
>> room problems such as resonances and refective problems.

> Digital EQ like the Tact Audio RCS can correct room
> resonances. I highly recommend to everyone that they
> read the latest issue of The Absolute Sound (#150) for
> a primer on room acoustics and digital EQ.

Or read the white papers at:

http://www.harman.com/wp/index.jsp?articleId=121
http://www.harman.com/wp/pdf/Loudspeakers&RoomsPt2.pdf
http://www.harman.com/wp/index.jsp?articleId=122
http://www.harman.com/wp/pdf/Loudspeakers&RoomsPt3.pdf

See page 16 on the first pdf and page 17 on the second.

> (Sorry if I'm repeating myself ;^))

Ditto.

--
http://www.mat.uc.pt/~rps/

..pt is Portugal| `Whom the gods love die young'-Menander (342-292 BC)
Europe | Villeneuve 50-82, Toivonen 56-86, Senna 60-94