EQUALIZERS ROCK! Why you should consider having one!
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- Опубліковано 22 лип 2024
- An EQ can have a huge impact on the sound of your system. Try it! You'll like it! I don't care what the purists think. Thanks for watching. Please like and subscribe.
*DISCLOSURE: Some of the links below contain affiliate Amazon links. If you purchase with those links, I do receive a small commission but, it doesn't affect your price. Thank you for supporting the channel.
Douk T8 EQ amzn.to/4ajj4QW
Current audio equipment list:
Cambridge AXR-100 Receiver amzn.to/49Nq4Ft
Cambridge MXN10 amzn.to/44sBhdL
Schiit Bi-Frost Multi-Bit DAC
Schiit Lokius EQ amzn.to/3Qhuu0x
Schiit Mani Phono Pre-Amp amzn.to/3JyyCVW
Loxjie D-30 DAC just for DSD decoding.
Elac Debut 2.0 F-62 Speakers amzn.to/3Jy6eUc
Fluance RT-84 turntable. amzn.to/4aMuZrt
Upgraded with the Audio Technica AT540ML. amzn.to/4diAyzy
All line level cables are from Worlds Best Cable. I primarily use Mogami 2964 Wire and Amphenol ACPL connectors. amzn.to/3JWCDE9
iFi AC iPurifier amzn.to/3UWb4ko
My main streaming source is a small format PC amzn.to/3UbRKht running Audirvana: audirvana.com/try/
I also have a remote-controlled line level switcher so I can run all my source components through the Lokius. amzn.to/3w8IZwL
Email: oldguyhifi@gmail.com
Tidal Playlists:
The Fahrenheit Project (ambient electronic music): tidal.com/browse/playlist/69c...
Electronica for Audiophile: tidal.com/browse/playlist/e29...
My Classical playlist: tidal.com/browse/playlist/8e5...
Baroque Weekend: tidal.com/browse/playlist/cfe...
DJ Ed, a collection of music that is all over the place. tidal.com/browse/playlist/f89...
Spotify:
Classical Weekend: open.spotify.com/playlist/648...
80’s Patio Mix: open.spotify.com/playlist/4RU...
Qobuz playlist:
"Audiophile Electronica:" open.qobuz.com/playlist/20718243
"Vivaldi:" open.qobuz.com/playlist/15233981
An EQ can have a huge impact on the sound of your system. Try it! You'll like it! I don't care what the purists think. Thanks for watching. Please like and subscribe.
Back in the 70s and 80s I knew so many guys that had equalizers. They usually had all of the sliders pushed all of the way up. It made for a lively but totally crappy sound but they liked it so I guess that what mattered. LOL I never owned an EQ but all but one of my amps and receivers have loudness switches or rotating knobs. I love them. True audiophiles probably shudder when they see them, but I don't care. Ha!
I agree with you. I don't care what "audiophiles" think either. The real definition of audiophile is from Latin: audīre, literally 'to hear' + Greek: φίλος, Romanized: philos, literally 'loving." So a true audiophile loves listening. Hooray! Unfortunately many audiophiles are old guys like me but, unlike me, they feel the need to pass judgment and gate keep. I advocate tuning your system to sound the way you like so it makes want to listen more and for longer. Diatribe over, sorry. Thanks so much for sharing, viewing and returning for more of my lunacy.
@@OldGuyHifi Wow, you are really smart, not just another pretty face!
Lol.
Scene from Risky Business.
Great ✨️ 👍
Thanks Samuel. I appreciate the view and comment.
Thanks for the post. I'm an old man (late 60's) too and purchased a Lokius last year to liven up a pair of Emotiva T2+ which actually worked great, the receiver is a Outlaw Audio RR2160 MkII. The Emotiva's were missing a little detail in the higher end. However, I eventually purchased a pair of $1000 speakers a couple months ago; the Magnepan LRS+. Although the Lokius worked great on the Emotiva's, I don't need it for the LRS+. in fact I haven't even tried to use the Lokius with them. I listen to mostly straight jazz and agree that a good equalizer that is not overused can be a wonderful addition to a stereo system. Back in the 80's I used them all the time as well as SAE parametric EQs.
Mr. B, Thanks for tuning in. Sounds like you have a nice rig. The LRS+ are lovely sounding. We also used to use SAE gear and Rane in the studio. The Lokius might be able to help squeeze a bit more low end out of the LRS+. Unless you have a sub then no worries.
Thank you for another exciting video! EQs looked great in the 1970s and 1980s and were necessary for all serious car audio installations. In the digital age, for better or worse, most applications have adopted DSP instead. Once I am satisfy with how all the components are working together, my system only uses physical and mechanical adjustments to the speakers and the room for EQ🤣. My late mentor called it "kung fu," not the fighting kind, but the literal meaning of doing your "work." A labor of love for purity in audio, bringing out the best of your system without adding or taking away anything. A lifetime of enlightening exercise and exprience. Oh what fun😍😍😍
Simon, Awesome.. I am into my second glass of 20 year old port so let me respond tomorrow. I love what your saying. I just need a bit more brain power to digest it. I am listening to Yes 90125 at a far to high volume level. I will make a more coherent response tomorrow. OMG thanks. What a great comment.
All better now. I am not a fan of DSP. When we had the stand alone car audio store, we used to compete in IASCA. DSPs, EQs and active cross-overs were all the rage in competition. You kind of needed them. The whole ISACA was a bit silly to me. It was a decent marketing tool for the store though. I just liked to keep it simple. Remember what the Buddha said "There is no path to happiness, happiness is the path. Thank you Simon.
@@OldGuyHifi great to know you like port too. Tawny? I feel the same way, the old school straight wire with gain camp.
I like them all but a good Tawny is great, That's what I was imbibing last night, Graham's 20 Year Old Tawny Port. I am also a big fan of Taylor-Fladgate ports, especially their vintage from 2006. How about you?
I was watching the movie ALL THE RIGHT MOVES on cable in the '80s. A bit of that movie had the main character's Dad's stereo with a graphic equalizer. And, I just had to have one of them for my own.
Mr. John, I totally remember that part of the movie. That's awesome. Thanks for the memory and the view.
Well said, eq is a great way to make tweaks to your own listening preferences easily. It’s intuitive knob turning fun and looks cool in your system. 😊 No recording is perfect and your listening area is unique, ignore the anti-eq hype…
Thank you. I agree with you. I am kind of an "anti" audiophile, audiophile. Enjoying the music is my priority. I appreciate your comment. Thx.
My amp has bass and treble controls that can even be switched in and out from the remote. I set them to slightly cut the treble for those occasional overly bright mixes and remixes. Usually a little less bass helps to even out the sound when the treble is cut.
I've also noticed the Alanis Morissette sibilence and being able to cut that a bit would be nice. I've considered the Lokius before. Maybe it's time to buy one.
I think it helps mitigate sound quality and can endorse it. It is not a cure all but a good EQ can make things more pleasurable. Ignore the haters! Thanks for coming back and watching.
I have a Loki mini for my headphone setup. Nothing wrong with using an EQ if it's a quality unit and used to fine-tune to your liking. :)
Totally agree! Thank you for viewing and commenting.
I have stacks of equipment and speakers used in several systems. If I’m not using a piece with tone controls like a tube amp Im inserting a Schiit EQ. I also have a DAC with an internal digital EQ option. I would say less than 50% of my listening time is flat, no EQ
G-Money, sounds like you have a nice set-up. For me the EQ is more of a "set it and forget it" kind of thing. I do have a software VST3 plugin EQ that I can use in Audirvana but, I really only use it on my desk top rig. I appreciate you tuning in and sharing your experiences. Thank you so much.
I use two software equalizers in series for my headphone system. One is a 14 band graphic equalizer. The second is a five band harmonic equalizer. The graphic gets the headphone sound where I like it. The harmonic seems to add instrument separation and air around the instruments. Pleasing to the point that I no longer wish to upgrade my headphones.
Kenneth, Which software EQs do you use? I have one called Voxengo Marvel GEQ. It is a VST3 plugin I can use in Audirvana. I only use it on my desktop rig as I have the Schiit unit in the main system. I love it because as you said it get my Drop HD6XXs sounding the way I like. You are right! A good EQ can save money. Make what you have sound the way you like. Great observation. Thanks so much sharing that.
Hi that's why I like Japanese amplifier, they come with tone controls, and you have the options to turn them off
Great point! Thanks for the view and comment.
Hi Ed. I remember obsessing about equalizers back in my 30’s! Nowadays, I think tools like Audyssey and Dirac do an amazing job of dealing with room acoustics.
I recently discovered a tool that made a huge impression on me. For newer Marantz and Denon owners, it is amazing how much improvement the Audyssey One script does. I would guess about 80-90% of users notice a drastic improvement. I certainly did.
Most of the users that experience issues are due to having 2+ subs which need using a MiniDSP to help calibrate the subs.
I am not sure how many filters Audyssey One uses but in my den it was magical, for both 2-channel music listening or 5.1.4 movie watching.
Rafael, Great comment. I am not that familiar with Room Correction software as I don't do home theater which, is the the type of equipment that usually has those options. Thanks so much for sharing your insights.
@@OldGuyHifithanks for the reply. Interestingly, newer 2 channel stereos from Marantz, I think Denon too, come with Audyssey. Audyssey sells an improved version of the MultiEQ-32 software (that is included in their receivers) for $20. It’s called MultEQ and it is an improvement over the original. It is meant to improve the sound of your stereo (as well as multi channel AVRs) based on room acoustic responses. It runs on your phone or tablet. Guess technology at work.
Looking forward to your future projects.
EDIT: Other brands like Yamaha etc also have their own audio processing software.
Thank you for the clarification. I may be doing some of those brands soon. We will see.
The MultEQ app runs on your phone or tablet. It connects to the receiver, so the receiver and phone must be on the same network.
This is a great video. I would love to see a part two where you show it being inserted between the components and the amplifier and then use it and so forth. Also is there any benefit in sticking this between the main speakers and the amplifiers in a home theatre system which also has a centre channel and two rear speakers. I use dirac but manoeuvrability of the curve is a pain in the ass where is this thing looks like it could be done on the fly. My room before dirac adjusting of the curve is fine but to Play around with things without having to reload curves all the time would be ideal.. Maybe it's influence only the main speakers would be adequate. As all this makes sense? Also does this interfere with the quality of the signal because it goes through some processing ? I know shit does a good job and maybe it's not a problem😊
Thank you for the kind words. The EQ can be inserted into an AV Receiver in the "Main-In, Pre-Out" loop for the main channels. My receiver lacks that connection so I run my sources through a 4 in 1 out line level switcher (in the description of the video) with the 1 in going into the EQ and the EQ output going into the #1 input on my receiver. Does that make sense? I have zero experience with DIRAC so I can comment on that. I will say the EQ has zero effect on the integrity of the signal, it just adjusts the tone. I hope that helps. Thanks so much for watching and commenting.
Ed, at 70, I’m a tone control kinda guy. Not due to my hearing either. I have always expected to be able to tune the sound a bit. When I got back into audio and saw tone controls were taboo, I uttered a few expletives.
Agreed. I always had some sort of tone/eq control in all my systems. How does the Rogue sound?
It sounds great. It made the Mofi speakers take a leap forward because of its bass control. It also made the detail very present without graininess due to the tubes. However, it doesn’t have e tone controls and I still like to tweak. I always bump the lower midrange a bit if I’m not playing my ADS.
Try a Lokius. They aren't crazy expensive. There is a "B" stock unit on Schiit's web site for $279.00. I love mine. I like to pull 2KHz back a dB or 2. Let me know what you wind up doing. See you Sunday.
I have looked at them before. I’ll let you know what I do.
Thanks for the video, I am an old guy also, and have always had an EQ. The industry today hates EQ, but, I think they listen to , too much high brow music
Stan, Agreed. When we were at AXPONA this year you would have thought that Cistercian monks chanting 16th century funeral dirges accompanied by electronic Bouzoukis recorded in a cathedral somewhere on the planet Mars was all the rage. I really don't like "audiophile" music. I like my foot to tap or to get goose bumps. Thanks for watching and commenting.
We wouldn't need to EQ if the industry did it right to begin with. One of the biggest offenders is remixes.
@@earthoid For the most part remixes of older materials is just the search for more money and not an improvement in sound quality. There are certainly exceptions but, you have got to know what to look for.
Is there a guide to EQ the instruments including vocals that are too forward or too bright? You mentioned toning down a vocal in the 2000 kHz range.
Most of the "bright" sound signature, whether vocal or instrumental, comes in around 1kHz to 4kHz. The way most EQs work is that there is a center frequency say 2kHz and when that is adjusted it also effects surrounding frequencies. If the center is 2kHz, one octave down is 1kHz and one octave up is 4kHz. So typically a 2kHz center will also effect the one down and one up frequency. The amount of spread from the center frequency is specified as the EQ's "Q". It can vary from brand to brand. a quick definition is: “Q”: The shape of the EQ filter response. Lower “Q” values result in wider bandwidth EQ filter response. Higher “Q” values result in narrower bandwidth EQ filter response. The Schiit Lokius I use has a moderately low "Q" so it has an effect on the octaves above and below, which I think helps out for sure. As there is real guide on how to use an EQ, you really must do it by ear to find your sweet spot. I hope this helps. Thanks so much for commenting.
Also I tone controls when I enable them on my AV processor impact the signal quality so I leave them off. I would like to Tone down the treble if I could. I shifted over to using dirac on the AV processor I don't think impacted the signal quality with a new curve that was loaded but as I said in the other comment it's a pain to go in and modify a curve and reload it because I have trouble using my hands makes it all the more tougher. I appreciate your comments about the harshness of recordings in the 2K area. Yes it's very sad about the 70s recordings being such poor quality sometimes. This is when Music was a lot better than it is now.
Yes. I think my previous answer will help you on this as well.
I have my computer's audio hooked up to my audio system and even the built in EQ in Windows 10 is impressive for what it can do with my vintage system.
Way back in the day I was thinking of buying a Parametric EQ and someone asked - why not just buy a 16 band EQ (I believe) and save a lot on loot? Fact is I never bought either🤣
Software EQs are super easy to integrate especially in vintage systems. I like the physical kind because I can use it on all my sources, i.e., phono, CD player, streamer, etc. I have had parametric EQs before, but depending on the unit they can be a bit tough to use as they effect a wide range of frequencies depending on the chosen "Q." I like to set and forget so, I gravitated to the standard style. BTW, thank you for visiting our planet and my channel. ;-)
@@OldGuyHifi I only listen to music via my computer so a no brainer for me. I did play with a Parametic for a while, a 5 band I believe and fount it took a great deal of time to get things right.
Agreed. Thank you.,
That’s a nice Equalizer. Don’t have much experience with them. I used to have the philosophy that I didn’t want to change anything that the producer and artist finalized. But, I agree that sibilance is rampant in more modern music it seems. So, that would be a good use for this device. And then you have the whole “Auto-Tune” World. Almost anyone can have a great voice with this algorithm. Just abused the whole intention of this discovery. Real voices, like Karen Carpenter, Stevie Nicks, etc. are replaced with TS and her Auto-Tuned Voice. Don’t get me started. I guess I’m old.
You are so right about auto tune. My feeling on EQ'ing is that it is used extensively in the studio and in my experience in studios the musicians as a general rule don't care and leave it up the mixing engineer. Most of those guys are concerned about how it sounds on whatever is the most popular and commercial playback medium. Like these days ear pods over Bluetooth. IMHO the concept of "how the artist intended" is a false theory and unknowable. I just want it to sound the way I like it. I mean look at "Kind of Blue." Great record but it is held up as an icon of great sound. Well it was recorded in mono and then a stereo mix was created from a 4 track master. Then it was upconverted from analog to hi-rez and SACD when Sony wanted more money. Rant over and definitely not aimed at you. Sorry I got started. I am also just old. Thx.
Where do you set your tone controls on AXR100 when using your equalizer? I’ve only used tone controls on my receivers.
Norman, Good morning. I keep them flat unless there is some temporary fix I need to make. Because I listen to a lot of electronic music the bass can be a bit over blown so, I cut the bass control on the AXR100 back a notch to fix that. The tone controls on the AXR100 work at 100Hz and 20Khz so, the bass cut is effective. Thank you so much for watching.
Revisiting your video with a question I would like answered. Where in the signal path do you place an EQ unit? Before the DAC? After the DAC and before the Preamp? After the Preamp and before the Power amp? Thank you in advance for your reply, Sir.
Your are more than welcome sir. What I have done is added a 4 in 1 out line level (RCA) remote switcher the lives between all my source components and the EQ. I have my Bifrost output, my Mani Phono pre output, and my 2 CD transports outputs all plugged into the switcher which is connected to the input of the Lokius EQ and its output is feed to the input on my Cambridge AXR100. This way all my sources can be EQ'd. The little switcher has an infrared remote so I can switch inputs from my throne. There is a link to the switcher in the video description if you want to see it. It is super simple and more importantly, very convenient. Granted I can only have one EQ setting at a time but, I really only apply a very small amount of boost at 20Hz and a small cut at 2KHz. That seems to work for everything. I hope that answers your question. I you need I could draw it up and email the diagram to you. Let me know. Thanks so much Simon.
Thank you very much for your answer. Just what I needed. Much appreciated. Stay well, Sir.
Where are the colorful bouncing bars and multiaudio presets??? 😂 Due to my own compromised hearing, my EQ is an absolute necessity. I am currently using a Pioneer GR-777 or a Techics SH-8046 to 'tune' my sound to my preference. Thank you as always for your perspectives, time, efforts, and sharing this with us all.
Yes. I agree. Thank you sir. I appreciate it.
Just subscribed!
Curious, what camera and editing software do you currently use?
Thank you. I will return the favor. My video rig is embarrassing. My Samsung phone and an old copy of windows movie maker. EEEK. I am looking at Da Vinci Resolve, but haven't dug into it yet. How about you? Thx.
@@OldGuyHifi - I’ve been using an iPhone 14 Max and create vids with iMovie on our 2013 iMac.
I haven’t created a vid 5 months after making one about a DIY stereo rack.
Bought a second tripod from a thrift store to mount a Zoom H6 recorder (recent purchase) for better sound capabilities with the iPhone. My goal is to use the best camera and use a mirror to reflect the image side so I can see myself. Might try screen mirroring to the iMac. I have a few vid ideas but haven’t found the time.
It is a process. I have a bit of an advantage as my oldest boy is a professional videographer and has given me some hand me down studio lighting and some tips.
I love my Loki but for one issue. I am working on my third wall wart power supply due to loud buzzing.
Harry, I am sorry to hear that. Do you have the unit on top of another piece of equipment? Maybe that units power supply or circuitry is a cause. Also, do you have any AC power filtering? I had some noise and solved with this: amzn.to/3UWb4ko. I am curious to hear more about that. Keep me posted. Thanks so much for watching and commenting.
@@OldGuyHifi I use the iFi as well! Thankfully the buzz isn’t introduced to the audio chain but it is audible when there are quiet passages or the music isn’t playing. Thankfully I haven’t had to pay for replacement wall warts. I have noticed that it builds over time so I swap the three I have out every so often which is really no big deal.
Curious. I wonder why it builds over time. I am going to ruminate on that and see if I can help.