DSP And Parametric EQ

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bluegrassphile

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How well does the parametric EQ in DSP apps sound? I've read where equalizers in general introduce noise. Maybe in some instances it's a quality issue, I don't know? My Roon nucleus has DSP with a parametric EQ. I haven't tried the DSP EQ out on my Roon yet. I'm curious to hear from anyone that has experimented with theirs.
 
bluegrassphile said:
How well does the parametric EQ in DSP apps sound? I've read where equalizers in general introduce noise. Maybe in some instances it's a quality issue, I don't know? My Roon nucleus has DSP with a parametric EQ. I haven't tried the DSP EQ out on my Roon yet. I'm curious to hear from anyone that has experimented with theirs.
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I have been using both the up sampling features and the DSP EQ on ROON for a few years. As long as you have a core PC with the requisite “ HORSEPOWER “ that’s needed in some applications to work properly, I find that the benefits outweigh what ever downsides might be introduced ( noise, etc). And with the latest iteration of Roon introduced this month, which seems to “enhance” the overall sound quality, I am more than impressed.....As they say your mileage may very, but I really like what ROON brings to the table, sonically and otherwise.

Cheers....
 
How about all the mixing, compression, EQ and all those knobs, switches and miles of very affordable... ahem "cables"... that goes on at the engineer's console before the music reaches the consumer? :cool:
 
Interesting question. We are getting “on loan for trial” a fascinating relatively new DAC which incorporates some incredible DSP (in the digital domain) and EQ functionality. The designer of this DAC actually won a Grammy for his work. That’s a first!

One of the main functions of this DAC that I personally am most interested in, is the de-esser. I have a pro level de-esser at home and certainly have used it in the past.

But it has far more than just de-essing technology, so we are quite excited to get this in for trial.

We might just have a few good systems to try it out on. :)

c646340834c08f7cc911bb366a69877d.jpg



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Mike said:
Interesting question. We are getting “on loan for trial” a fascinating relatively new DAC which incorporates some incredible DSP (in the digital domain) and EQ functionality. The designer of this DAC actually won a Grammy for his work. That’s a first!

One of the main functions of this DAC that I personally am most interested in, is the de-esser. I have a pro level de-esser at home and certainly have used it in the past.

But it has far more than just de-essing technology, so we are quite excited to get this in for trial.

We might just have a few good systems to try it out on. :)

c646340834c08f7cc911bb366a69877d.jpg



Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Pro
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That's cool Mike. Wiess builds some fine gear.
 
EQ's gota rep for noise in the 70's where they were a fad and also analog. Being a fad meant many were mass produced and to meet a price point and they connected to tape monitor loops, so often a higher noise floor was detected, if not actual extra additional noise.

DSP is Digital Sound Processing, I haven't herd the same criticisms about EQ in the digital domain.

To say Legacy's Wavelet is DSP is an understatement as it does so much more but a large part of it's job is DSP. The unit seems to be very popular and an example of how some audio consumers are warming up to the idea.

Also, the room correction programs effectiveness ae light years beyond what a mere analog EQ could do.

Audessey on my HT processor works very well IMO. I know some still don't use it but I like what it does.
 
Just a tip Dept.:

Don't use DSP room correction to fix a lack of bass at the listening chair if your speakers are capable of that bass. The lack of bass will be caused by a standing wave in the room cancelling your bass energy at the listening chair. The fix is to break up the standing wave, not to try to correct it- correction will tell the amps to make more power at that frequency and since its caused by cancellation you can put 1000's of watts into it and still have the loss of bass.

To correct this problem you need at least 4 subs or perhaps two subs to supplement your main speakers, depending on your speakers capabilities. The subs have to be asymmetrically placed to work right. Such a setup is called a Distributed Bass Array (one of the best subs for this I've seen is the Swarm made by Audiokinesis).

Because waveforms below 80Hz are over 14 feet in length, in most rooms bass is entirely reverberant. For this reason below about 80Hz its also omnidirectional, so you can use a mono signal to drive the subs. They must not make any energy above 80Hz though or they will attract attention to themselves.
 
Mike said:
Interesting question. We are getting “on loan for trial” a fascinating relatively new DAC which incorporates some incredible DSP (in the digital domain) and EQ functionality. The designer of this DAC actually won a Grammy for his work. That’s a first!

One of the main functions of this DAC that I personally am most interested in, is the de-esser. I have a pro level de-esser at home and certainly have used it in the past.

But it has far more than just de-essing technology, so we are quite excited to get this in for trial.

We might just have a few good systems to try it out on. :)

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Pro
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:congrats: and would be interested to hear your thoughts. Hopefully, it is the Weiss DAC501 / DAC 502 (same innards but different form factor). Have owned the DAC502 since 2017. Firmware upgradeable over the internet and there have been a number of upgrades since 2018.

The Weiss offers a number of DSP functions, some more useful than others. The Room Equaliser and Creative Equaliser functions are useful. Surprisingly, the Loudness Control makes an audible (and welcome difference) for low level listening - it really makes the sound fuller with minimal detriment.

Plus, Daniel Weiss, the designer, is approachable and willing to share his knowledge.

nicoludio said:
Weiss DAC501 or DAC502, $9850 or less in the US.

DAC501 / DAC502 | Products | Weiss Engineering Ltd.

Underrated and under the radar. Some may be prejudiced due to its pro audio/studio heritage. As was I.

Despite this, it has managed to confound and pleasantly surprise me with its balanced, detailed sound yet sounds natural and musical.

When I was planning to buy the Chord DAVE last year (before reviews were out for the Weiss), I compared the Weiss with the Chord DAVE twice (in a group and alone) in different systems. I got the Weiss.

Recently, I also compared the Weiss with the Aqua Formula, with a view to getting the Formula. The Weiss stayed.

There has been a recent flurry of reviews but those from Stereophile and Hi-Fi Knights are consistent with my experience.

Weiss Engineering DAC502 D/A processor | Stereophile.com

Weiss DAC501 – HiFi Knights

Ultimately though, despite the great reviews for any DAC, nothing beats listening to one in your system or doing A-B comparisons.
Click to expand...
 
nicoludio said:
:congrats: and would be interested to hear your thoughts. Hopefully, it is the Weiss DAC501 / DAC 502 (same innards but different form factor). Have owned the DAC502 since 2017. Firmware upgradeable over the internet and there have been a number of upgrades since 2018.

The Weiss offers a number of DSP functions, some more useful than others. The Room Equaliser and Creative Equaliser functions are useful. Surprisingly, the Loudness Control makes an audible (and welcome difference) for low level listening - it really makes the sound fuller with minimal detriment.

Plus, Daniel Weiss, the designer, is approachable and willing to share his knowledge.
Click to expand...

Thanks, yes the 502 since it has better headphone capabilities.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro
 
Glad to hear that more audiophiles are becoming interested in exploring digital DSP.
From what I have seen, many folks that are reluctant to using DSP are enthusiasts who are used to analog corrections and EQ of yesteryear. With today’s DSP one can make all sort of corrections that were not possible in the analog domain.

My experience has been that properly applied DSP will yield much better sound quality than spending tons of money on fancy cables or components. If done correctly, DSP filters can be created to correct room issues and tweaked to any individual’s taste. You can actually graphically SEE and HEAR the results.
 
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