Eq w/ DEH-80PRS ?

[skeptikal Premium Member]

Have just about everything I need for the system in the truck (new HO alt coming later summer) and was wondering if people are still using EQs or line drivers anymore? Back in the day the AudioControl Epicenter was the bees knees.

Any suggestions for one with the DEH-80PRS or should the onboard functionality be enough?

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[ciaonzo 5,000+ posts]

EQs and line drivers are still very much present, just in the form of head units like yours or similar DSP units that interface with stock heads. Of course, separate outboard EQs and line drivers do exist by they are not quite as commonplace.

The Epicenter isn't really an EQ, though it does have a line driver built in. It works a bit differently by adding in synthetically created bass tones under the real music tones, essentially in real-time. It's a servo loop, too fast for your ear/brain system to detect any lag. So if you have music that is light-in-the-ass when it comes to bass (mostly older recordings), or it only contains high bass, the Epicenter throws in an artificial tone exactly one octave lower than the real content. Example; if the bass in a song is bouncing between 50, 60 and 80Hz, the Epicenter is throwing in 25, 30 and 40Hz (at a level that you command) to fatten things up. This is not the same as equalization because EQ bands are fixed and only boost or cut in those Q/frequency ranges. If you boost 25-30Hz with just an EQ band, you wouldn't have much effect on 50-60Hz, but the Epicenter is continuously tracking these upper frequencies and adding the lower content.

It's a toy, really. But like most toys, they can be pretty fun and addicting. They can also make things sound like complete garbage, or worse... completely shred your drivers due to over-excursion. It's definitely a piece of gear you want to design around rather than throw in last minute. Especially if you have already applied heavy boost in the frequencies that it throws in. It has a built in subsonic filter but between too much power and enclosures that unload, you can still run into real trouble with woofer destruction.

Short answer is you might be just fine with the 80PRS, it's a pretty capable head. Depends on whether or not you listen to whole lot of old recordings that you feel need fattening up with digital synthetic bass tones.

I sure like it. I can't be the only one. You just want to turn it off when you listen to music that already has plenty of bass content.

 

[Louisiana_CRX 5,000+ posts]

Have just about everything I need for the system in the truck (new HO alt coming later summer) and was wondering if people are still using EQs or line drivers anymore? Back in the day the AudioControl Epicenter was the bees knees.
Any suggestions for one with the DEH-80PRS or should the onboard functionality be enough?

Your deck is pretty well loaded up with everything you need...eq and crossover wise ..but an epicenter might give you a finishing touch ..the epicenter also helps the bass response in compressed format like MP3 ..usb or satellite radio ...

 

[ciaonzo 5,000+ posts]

You git one?

 

[Jeffdachef 5,000+ posts]

Have just about everything I need for the system in the truck (new HO alt coming later summer) and was wondering if people are still using EQs or line drivers anymore? Back in the day the AudioControl Epicenter was the bees knees.
Any suggestions for one with the DEH-80PRS or should the onboard functionality be enough?

Dont even bother, almost every outboard EQ on the market currently is garbage compared to your 80 prs EQ. Only thing that would beat it is a Digital sound processor which has a 31 band parametric EQ.

Your deck is pretty well loaded up with everything you need...eq and crossover wise ..but an epicenter might give you a finishing touch ..the epicenter also helps the bass response in compressed format like MP3 ..usb or satellite radio ...

the 80 prs already has a de-compression feature built in for those exact things you listed which restores a lot of bass and has several different levels too. Epicenter is literally useless unless he listens to classical and spanish music or anything with literally no bass. Other than that, its best to leave the epicenter completely out of the system.