Is a Equalizer worth the money

[whitemax 10+ year member]

Not saying my sound is flat, quite the opposite. I'm saying that the eq on my hu isn't boosting any frequency into distortion. I know full well how to use an eq, just choose to let my active crossovers do the work. If you ever want a demo, holler. Not too far from you man.

I also am well versed in using an EQ....been doing this for a while. I use mine to cut problem areas within my vehicles response.

 

[Jerm1400]

Check my sig. I don't have expensive anything. I just know how to tune my s**t.

I have the q4-120 I know I could run active on that amp but the hp filter goes from 20 to 5k hz how do you find the right frequency if you wanted to tune your speakers to 80 or 100 hz?

 

[CSCStang]

I also am well versed in using an EQ....been doing this for a while. I use mine to cut problem areas within my vehicles response.

Not doubting you at all bro. Most people don't use one correctly, so I don't advise them to get one.

 

[CSCStang]

I have the q4-120 I know I could run active on that amp but the hp filter goes from 20 to 5k hz how do you find the right frequency if you wanted to tune your speakers to 80 or 100 hz?

My subs are on lp to 80hz. I run the midbass on bandpass from 80-900hz. The midrange come in at 900 and roll off at 5k, the tweets take it up to 20k.

 

[UGHH]

I have the q4-120 I know I could run active on that amp but the hp filter goes from 20 to 5k hz how do you find the right frequency if you wanted to tune your speakers to 80 or 100 hz?

I've wondered the same thing. It doesn't say each frequency. Gotta guess unless you get a SMD-CC1?

 

[UGHH]

My subs are on lp to 80hz. I run the midbass on bandpass from 80-900hz. The midrange come in at 900 and roll off at 5k, the tweets take it up to 20k.

He's asking how know what it's crossed at. There's no numbers all the way around the dial. It says the lowest point and the highest point.

 

[CSCStang]

He's asking how know what it's crossed at. There's no numbers all the way around the dial. It says the lowest point and the highest point.

Run a test tone sweep and dial in accordingly where you can blend the crossover points. Time consuming but worth it imo.

Btw, I'm building a t-line for one of my hds's this week. Can't wait to hear it......

 

[UGHH]

Run a test tone sweep and dial in accordingly where you can blend the crossover points. Time consuming but worth it imo.Btw, I'm building a t-line for one of my hds's this week. Can't wait to hear it......

I've always wondered how t-lines sound. I've read they're complicated to build too

 

[Jeffdachef 5,000+ posts]

Having you EQ on flat doesn't mean that your frequency response looks like that. A frequency response that's flat is usually not very pleasing to the ear. Properly using an EQ is something that many people do not know how to do. I use mine to tackle problem areas in my cars frequency response to tame peaks within the system.

Even with Lossless format, there's just too much difference between each audio recording and there will be different peaks to each song. I generally found it was a pain to cut or flatten to every song. When I had a subpar 4200ub head unit, i also had this horrible peak in the 6khz range that both the head unit and graphic EQ could never solve, always had a harshness no matter the quality of the drivers i use, the positioning with the tweeters, to the acoustical treatments to the car. With a source with a good DAC, that problem went away completely. I tried using the clarion EQ with the new head unit but i found it not necessary because the head unit 16 band parametric EQ can do everything much more accurately without killing the sound quality.

I'm not saying EQs are useless, i'm saying graphic EQs are not worth the money.

 

[Jeffdachef 5,000+ posts]

I've wondered the same thing. It doesn't say each frequency. Gotta guess unless you get a SMD-CC1?

Get audacity and the add on that lets you convert to mp3s. Generate whatever frequency you want and let it run for 5 minutes, convert it to mp3 and use that as a test tone. No need for some overpriced CC-1 gear.

 

[UGHH]

Get audacity and the add on that lets you convert to mp3s. Generate whatever frequency you want and let it run for 5 minutes, convert it to mp3 and use that as a test tone. No need for some overpriced CC-1 gear.

OK. What does the test tone do for you? what do you do when its playing? I haven't tuned an amp properly, just guessed at where the low pass and sub sonic were for my subs. don't have an amp for door speakers right now. cant go on youtube right now to look it up as im at work.

 

[CSCStang]

I've always wondered how t-lines sound. I've read they're complicated to build too

The build will be easy. It's the design that's tough, but I have a great designer.

 

[whitemax 10+ year member]

Even with Lossless format, there's just too much difference between each audio recording and there will be different peaks to each song. I generally found it was a pain to cut or flatten to every song. When I had a subpar 4200ub head unit, i also had this horrible peak in the 6khz range that both the head unit and graphic EQ could never solve, always had a harshness no matter the quality of the drivers i use, the positioning with the tweeters, to the acoustical treatments to the car. With a source with a good DAC, that problem went away completely. I tried using the clarion EQ with the new head unit but i found it not necessary because the head unit 16 band parametric EQ can do everything much more accurately without killing the sound quality.
I'm not saying EQs are useless, i'm saying graphic EQs are not worth the money.

I've used both PEQ's & GEQ's with good results. As of matter of fact, I'm using a graphic EQ right now. I don't think it's good to make blanket statements.... both have been used with great results for years.

The point of using an EQ is to start off with the best response possible. Meaning you equalize the response to a specific curve that pleases your ear or target curve....there are a few of these floating around the net. This means getting rid of or minimizing the effects of problem areas. I don't EQ for specific songs...I EQ my system for the best response possible by measuring before & after results.

In my experience DAC's don't make as big of a difference as a quality installation with good equipment, & good tuning skills. It's not to say that they don't, but in a moving vehicle, it will be hard to tell the difference if at all. I've used the top of the line gear from Alpine with DAC's that were used in the top gear from the 90's....from other manufacturers as well, such as Sony's top of the line Mobile ES units. A processor with four 20bit Burr Brown sine magnitude DAC's, with fiberoptic connections between the HU & processor...all digital to analog conversion happening via the PCM1702 DAC's in the processor. I've had top of line units from different manufacturers as well. All were great sounding units. I would put more emphasis on the things I've mentioned, over a DAC.

 

[Jeffdachef 5,000+ posts]

OK. What does the test tone do for you? what do you do when its playing? I haven't tuned an amp properly, just guessed at where the low pass and sub sonic were for my subs. don't have an amp for door speakers right now. cant go on youtube right now to look it up as im at work.

lets say going active for the mids, you choose a crossover point of 2800hz, you generate it, play it on the head unit then go to your amp and turn the crossover settings until you hear it fade out/get attenuated, thats when you know you are around the ballpark, do the same thing for tweets then make small tweeks in the slopes/gain to have a good blend.

 

[Jeffdachef 5,000+ posts]

I've used both PEQ's & GEQ's with good results. As of matter of fact, I'm using a graphic EQ right now. I don't think it's good to make blanket statements.... both have been used with great results for years.
The point of using an EQ is to start off with the best response possible. Meaning you equalize the response to a specific curve that pleases your ear or target curve....there are a few of these floating around the net. This means getting rid of or minimizing the effects of problem areas. I don't EQ for specific songs...I EQ my system for the best response possible by measuring before & after results.

In my experience DAC's don't make as big of a difference as a quality installation with good equipment, & good tuning skills. It's not to say that they don't, but in a moving vehicle, it will be hard to tell the difference if at all. I've used the top of the line gear from Alpine with DAC's that were used in the top gear from the 90's....from other manufacturers as well, such as Sony's top of the line Mobile ES units. A processor with four 20bit Burr Brown sine magnitude DAC's, with fiberoptic connections between the HU & processor...all digital to analog conversion happening via the PCM1702 DAC's in the processor. I've had top of line units from different manufacturers as well. All were great sounding units. I would put more emphasis on the things I've mentioned, over a DAC.

Lets agree that you need EVERYTHING thats talked about in a good system lol. Good SQ requires a lot of factors working in synergy with each other, cant really place one on top of the other. Install quality is always a given in any sort of system. When your source is your weakest link though, you'll notice a huge increase in sound quality when you do upgrade it. For example take a look at a JBL ms8 and a stock vehicle setup. No other things are done besides adding the ms8 and its a lot better then other vehicles where people do everything else and cheap out on the head unit. An Audison bit ten with a 32 bit dac with hours and hours of work of tuning on RTA can make cheap stock speakers in a car sound top notch, A graphical EQ can never achieve the level of precision a proper 31 band parametric EQ can offer. With any audiopihle oriented system you always want to start at the source. After that of course install techniques are needed when adding aftermarket components because the stock locations might not be optimal, along with creating a proper baffle, seal and other acoustical treatments, You want to finish all of that then run everything through an RTA again and precsion tune it again. Graphical EQs dont do too well in a Real Time Analyzer because when you try to lower a peak just a tiny bit like lets say 6khz, it pulls everything around it(5k through 7k) down with it and messing up the flat curve.