Couldn't get beyond "I have went"
If that's not a commercial studio, your personal satisfaction is the only one indicator of success.Again, crazy?
Couldn't get beyond "I have went"
No, why would you be? Are you happy with the end result? I'm guessing at least you're more happy than before. Then, you made the right choice.So, in the last three years I have went from a simple Yamaha AVR using YAPPO for simple distance and level adjustment to a Monoprice HTP-1 using Dirac and really diving into making my own house curve that didn't change the FR of the speakers too much past 500Hz (used the Harman house curve basically with more bass added) to a Trinnov Altitude and using a similar house curve to now an Anthem AVM90 and only using ARC EQ up to 500Hz.
Through them all, I still never felt like my Funk sub was being EQ'ed properly as there was a lot of oomph missing that I knew the sub could produce (being a 21", 2.4kw beast).
Recently I got around to using the Funk subs built-in DSP software and making my own PEQ adjustments to get a flat response: before, there was a +12dB peak between 30-45Hz and a -8dB null between 65-85Hz. The large difference between the two would always have any of the Room EQ software "neutering" the sub and favoring a baseline EQ target that used the peak instead of cutting the peak to get closer to the dip.
What I found doing my own PEQ is I can safely cut the peak and bring up the null for a somewhat flat (+/-4dB) response curve from 15Hz to 100Hz. And using reference level testing material, the sub handles it (no limiting, no distortion, etc).
By and large, the sub/bass sounds the best it ever has in my room with just using PEQ on the sub and letting the speakers play unaltered (no Room EQ). It also helps I have Revel Be speakers for the LCR and a decently treated room, so the natural sound above 200-300Hz is perfect to my ears in my room.
With all that said: am I crazy for completely abandoning Room EQ and letting my speakers play as they are in the room with just simple PEQ adjustment to the sub?
I am even contemplating selling the AVM90 to pocket the funds and just get a simple (but well reviewed) pre-pro or AVR at this point.
Again, crazy?
The 'house curve' is a target FR , as measured at the listening position. You don't know if room EQ correction has achieved it, unless you measure again at the listening position after the req is appliedIt’s completely fine. You are running room correction— it just happens that your literal HOUSE curve is different in your home.
Harman curve is the best overall curve, but there may be times you want a little difference because of seating positions.
No, automatic Room EQ makes no sense and can't help a physical problem with electrical manipulation. I have never heard a room EQ system that improved the sound (YPAO, Audyssey, Trinnov, Dirac, ARC, Audiolense). I own a StormAudio processor with the highest precision of Dirac Live available and still don't use Dirac.With all that said: am I crazy for completely abandoning Room EQ and letting my speakers play as they are in the room with just simple PEQ adjustment to the sub?
I am even contemplating selling the AVM90 to pocket the funds and just get a simple (but well reviewed) pre-pro or AVR at this point.
Again, crazy?
I would say you aren’t abandoning room eq at all if you are using PEQ on the sub. You are abandoning automated EQ. Figuring out how to make your system sound best is what is important. If you just use a couple of PEQ adjustments and it sounds best… definitely do that.So, in the last three years I have went from a simple Yamaha AVR using YAPPO for simple distance and level adjustment to a Monoprice HTP-1 using Dirac and really diving into making my own house curve that didn't change the FR of the speakers too much past 500Hz (used the Harman house curve basically with more bass added) to a Trinnov Altitude and using a similar house curve to now an Anthem AVM90 and only using ARC EQ up to 500Hz.
Through them all, I still never felt like my Funk sub was being EQ'ed properly as there was a lot of oomph missing that I knew the sub could produce (being a 21", 2.4kw beast).
Recently I got around to using the Funk subs built-in DSP software and making my own PEQ adjustments to get a flat response: before, there was a +12dB peak between 30-45Hz and a -8dB null between 65-85Hz. The large difference between the two would always have any of the Room EQ software "neutering" the sub and favoring a baseline EQ target that used the peak instead of cutting the peak to get closer to the dip.
What I found doing my own PEQ is I can safely cut the peak and bring up the null for a somewhat flat (+/-4dB) response curve from 15Hz to 100Hz. And using reference level testing material, the sub handles it (no limiting, no distortion, etc).
By and large, the sub/bass sounds the best it ever has in my room with just using PEQ on the sub and letting the speakers play unaltered (no Room EQ). It also helps I have Revel Be speakers for the LCR and a decently treated room, so the natural sound above 200-300Hz is perfect to my ears in my room.
With all that said: am I crazy for completely abandoning Room EQ and letting my speakers play as they are in the room with just simple PEQ adjustment to the sub?
I am even contemplating selling the AVM90 to pocket the funds and just get a simple (but well reviewed) pre-pro or AVR at this point.
Again, crazy?
Sorry, but that is a ridiculous answer, in the sense that it's "absolute essential". Room correction does not exist very long yet (it's 21st century tech), so all those who were listening before and without dsp or room correction were not enjoying their music? And many still don't use it and enjoy music in relative good sound without it.Room correction is absolutely essential unless you have a perfect listening room with the optimal dimensions and treatments.
You practically will have to design your house around this room and most people do not have this kind of resource. DRC is really cost-effective for those who actually have to live with the system.
Houses have also existed only for the last few thousand years. People have lived before, but wouldn't you say that houses are essential now?Room correction does not exist very long yet (it's 21st century tech), so all those who were listening before and without dsp or room correction were not enjoying their music?
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The biggest elephant in the room however is that we as humans, with two ears and a brain, are able to spatially locate sound pressure arrivals as distinct sources and can hear through the room “response” to differentiate the source from the reflections (over a certain minimum time). Thus while an analyser (dumb compared to a human ear-brain system) will display a “corrected” overall energy response the listener will hear the room and the source separately with a now further unbalanced source response.
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Our software people love to think that by fixing a line on a graph they can manipulate audio data being put into a room to “fix” a problem that exists as an immensely complex multidimensional 3D sound-field.
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There is almost a degree of stupidity in assuming that we can display a single line on a 2 dimensional plot (or even worse a 30 band bar-graph) to accurately describe an infinitely complex 4 dimensional pressure/time sound-field at a vast number of listening points. It is almost a similar degree of stupidity that would say we can describe the beauty of a sunset over the Himalayas with a single pencil line drawing on a post-it note. We can only represent a very, very crude reading of pressure amplitude at a single point in space, and certainly not enough data to represent what the response of what a system in a room is producing. Furthermore we somehow assume perfect directivity response of that system if we assume we can “fix” the room by manipulating the system input. To assume that simply altering the amplitude / frequency response of an electronic input signal will “fix” a room is a fools errand indeed.
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Agreed, I haven’t found it essential (and I had it with my subs and on my AVR). But “essential” is clearly a subjective call.Sorry, but that is a ridiculous answer, in the sense that it's "absolute essential". Room correction does not exist very long yet (it's 21st century tech), so all those who were listening before and without dsp or room correction were not enjoying their music? And many still don't use it and enjoy music in relative good sound without it.
Does it help, often the answer is yes, but it's not absolutly needed, it's a very handy tool to solve problems that otherwise are very hard to solve. It's new tech, still developping and still to complicated for the average joe to use. But we will get there like we did with other stuff and it's moving fast.