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Audyssey Room EQ Review

Sal1950

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Hope it made sense
Yes, pretty much. The bottom line is the wizard lacks intelligence, it is what it is. We either live with it or take the next step of measuring with REW to find what the final outcome really is. Then move on to make adjustments with the Editor app. I recommend running the app on a PC with Bluestacks installed. Then you can make fine adjustments within the apps filter capablities much easier and better than with a finger on your phone. ;)
 

johnp98

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I have an older Marantz SR7002 which has Audyssey Multi EQ built in.
Using the generic mic and auto calculated filters and then comparing it with REW and my UMIK-1 it gives me corrections in areas that certainly do not need correction.
It looks like this is quite an old version of Audyssey and so I guess Ill cut it some slack.

Playing around with AVR EQ settings a bit more, I found that you can manually change the 9 preset filters of 63hz, 125hz, 250hz, 500hz, 1k hz, 2k hz, 4k hz, 8k hz, 16k hz
I am not sure what the Q value on these filters are, but it does seem quite wide.

1619637362642.png

Green = No EQ and just my L&R HTM12 speakers as baseline

Red = Audyssey auto EQ applying:
L speaker: 250hz: +1, 500hz: +2, 4k: +1, 16k: +4,
R speaker: 50hz0: +1, 4k: +1

Blue = My own manual EQ (and with my dual subs included)
The EQ that I apply is to both speakers and is 125hz: -3, 250hz: +6, 500hz: +1, 8k: -3, 16k: -1

Anyways, my questions are:
1) Does manually changing these filters and then confirming the results with REW seem reasonable? (realizing that I will be very limited by where the 9 filters occur)
2) I played around and having a +6db boost in the 250hz range does fill in a midbass deficiency, yet is boosting in Audyssey of concern (as in general with EQing my understanding is you don't want any overall boost).
3) By merely activating the EQ will it audibly change the sound quality of the sound (lets say for argument sake I just activate one filter at -1db, does this add extra processing that would result in audible differences?)
4) By applying the following filters (125: -3, 250: +6, 500: +1, 8k: -3, 16k: -1) this is what I get (pre = red, post = blue). Do you think that is worth keeping? I know EQing above the schroeder frequency is controversial, but it seems to have a rather large Q and thus is more a tone control in this case is it not?
Any other suggestions / thoughts?
 

Sal1950

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1. Absolutely, why not.
2. You have to be careful with large amounts of boost from any source, not to damage your speakers. I'd try about 3 db instead to see if that sounds good enough.
3. No extra processing than you were already getting with Audyssey active.
4. It looks pretty good to me, how does it sound to you. I'd imagine it's a fairly beneficial upgrade.
JMHO
 

johnp98

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1. Absolutely, why not.
2. You have to be careful with large amounts of boost from any source, not to damage your speakers. I'd try about 3 db instead to see if that sounds good enough.
3. No extra processing than you were already getting with Audyssey active.
4. It looks pretty good to me, how does it sound to you. I'd imagine it's a fairly beneficial upgrade.
JMHO
Thanks for the feedback!
Yeah I do find the sound to be a lot more full and balanced in terms of tone and whatnot. But I do realize that placebo can play a large role (but the measurements do seem to agree with this).

In regards to #3 I am more wondering if having Audyssey (or my manual EQ) active vs no EQ results in any audible difference from the presumed extra layer of processing. i.e. if I did not have any filters active but was still running it though the EQ would this add extra processing that would result in any audible differences?
 

Sal1950

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In regards to #3 I am more wondering if having Audyssey (or my manual EQ) active vs no EQ results in any audible difference from the presumed extra layer of processing. i.e. if I did not have any filters active but was still running it though the EQ would this add extra processing that would result in any audible differences?
I'm still not really sure I follow your question but you seem to be worrying if the processing is causing any negative effects on the sound quality. I doubt it but can't really say, if your not hearing anything that disturbs you I wouldn't worry about it. ;)
 

johnp98

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I'm still not really sure I follow your question but you seem to be worrying if the processing is causing any negative effects on the sound quality. I doubt it but can't really say, if your not hearing anything that disturbs you I wouldn't worry about it. ;)
Thanks for the ongoing input. Yeah I assume any processing that is occurring would be negligible, just wanting to make sure / see if people had evidence one way or another.
 

burkm

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It can be made even more simple: Install one of the Android Emulators for PC and you can use the Audyssey App on you PC utilizing all the resources and the screen estate available on your PC. Even downloading works as usual...
 

sfdoddsy

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Thanks for the ongoing input. Yeah I assume any processing that is occurring would be negligible, just wanting to make sure / see if people had evidence one way or another.

If you think about it, your question isn't really logical.

The whole point of Room EQ is to make a difference. If it doesn't, it isn't doing its job.

The processing involved isn't negligible. It is extensive. Again because it has to be.

You can't make automatic EQs like Audyssey have no EQ so you can compare them to no Audyssey at all.

You can, on some receivers or prepros, engage manual EQ and leave the settings flat and then switch the EQ on and off to see if you can tell a difference, but I can't see the point.

If you are concerned EQ will affect the purity of your signal, you are right to be concerned. It will.

Your main concern, however, should be whether it will make your system sound better.

I've been using EQ for over 20 years. I've had very good speakers all the way through.

EQ has improved every single one of them.
 

Sal1950

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It can be made even more simple: Install one of the Android Emulators for PC and you can use the Audyssey App on you PC utilizing all the resources and the screen estate available on your PC. Even downloading works as usual...
Yes, I've mentioned that a number of times in this thread, most recently just above in #501.
I've found BlueStacks Enulator to work by far the best though still having a few bugs. But in the last year or so it's become completely reliable. I've been in contact with the Aydyssey development team, pushing them for a native PC app. If any app was more deserving of a native build than this one I don't know what it is. So far my plea has fallen on deaf ears. :mad:
 

escott82

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Flat probably seems brighter because it's boosting the higher frequencies, not because the limited reference curve is rolling them off.
Also, if you use the Audyssey app and limit bass freq under 20hz(so basically turning off bass eq) if you change it to flat this will turn back on eq for your subs and your response will be completely screwed up from your reference one. I noticed this turning on flat and remeasuring. I eq all my subs with my minidsp and didn’t know what was going on. So I can’t use the flat setting at all if it’s limiting bass frequencies.
 

Chromatischism

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Although I would prefer to use the FIR filters of Audyssey and then do the REW filters (which are IIR) afterward if needed to tweak further.
 

Dennis_FL

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I am new to Roon and have a Marantz 6013 with a Gustard X16 DAC --- I'm guessing that Audessey converts the DAC's analog signal to digital and then corrects for the Audessey EQ and converts back to analog? Is that right? If so, I need to do room correction in Roon and use "Pure DIrect" in my receiver - bypassing Audessey.

I wonder if I can use the Audessey generated room eq graphs in my iPhone APP to generate EQ in Roon instead of using REW software. Anybody try that?
 

nathan

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I don't think the readout from the Audyssey app contains all the data or granular enough data to use that as a guide to setting up another EQ with much precision.

But REW (free once you have a calibrated USB microphone, which is less than $100) can give you the data you seek, IIRC.
 
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I don't think the readout from the Audyssey app contains all the data or granular enough data to use that as a guide to setting up another EQ with much precision.

But REW (free once you have a calibrated USB microphone, which is less than $100) can give you the data you seek, IIRC.


I thought so. I guess I'll invest the $100

I wonder if I can use the calibrated mike that came with the Marantz. I also have a $300 mike from my camera and both are not USB but mini rca
 

nathan

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Unfortunately unless you have a detailed frequency response graph for the mic in question, measured with a profession level system, I don’t think so.
 
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Yep...I just ordered the mike. They've gone up in proce.

Also, I pushed a button and bypassed the Audyssey equalizer. I thought I had new speakers. What a difference!!!
 

Astrozombie

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I ordered a mic for the lulz, this setup has no subs but I'm curious to see what it'll do with my JBL 530 and XT32.
 
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