Balanced Hardware Equalizer

[aldarrin]

Does anyone have any recommendations for a Equalizer to use in a balanced headphone setup? I'm currently using PEACE / EqualizerAPO but it's not as stable as I'd like.

Current chain: PC => Topping D90 => Little Bear XLR Switch => Topping A90 MQA / Stax 353X / Monoprice Liquid Platinum => Headphones.

I'm assuming that something sitting in between the DAC and the switch would be best? I have a Tidal Master subscription, so not really interested in anything that won't let me play MQA content. Also not interested in a pros & cons discussion of MQA (I've spent the money, it's moot).

Thanks up front!

 

[Raghava]

My setup is PC -> D90 (MQA) balanced out --> A90 (4mm trrs balanced out) --> Arya headphones. Content is from TIDAL master. I use Audirvana + toneboosters Equalizer 4 VST3 plugin in window10 for Equalization. I have setup the equalizer settings based on AutoEq (https://github.com/jaakkopasanen/AutoEq) for my headphones. This is working well. I don`t see why we need any hardware equalizer in Analog domain. It may reduce SNR ? I was setup able to use Equalizer APO directly with TIDAL app and setup Parametric EQ using PEACE. But, some how, it did not sound as good as using Equalizer 4 VST3 plugin in Audirvana, but I did not face any stability issues.

Most of the songs I listen in TIDAL are 44.1 or 48 / 24bit or 16bit. I do listen to MQA content as well, but I need to change the settings in Audirvana to decode MQA in software to use the equalizer.

 

[DonH56]

There are a myriad of pro equalizers that have balanced (XLR or TRS) I/O. You could look through Sweetwater Sounds' list, or drop them an email to ask. I have not looked for consumer analog EQ in a long time but I imagine there are plenty of them as well. You'll need to define what type (e.g. graphic or parametric), price range, etc.

https://www.sweetwater.com/store/se...DYXRlZ29yeSI6WyJTdHVkaW8gJiBSZWNvcmRpbmciXX19

Using a PC-based plug-in seems ideal in this situation as @Raghava suggested.

 

[aldarrin]

Everytime I've messed around with software EQ (I used the plugin you mentioned and have installed PEACE / EQ APO several times) I end up getting system instability issues / software crashes. Is there an alternative to the RME ADI-2 Pro BE that has similar capability? I also want the PEQ to be digital so I can quickly switch between presets.

Edit: Would the MiniDSP SHD work for this or would I have to let Dirac do whatever Dirac does?
Edit 2: looks like the SHD introduces too much latency for my needs.

 

[rdenney]

I use Yamaha YDP2006 parametric equalizers, which have balanced ins and outs. In mono, 12 parametric channels of EQ (six in stereo), plus six notch filters including low and high shelves, and programmable delay (by channel in stereo). It uses DSP, with 20-bit/44.1 digital processing, so it has internal ADC/DAC processing. All of these are repeated in 40 memories, so you can have a setup for speakers, a setup for the turntable, a setup for digital sources, and repeat those setups for headphones.

These are commercial-grade, but they are at least 20 years old and may need some DeOxit treatment to work properly, but at the usual price (a little over a hundred) they are exceptional, if you want a separate hardware equalizer.

I suspect they will add a noise floor that will negate all that -105 to -120 stuff people make these days, but probably still not be an issue in the real world. They rate hum and noise at lower than -80 dBm.

Rick "needed something that would slide into the processor loop of a traditional active analog preamp" Denney

 

[aldarrin]

That's more or less what I'm looking for:

ADC -> DSP -> DAC with 1 ms or less of latency. Ideally with a passive passthrough (something the RME doesn't have, but it's still sub 1 ms).

So far what I've found is the RME and a boatload of more expensive options (or the SHD that adds an unacceptable amount of latency).

 

[rdenney]

Latency on the Yamaha is very low but it may be more than 1 ms.

Rick “not sure” Denney

 

[Rja4000]

I've been using an analog stereo 31 freq graphic eq in FOH (front of house = main speakers, for live concert sound) chain for many years.
My favorite is a Belgian APEX DBQ-zero.
It's not rock solid, but sound is great.

I still own one and it measures pretty well.

 

[mdsimon2]

Why do you want something with an ADC (and the subsequent DAC)? Not sure what output options you have on your PC but if you do not have a digital output it is easy enough to add something like an Amanero + SPDIF output or even simpler a Topping D10S. Use that to go in to an all digital I/O DSP like a nanodigi or an OpenDRC-DI. 1 ms delay is tough though probably looking at more like 2-3 ms delay.

Michael

 

[aldarrin]

My chain is Gaming PC => Topping D90 => XLR switch=> Topping A90 / Monoprice Liquid Platinum / Stax SRM-353X. I want to put a device to apply EQ just after the D90. Everything in my system is put together to have as little latency as possible (1 ms wireless mouse, 2 ms LCD panels, fiber internet, etc). I've tried software EQ, but it always misbehaves with higher sampling rates. I also have Tidal and really don't want to alter with the signal until after the last MQA unfolding is done.

I'm not married to the idea of using a ADC / DSP / DAC device, but am pretty sure that it'll be the cheapest option that won't muck up an otherwise very clean signal chain. If there's an all analog PEQ with SINAD of 115 for cheaper than a RME ADI-2 Pro I've love to know about it / them!

 

[sailor2005]

My chain is Gaming PC => Topping D90 => XLR switch=> Topping A90 / Monoprice Liquid Platinum / Stax SRM-353X. I want to put a device to apply EQ just after the D90. Everything in my system is put together to have as little latency as possible (1 ms wireless mouse, 2 ms LCD panels, fiber internet, etc). I've tried software EQ, but it always misbehaves with higher sampling rates. I also have Tidal and really don't want to alter with the signal until after the last MQA unfolding is done.

I'm not married to the idea of using a ADC / DSP / DAC device, but am pretty sure that it'll be the cheapest option that won't muck up an otherwise very clean signal chain. If there's an all analog PEQ with SINAD of 115 for cheaper than a RME ADI-2 Pro I've love to know about it / them!

There is the elysia xfilter qube ...
https://www.elysia.com/500-series/qube/
scroll down for the xfilter

https://www.sweetwater.com/store/de...-series-stereo-equalizer-with-desktop-chassis

 

[aldarrin]

Ended up lurking on eBay until a got a decent deal on an ADI-2 Pro. Quite happy with it's performance (would be happier with an extra 5 bands of PEQ, but the 20 preset slots with 5 bands each is good enough). Thanks for all the help and advice!

 

[DWPress]

You could try using Element software (link in my sig) which will host any VST plugin. Bonus, it's systemwide so you're not tied to a single audio/video player.

 

[aldarrin]

Thanks man, I already have a hardware EQ solution that I'm happy with. If that weren't the case, I'd happily give it a go! Hopefully other people see this and give it a try.