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DAC with EQ selection

CURRUPIPI

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Joined
Nov 8, 2023
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Hello, I would like to read some opinions from real owners. Actually I have a Cambridge Audio MXN10--->RCA--->Cambridge Audio CXA61+ ELAC DBR 6.2 setup. Sounds really great, but it have no equalization in the chain, what I need because I´m partially deaf in some frecuencies in one ear. So i´m thinking to buy a DAC with EQ.

The objective is to improve the MXN10 sound with some EQ.

First tried a Wiim mini>>>OPTICAL>>CXA61 , but the MXN10 sounds better. The Wiim mini EQ impacts negatively the sound in my opinion.

I tried also inserting my Topping E30II lite via COAX or optical with the MXN 10, and again the MXN 10 sounds far better. The Topping E30II lite sounds harsh, flat… I really dislike it against the MXN10 sound.

So i´m thinking about some alternatives, from cheapest :

RASPBERRY PI+MOODE via USB to CXA61: No cost because I have one spare Raspberry Pi, and result sound may be very close to MXN10 with EQ. But I would lose the use of the MXN10, so this would be my last resort.

But I would like to improve the overall sound of my setup using in all cases using the MXN10 which is rock-solid streamer

TOPPING D50III: the EQ only works on USB : Price is fair but I don’t know how it sounds in real life,

TOPPING D90 discrete: I think the EQ works with COAX or OPTICAL, but the price is really high and I don’t know how it sounds in real life,

As with the bad experience with the TOPPING E30 II lite, I fear buying TOPPING, maybe in my case my ears dislike the TOPPING signature, or lack of that

RME ADI-2 DAC fs: the price is really high, but I don’t know if this would sound better that the MXN10

I´m missing something? Thanks
 
ELAC DBR 6.2
The Wiim mini EQ impacts negatively the sound in my opinion
Applying EQ to speakers is a different process than for headphones. Especially for a single channel, since all sound waves are mixed in the room, unless you are listening to very near field monitors. This process is called Room Equalization and requires the use of a measurement microphone at the listening position to get the first response of the speakers (and essentially your DAC -> Amp). The resulting frequency response graph is then used to select a target SPL to which the EQ will be applied, in order to reduce some of the overshoot frequencies.

I can always recommend REW software and a calibrated miniDSP UMIK-2 measurement microphone for this purpose.

Some studio monitors come with a measurement microphone and adapters included for the same purpose. For example, Genelec SAM Series, Neumann KH DSP Series, iLoud MTM Series. Some DACs come with DIRAC Room EQ firmware, measurement microphone and software, such as the miniDSP 2x4 HD DIRAC/FLEX series, WiiM.
 
I´m missing something?
Yes, you are looking for a specific sound profile.
That is not the goal of high-end DACs like RME and Topping/SMSL, to be sure.
They try to give as much of the true signal as possible of the digital data that is fed to them via another source.
 
TOPPING D50III: the EQ only works on USB : Price is fair but I don’t know how it sounds in real life,

TOPPING D90 discrete: I think the EQ works with COAX or OPTICAL, but the price is really high and I don’t know how it sounds in real life,
I've D50 III here currently and ordered D90 Discrete. I'm listening to headphones only. D50 III is dynamic, crystal clear sounding DAC, but for me it is a little bit sibilant (or sharp) in my system, that was not present with my previous DAC. I'm waiting for D90 Discrete to compare. But cause can be only my ears and brain... :(
 
I've D50 III here currently and ordered D90 Discrete. I'm listening to headphones only. D50 III is dynamic, crystal clear sounding DAC, but for me it is a little bit sibilant (or sharp) in my system, that was not present with my previous DAC. I'm waiting for D90 Discrete to compare. But cause can be only my ears and brain... :(
Pretty much. The overall sound is a result of the perfect presentation of your audio files. If you don’t like the emphasis in the high frequencies, then replacing the D50 III with the D90 Discrete won’t change anything. Instead, you have the free Topping Tune tool to attenuate any frequencies (“sharpness”) you want for both DACs.
 
Pretty much. The overall sound is a result of the perfect presentation of your audio files. If you don’t like the emphasis in the high frequencies, then replacing the D50 III with the D90 Discrete won’t change anything. Instead, you have the free Topping Tune tool to attenuate any frequencies (“sharpness”) you want for both DACs.
IDK, but Gustard X26Pro and Topping D50III both have excellent measurements (perfect presentation) and produce different results for me.
 
D50iii plus Topping Tune > my very old Yamaha amp and even older Mission speaker work very well in my living room.
 
I'd like a DAC with both the PEQ adjustments and control via remote for both volume and some kind of more general TONE CONTROLS like days of yore.

Maybe with adjustments like the old Cello Palette used? There's a thread on DIYAudio about doing one with analog circuitry, but how hard could it be to do it with DSP? Because different recordings also tend to have different tonal character that it would be nice to modify to taste. Recordings are always artistic productions, not ideal neutral objective captures of a sound field, and producers and mastering people have different takes (or different speaker, rooms, hearing) of what the tone should be.

In case SMSL, Topping, or any other DAC manufacturers are looking for good features to have.
 
Hey guys...
the main problem here is not WHAT DAC SOUNDS BETTER, but rather how to achieve sound EQ on one channel only (or on both, but independently...) using speakers.
The OP would also prefer not to change his streamer.

BTW

@CURRUPIPI
I know there are ways to use a RPi to process the sound with CamillaDSP (that is: you play with your Cambridge => RPi-with-CamillaDSP-doing-EQ => what-was-connected-to-the-CambridgeAudio-before-inserting-the-RPi).
I cannot remember/point you anywhere, but maybe somebody could jump in and help a little more.

Just my 2c
 
I'd like a DAC with both the PEQ adjustments and control via remote for both volume and some kind of more general TONE CONTROLS like days of yore.

Maybe with adjustments like the old Cello Palette used? There's a thread on DIYAudio about doing one with analog circuitry, but how hard could it be to do it with DSP? Because different recordings also tend to have different tonal character that it would be nice to modify to taste. Recordings are always artistic productions, not ideal neutral objective captures of a sound field, and producers and mastering people have different takes (or different speaker, rooms, hearing) of what the tone should be.

In case SMSL, Topping, or any other DAC manufacturers are looking for good features to have.
RME ADI-2 DAC?
 
There were another route i am going to test...... an old used analogic EQ. I will buy an used Pioneer GR-333, maybe it could be enough clean so . It is cheap, so not a great loss of money of don´t work. It is worth mention that i have some loss of hearing due to an scuba diving accident, so my ears are a bit different from yours..... i will let you stay informed.. thanks to all.
 
There were another route i am going to test...... an old used analogic EQ. I will buy an used Pioneer GR-333, maybe it could be enough clean so . It is cheap, so not a great loss of money of don´t work. It is worth mention that i have some loss of hearing due to an scuba diving accident, so my ears are a bit different from yours..... i will let you stay informed.. thanks to all.
Graphic Equalisers are much poorer than Parametric EQ. You can't adjust the frequencies and you can't adjust the Q. Also, digital is superior to analogue because you can use filters that don't make phase changes across the frequency bands. So digital PEQ is many times superior to analogue Graphic Equalisers.

The only really good thing about Graphic Equalisers is that they look nice.
 
Hello, I would like to read some opinions from real owners. Actually I have a Cambridge Audio MXN10--->RCA--->Cambridge Audio CXA61+ ELAC DBR 6.2 setup. Sounds really great, but it have no equalization in the chain, what I need because I´m partially deaf in some frecuencies in one ear. So i´m thinking to buy a DAC with EQ.

The objective is to improve the MXN10 sound with some EQ.

First tried a Wiim mini>>>OPTICAL>>CXA61 , but the MXN10 sounds better. The Wiim mini EQ impacts negatively the sound in my opinion.

I tried also inserting my Topping E30II lite via COAX or optical with the MXN 10, and again the MXN 10 sounds far better. The Topping E30II lite sounds harsh, flat… I really dislike it against the MXN10 sound.

So i´m thinking about some alternatives, from cheapest :

RASPBERRY PI+MOODE via USB to CXA61: No cost because I have one spare Raspberry Pi, and result sound may be very close to MXN10 with EQ. But I would lose the use of the MXN10, so this would be my last resort.

But I would like to improve the overall sound of my setup using in all cases using the MXN10 which is rock-solid streamer

TOPPING D50III: the EQ only works on USB : Price is fair but I don’t know how it sounds in real life,

TOPPING D90 discrete: I think the EQ works with COAX or OPTICAL, but the price is really high and I don’t know how it sounds in real life,

As with the bad experience with the TOPPING E30 II lite, I fear buying TOPPING, maybe in my case my ears dislike the TOPPING signature, or lack of that

RME ADI-2 DAC fs: the price is really high, but I don’t know if this would sound better that the MXN10

I´m missing something? Thanks
For me you have two choices.

Replace the MXN10 with something with built in PEQ, or put something in between the MXN10 and the CXA61

For the former I'd suggest either the Wiim pro+ or the Wiim ultra.

For the latter, a better price/performance compromise (IMO) amongst those devices you have listed would be the MiniDSP flex.


A final option might be to replace the CXA 61 with an amp incorporating DSP (audessey xt32, or Dirac) such as an AVR.
 
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I'll second @antcollinet ... digital output from your streamer to a miniDSP Flex for DSP/ PEQ and DAC. Works really well
 
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