Does anyone own or know the API 5500?

[Anonamemouse]

I am thinking about adding an API 5500 to my system, but don't have a clue about what it does noise wise. It is professional studio gear, so one would think it's silent and distortion free, but...

I don't know anyone within travel distance that has one. So my question: Does anyone here own or know the API 5500?

 

[RayDunzl]

I am thinking about adding an API 5500 to my system, but don't have a clue about what it does noise wise. It is professional studio gear, so one would think it's silend and distortion free, but...

https://www.apiaudio.com/docs/manuals/man5500.pdf

 

[staticV3]

If I understand their specs correctly, that's 98dB SNR at the maximum output voltage of 19.5Vrms
Reduce the output to 4Vrms and SNR drops to 84dB.

 

[Blumlein 88]

How do you have in mind to use it? Digital EQ is more versatile, and this isn't exactly a low budget item.

 

[Anonamemouse]

If I understand their specs correctly, that's 98dB SNR at the maximum output voltage of 19.5Vrms
Reduce the output to 4Vrms and SNR drops to 84dB.

Hmm... Not really all that grand...

How do you have in mind to use it? Digital EQ is more versatile, and this isn't exactly a low budget item.

The plan is to put it in between my pre and poweramp.
As you mention, digital is more versatile and probably less expensive. I'm still in hardcore doubt. I have read several quite raving reviews on this toy (and as it is studio gear, there is a lot more honesty in those than when it would have been consumer stuff).

 

[fpitas]

How do you have in mind to use it? Digital EQ is more versatile, and this isn't exactly a low budget item.

Yikes, that's a $3k unit. Agreed, digital is the way to go these days.

 

[fpitas]

Hmm... Not really all that grand...

The plan is to put it in between my pre and poweramp.
As you mention, digital is more versatile and probably less expensive. I'm still in hardcore doubt. I have read several quite raving reviews on this toy (and as it is studio gear, there is a lot more honesty in those than when it would have been consumer stuff).

I'm sure it's not bad. But digital is much more flexible, and probably lower noise and distortion, too. And I bet if you buy something you can send it to Amir to be tested.

 

[Anonamemouse]

I'm sure it's not bad. But digital is much more flexible, and probably lower noise and distortion, too. And I bet if you buy something you can send it to Amir to be tested.

I'm in Europe, so unfortunately that's not gonna happen.

 

[Blumlein 88]

Pro audio gear isn't immune to audiophile type thinking. And audio magazines other than sometimes SoS (Sound on Sound) are worse than audiophile mags. They've never had a product they didn't say good things about.

So other than the EQ, I'm not sure what about the API unit would effect sound. The specs in terms of basic fidelity are adequate, but not stellar. Their talk about discrete op amps and silver contact switches is typical of myth-making marketing.

Your hardcore doubt is about to cost you hardcore money on hardware. I don't know where you live, but often if you look pro audio shops will rent gear. Often gear is rented for gigs. See if you can find such a place and rent the unit for a week. See if it makes you happy prior to spending that much money. What you are getting is a 4 band tone control. That may be what makes you happy.

 

[Doodski]

Hmmmz... No rental available in Canada @ long-mcquade.com and if they don't have it nobody will. I was curious what the rental rate would be. It's a glorified 4 band tone control for CDN $3699.

API - Dual EQ with Selectable Boost Cut

API - Dual EQ with Selectable Boost Cut

www.long-mcquade.com

 

[Anonamemouse]

Your hardcore doubt is about to cost you hardcore money on hardware. I don't know where you live, but often if you look pro audio shops will rent gear. Often gear is rented for gigs. See if you can find such a place and rent the unit for a week. See if it makes you happy prior to spending that much money. What you are getting is a 4 band tone control. That may be what makes you happy.

This is a good idea, I will look for a rental place that has them.

 

[Waxx]

This is a very cloloured eq (just like the neve's are), very usefull for tracking and mixing some instruments or singers. But not it's totally not fit as speaker managment eq. If you want an analog parametric eq for your system better look at Cranesong, GML, Buzz Audio or so. They are very neutral and precise eq's. Or digital like said.

 

[songOVERsound]

I plan on getting this EQ but for making music - using it on my mix buss.

This EQ is “colored” but it’s not anything really noticeable. It’s a solid investment but at the same time, they go for cheap in the used market and have had reliability issues with op amps and noise.

What you want at this price range is the Trinnov Nova

 

[holdingpants01]

You can test it on https://accessanalog.com/ I did my blind comparisons with plain digital EQ and with matched curves they sounded exactly the same, couldn't tell them apart other than a bit of added noise. It's not "colored" if you don't see it and don't know how it's build. Other than that it's completely pointless for a system EQ

 

[Ifrit]

I liked 550A back in the day, when was using it for rock/pop mixes, wouldn't want it for system-wide EQ, probably.

 

[nutzandvoltz]

It depends on your application and setup. But these guys wouldn't want to intentionally pad the output and drive the output transformer to saturation like the typical pro application for this EQ.

For system wide applications, i would change the output transformer. Since these things are para-feed, you can use nicer and inexpensive ($30-$150) transformers

 

[songOVERsound]

Great point on the gain staging. I recently acquired the summit audio EQP-200B which is a Pultec style EQ, which may be better because inductor EQ’s don’t throw the phase off as much.

Just running the audio through it with all the settings at zero imparts a pleasing midrange character. One thing I’ve never understood about the HI-FI land, is the tube amps that are used. You can get some really pleasant color by using tube mastering hardware after your preamp and running into a clean power amp

In fact, the Hendy amps Michael Angelo was created for that very reason. So hi-fi speaker systems that need to meet WAF standards with speaker positioning that is not ideal, can be tweaked to sound better. Now Mastering Engineers use it!

 

[nutzandvoltz]

Great point on the gain staging. I recently acquired the summit audio EQP-200B which is a Pultec style EQ, which may be better because inductor EQ’s don’t throw the phase off as much.

They did a really good build on that. Issues in building one is getting the interstage transformer selected and gain set correctly. A lot of clones have overblown bass to them, but the summit is well balanced.

The ones I'm disappointed with is the Kark Teknik. I have one on my bench that I'm in the process of writing a deconstructing review by me who built dozens of these for studios in the past. So I know quite a bit how they suppose to set up and how things are assembled. But what they did with the Klark, is change circuit parameters and as a result, all of those harmonics are lost in a heavy negative feedback loop. That is why tube rollers were disappointed with this unit besides the professionals. The EQ part of it can be simulated. The physical tube harmonics, not so much, but that is getting better.

 

[songOVERsound]

Good to know! I have a hard time hearing the harmonics on the summit audio EQP-200b but I also didn’t get it for that and I haven’t yet driven it hard.

A lot of people are liking the Audio Scape EQP-A as an option. $1,100 for each. RedStone Productions has a pretty good review on YouTube that includes the Klark and the Summit Audio that might give you a point of reference. Too me (on that review) the IGS rubber bands seems a bit bloated with the bass