EQ for headphones with Zen Stream + DAC + Tidal

[lemmanuele]

Hello everybody, I'm new here and I'd like to post a question.
My setup is composed by a MacBook Pro / Android Phone + Zen Stream + Topping E50 + Rega Brio R + Grado 225e and I'm struggling to understand if there's a way to insert some sort of EQ in this audio chain. The Zen Stream and DAC are not yet in my possession, they should arrive this week.
I downloaded SoundSource but I'm not sure if I'll be able to use it with the Zen.
Can somebody help?

 

[lemmanuele]

Anybody?

 

[Jimbob54]

The zen stream (or streamers generally) is your problem. The mac or android in your chain is simply the controlling device, the files themselves go from tidal servers intu streamer so no scope to add the eq.

If the zen stream was chromecast compatible, usb audio player Pro v6 can now cast an eq tidal stream locally.

You could use roon which again adds eq in the main device (mac in your case) then stream locally to the zen, but it's £200 a year for the privelige.

Personally, if you are 2 or 3m from mac to dac, I'd usb it and add eq at source. Send the zen back. But if accross the room or different rooms that doesn't work.

 

[lemmanuele]

The zen stream (or streamers generally) is your problem. The mac or android in your chain is simply the controlling device, the files themselves go from tidal servers intu streamer so no scope to add the eq.

If the zen stream was chromecast compatible, usb audio player Pro v6 can now cast an eq tidal stream locally.

You could use roon which again adds eq in the main device (mac in your case) then stream locally to the zen, but it's £200 a year for the privelige.

Personally, if you are 2 or 3m from mac to dac, I'd usb it and add eq at source. Send the zen back. But if accross the room or different rooms that doesn't work.

That's what i thought... So there is now way ad add EQ using a streamer.
Do you think streaming from my laptop has no disadvantages quality wise in comparison with the Zen Stream?
It's a bit annoying to have my Mac in the way but i guess I could get over it
I excluded Roon in the first place because of the price, surely nice but too expensive.

 

[Jimbob54]

That's what i thought... So there is now way ad add EQ using a streamer.
Do you think streaming from my laptop has no disadvantages quality wise in comparison with the Zen Stream?
It's a bit annoying to have my Mac in the way but i guess I could get over it
I excluded Roon in the first place because of the price, surely nice but too expensive.

You can add eq to some streamers, of course. Look on here for threads about Raspberry pi builds and software that will allow it.