EQ/Room Correction With Integrated Amp

[MaximusMayhem]

Hi all,
Hopefully a quick/easy one.

If I have an integrated amplifier but would like to add Dirac/EQ/Room Correction of some kind, albeit somewhat of a 'Frankenstein' approach I'll admit, is this possible?

I guess more specifically, is it possible whilst maintaining the use of the integrated amp as normal, so volume control, source switching etc, rather than reducing it to a power amp only.

I have seen mention of using a tape loop or if the amp has pre in/power out options (a la Audiolab 6000A for instance) but I'm not sure if what I'm asking is possible,

An example would perhaps be the Rega Aethos amp. It has Record In/Out, although this is a line level/source option is seems so that would perhaps not be feasible, but it also has a pre-out & something called 'Direct Input', which is thus:

This input is routed directly to the power amplifier input with no volume control. The intended use is with multi-channel systems, where the traditional two-channel system is used as the

front speakers. This input can also be used with an external pre-amplifier if so desired.

Would this work? Or am I clutching at straws here?

Many thanks in advance for any help/clarity you can provide.

 

[nerdstrike]

Yes, but. Custom EQ is easily achieved, often via WiiM products. If you want Dirac (regular flavour, no ART or "bass control") then you're kinda limited to minidsp products like the DDRC-24. Otherwise you have to turn to big fancy integrated products and AVRs.

 

[MaximusMayhem]

Thank you. I don't necessarily need an automated option, custom via something like REW is fine for sure. It was more whether it was possible to to get something like the MiniDSP DDRC/2x4 into a setup that had an integrated amplifier.

 

[antcollinet]

Hi all,
Hopefully a quick/easy one.

If I have an integrated amplifier but would like to add Dirac/EQ/Room Correction of some kind, albeit somewhat of a 'Frankenstein' approach I'll admit, is this possible?

I guess more specifically, is it possible whilst maintaining the use of the integrated amp as normal, so volume control, source switching etc, rather than reducing it to a power amp only.

I have seen mention of using a tape loop or if the amp has pre in/power out options (a la Audiolab 6000A for instance) but I'm not sure if what I'm asking is possible,

An example would perhaps be the Rega Aethos amp. It has Record In/Out, although this is a line level/source option is seems so that would perhaps not be feasible, but it also has a pre-out & something called 'Direct Input', which is thus:

This input is routed directly to the power amplifier input with no volume control. The intended use is with multi-channel systems, where the traditional two-channel system is used as the

front speakers. This input can also be used with an external pre-amplifier if so desired.

Would this work? Or am I clutching at straws here?

Many thanks in advance for any help/clarity you can provide.

Only if your integrated amp has a pre out/main in loop**, that you can use to output to your eq device, then input from the EQ to the power stage.

Otherwise you need to have something upstream of the amp, doing source switching and EQ, going into one of the integrated amps inputs. In this case, you can still do volume control in the integrated amp.

** you typically have to go to the upper end of a manufacturers range to get this - for example for Yamaha you don't get it until the AS 1200. And bear in mind that if you do this you will have an additional A/D and D/A step into and out of whatever is doing your EQ. If you have a device upstream of the amp, you can keep everything digital (for digital sources) until the final D/A. Having said that - the difference is unlikely to be audible.

 

[Keith_W]

A warm welcome to ASR!

Re: tape loop monitor. What it does is send signal OUT the tape loop after source selection, but before the volume control (to a cassette recorder, MiniDSP, etc) and then IN to the volume control and preamp section. So it is ideal for applying DSP - provided you only want to DSP two channels.

Not all integrated amps work like this, so you need to check your manual!

If you want to DSP more than 2 channels, then the MiniDSP needs to be inserted after the preamp and before the power amp.

 

[MaximusMayhem]

Great, thanks.

Yeah, that's my issue I think. Some manufacturers are pretty explicit about pre in/out, some others (like the Rega I quoted initially) have some more vague/verbose means of explaining an input function that can be difficult to translate into plain English, for me at least.

 

[Ultrasonic]

If you use just have one source you can do this between the source and integrated amp but if you have multiple sources it becomes more complicated.

 

[MaximusMayhem]

Yeah, multiple inputs sadly.

I think it may be feasible with (specific) Rega amps that have a Record In/Out, manual states:

Record Input and Output - This is a line level input and output intended for use with a recording device such as a CD/DVD recorder, MD, tape cassette machine or sound card. Record Output is the same signal as selected by the main input selector and is not affected by the volume control. Selecting the Record function on the amplifier front panel/remote enables the Record Input, directing the signal from this input to the speaker output of the amplifier. This input is completely independent to inputs 1-5/D1/D2 and can be used to monitor the functionality and quality of the recording device without affecting the source being recorded"

Which sounds like looping something like a MiniDSP DDRC into this in/out will allow me to EQ the signal & use the amp as normal.

 

[Ultrasonic]

I think it may be feasible with (specific) Rega amps that have a Record In/Out, manual states:

If you're talking about amps you don't already own then there are likely better routes to take here. If you share the sources you have and what sort of budget you have in mind people could make suggestions.

 

[pjug]

If you have your eyes on the Rega, it looks to me like the Rega Aethois has pre out and power amp in if you engage Direct input for power amp input. So then engage Direct input, and connect: Rega Pre-Out -> DSP device -> Rega Direct Input. I am not sure about this though, so I would ask Rega to be sure if that is what you want to do.
edit: for example engaging Direct Input might disable all the Rega's preamplifier functionality. So it isn't clear that you can do this in the same way as something like the NAD integrated amps that always have to have connectors between pre-out and power-amp-in.

https://www.rega.co.uk/download/aethos-manual-ml.pdf

Direct input (5) - This input is routed directly to the power amplifier
input with no volume control. The intended use is with multi-channel
systems, where the traditional two-channel system is used as the
front speakers. This input can also be used with an external pre-
amplifier if so desired. The sensitivity is 840 mV for maximum output.
Power amplifier gain = 31.6 dB.
NOTE: The Direct input button is located on the supplied handset
only. The direct LED (16) will light on the front panel when activated.

 

[ShadowBoxer]

Yeah, multiple inputs sadly.

How many?

 

[MaximusMayhem]

If you're talking about amps you don't already own then there are likely better routes to take here. If you share the sources you have and what sort of budget you have in mind people could make suggestions.

Already own, so just wanted to see/check what was feasible with my existing setup really. I may end up saving myself some faff/hassle & changing to something like a Lyngdorf, but we'll see.

 

[Ultrasonic]

Already own, so just wanted to see/check what was feasible with my existing setup really. I may end up saving myself some faff/hassle & changing to something like a Lyngdorf, but we'll see.

So you own a Rega integrated amp with a tape loop? Which model? The way you were writing above about "specific models" it sounded like new options?