Parametric EQ with 40 and more filters for TIDAL on Android, Windows, Linux, hardware?

[SashaR]

Is there a parametric equalizer with 40 or more filters for use with TIDAL - in Android, Windows, Linux or hardware?

In Android, I only know UAPP. It can change the DAC frequency - but it has only 10 filters.

In Windows, I know APO Equalizer with an unlimited number of filters - but Windows generates a hum when the "extra processing" mode is turned on, without which APO Equalizer does not work. In addition, APO Equalizer does not work if TIDAL is in EXCLUSIVE mode, and therefore TIDAL cannot change the DAC frequency when using APO equalizer (how significant is the loss of quality caused by this?)

Maybe in Linux there is no problem with controlling the DAC frequency and there is a System equalizer with 40 filters?

I am very grateful in advance for any advice and help!

 

[unpluggged]

Why not 400 filters?

5 PEQ filters is enough to EQ most headphones. 10 PEQ filters is more than enough for very advanced room EQ.

 

[ppataki]

Is there a parametric equalizer with 40 or more filters for use with TIDAL - in Android, Windows, Linux or hardware?

In Android, I only know UAPP. It can change the DAC frequency - but it has only 10 filters.

In Windows, I know APO Equalizer with an unlimited number of filters - but Windows generates a hum when the "extra processing" mode is turned on, without which APO Equalizer does not work. In addition, APO Equalizer does not work if TIDAL is in EXCLUSIVE mode, and therefore TIDAL cannot change the DAC frequency when using APO equalizer (how significant is the loss of quality caused by this?)

Maybe in Linux there is no problem with controlling the DAC frequency and there is a System equalizer with 40 filters?

I am very grateful in advance for any advice and help!

Here is how you can do that on Windows:

- Use Jriver v34 as your media player and DSP app
- Enable its WDM driver to ensure all Windows sounds (Tidal (works with exclusive mode too), Chrome, Spotify, etc.) will go through its DSP engine
- You can export EQ settings from REW and directly import them into Jrivers' Parametric EQ or you can type in your desired EQ settings manually (number of bands is unlimited)
- or you can use any VST EQ plugins; if the number of bands is not enough you can use DDMF Metaplugin to chain the same (or different) plugins multiple times

This is what I have been doing for 10+ years now and it basically provides you with state-of-the-art DSP capabilities that supersedes any AVR or hardware implementations, etc. and it works in multichannel too

 

[staticV3]

In Windows, I know APO Equalizer with an unlimited number of filters - but Windows generates a hum when the "extra processing" mode is turned on

I've never seen, heard, or measured any kind of hum when EQApo is turned on.

TIDAL cannot change the DAC frequency when using APO equalizer (how significant is the loss of quality caused by this?)

Insignificant.

 

[SashaR]

Why not 400 filters?

Oh, thank you! Where can I buy it and how much does it cost? Probably very expensive

5 PEQ filters is enough to EQ most headphones.

Maybe you are right. In my case (one OE and three IE) the transition from 5 to 8 filters gave a very large increase in the comfort of sound in IE. For my OE, 10 filters are absolutely not enough.

10 PEQ filters is more than enough for very advanced room EQ.

Maybe you are right. In one of my cases (attached measurement named "-15 dB") the transition from 10 to 39 filters gave a very large increase in sound quality (despite the hum created by the equalizer) because further optimization of the room is no longer possible... How to straighten the measurement named "-25 dB" even with 40 filters, I do not know. I will be glad to receive your tips - both regarding the filters for these measurements, and regarding the Equalizer too!
Thank you for your answers!

 

[SashaR]

Here is how you can do that on Windows:

- Use Jriver v34 as your media player and DSP app
- Enable its WDM driver to ensure all Windows sounds (Tidal (works with exclusive mode too), Chrome, Spotify, etc.) will go through its DSP engine
- You can export EQ settings from REW and directly import them into Jrivers' Parametric EQ or you can type in your desired EQ settings manually (number of bands is unlimited)
- or you can use any VST EQ plugins; if the number of bands is not enough you can use DDMF Metaplugin to chain the same (or different) plugins multiple times

This is what I have been doing for 10+ years now and it basically provides you with state-of-the-art DSP capabilities that supersedes any AVR or hardware implementations, etc. and it works in multichannel too

THANK YOU!!!

 

[Sokel]

Oh, thank you! Where can I buy it and how much does it cost? Probably very expensive

Maybe you are right. In my case (one OE and three IE) the transition from 5 to 8 filters gave a very large increase in the comfort of sound in IE. For my OE, 10 filters are absolutely not enough.

Maybe you are right. In one of my cases (attached measurement named "-15 dB") the transition from 10 to 39 filters gave a very large increase in sound quality (despite the hum created by the equalizer) because further optimization of the room is no longer possible... How to straighten the measurement named "-25 dB" even with 40 filters, I do not know. I will be glad to receive your tips - both regarding the filters for these measurements, and regarding the Equalizer too!
Thank you for your answers!

Without even looking what are you trying to do I would urgently suggest you to read this first:

What is your favorite house curve

OK. Next question for you folks. As far as I can tell there is no spinorama for the Focal Aria 926's, which happen to be my main speakers. However, Amir did do a spinorama for the Aria 906 standmount speakers. They use the same tweeter and mid driver as the 926, but lack the two woofers as they...

www.audiosciencereview.com

 

[SashaR]

hum when EQApo is turned on

The hum is emitted by Windows - immediately after this option is checked, even without any playback:
EDIT @staticV3 : Is there a way to get rid of this Windows effect?

 

[staticV3]

The hum is emitted by Windows - immediately after this option is checked, even without any playback:
EDIT @staticV3 : Is there a way to get rid of this Windows effect?
View attachment 444980

I have never encountered hum from EQApo itself so would suspect some other APO as the culprit behind the hum.

Try using EQApo's Configurator to turn off all original APOs:

Ending the Windows Audio Quality Debate

A debate has been long raging in the audio community that Windows isn't fit for use in a high resolution audio system. Sceptics counterargued that bits are bits and Windows audio degradations are a figment of an over-active audiophile imagination. I decided to investigate this as I kept...

www.audiosciencereview.com

 

[digitalfrost]

For Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.pittvandewitt.wavelet&hl=en

it supports Convolution, so this way you could make a filter with however many bands you want.

 

[somebodyelse]

Maybe in Linux there is no problem with controlling the DAC frequency and there is a System equalizer with 40 filters?

The number of bands is more or less arbitrary with most of the options. Take EasyEffects - the Equalizer effect has 32 PEQs, but if that's not enough you can just add another Equalizer to the chain to get 32 more, and another...until you run out of CPU. You can do similar chains of effects in manual ALSA config, PipeWire config, etc. DAC frequency may or may not be fixed depending on the route you take. The usual problem independent of OS is that if you want to allow multiple sources access to audio output you may have to resample some of them to ensure sample rates and bit depths match. If you always want output sample frequency to match source you have to limit access to one application at a time. For the former most distros have moved to PipeWire now. For the latter stick to pure ALSA and avoid the dmix plugin which is usually enabled by default.

 

[Soniclife]

For Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.pittvandewitt.wavelet&hl=en

it supports Convolution, so this way you could make a filter with however many bands you want.

Convolution makes so much more sense as the number of fitters goes up, and much less processing at playback. REW can generate them.

 

[digitalfrost]

Convolution makes so much more sense as the number of fitters goes up, and much less processing at playback. REW can generate them.

There's also https://rephase.org

 

[somebodyelse]

Convolution makes so much more sense as the number of fitters goes up, and much less processing at playback. REW can generate them.

Almost said the same thing when it came to adding multiples of 32 PEQs. EasyEffects also includes a Convolver effect, and you can have more than one of those too if you want.

 

[SashaR]

Try using EQApo's Configurator to turn off all original APOs:

Thank you very much for the material about EAPO - all its recommendations are useful! But, without going into details of the test results, I have to say that the hum remained, although it became noticeably smaller! The most unpleasant thing is that this hum resonates with music, which makes it much more noticeable at such moments. Thank you again - this is exactly what I assumed it existed (turning off what generates this hum). Thank you!

The author of this material claims that EAPOS implements exactly those filters that REW uses when generating the corrections using the "GENERAL". But since REW's GENERAL mode has a limit of 30 filters, I would like to know which of the Configurable Equalizer filters are implemented in EAPO - Configurable Equalizer does not limit (?) the number of filters!!! ???

 

[SashaR]

The number of bands is more or less arbitrary with most of the options. Take EasyEffects - the Equalizer effect has 32 PEQs, but if that's not enough you can just add another Equalizer to the chain to get 32 more, and another...until you run out of CPU. You can do similar chains of effects in manual ALSA config, PipeWire config, etc. DAC frequency may or may not be fixed depending on the route you take. The usual problem independent of OS is that if you want to allow multiple sources access to audio output you may have to resample some of them to ensure sample rates and bit depths match. If you always want output sample frequency to match source you have to limit access to one application at a time. For the former most distros have moved to PipeWire now. For the latter stick to pure ALSA and avoid the dmix plugin which is usually enabled by default.

Thank you very much for opening the door to LINUX for me. I am completely new to it, but if I can't get through Windows or Android, I'll have to decide to look in that direction! Does Linux require command lines or can dummies use an interface similar to Windows or Android to play TIDAL with an equalizer?

 

[bachatero]

Thank you very much for opening the door to LINUX for me. I am completely new to it, but if I can't get through Windows or Android, I'll have to decide to look in that direction! Does Linux require command lines or can dummies use an interface similar to Windows or Android to play TIDAL with an equalizer?

I use Easy effects which supports unlimited EQ and tons of other effects too!

 

[SashaR]

For Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.pittvandewitt.wavelet&hl=en

it supports Convolution, so this way you could make a filter with however many bands you want.

Forgive me for asking before I get to know what is called Convolution: my Android device is a desktop streamer for Tidal, connected to a USB DAC, amplifier and speakers. Forgive me for asking you before I start to figure it out myself: I use UAPP to access TIDAL. Will this VAVELET DSP be able to be used with UAPP and the Direct Access to USB DAC (to have the control of USB DAC frequency)?
Again, forgive me for asking and thank you very much for the information!!!

 

[staticV3]

Will this VAVELET DSP be able to be used with UAPP and the Direct Access to USB DAC (to have the control of USB DAC frequency)?

No. Wavelet can only EQ what goes through the Android pipeline.

 

[antcollinet]

Thank you very much for the material about EAPO - all its recommendations are useful! But, without going into details of the test results, I have to say that the hum remained, although it became noticeably smaller! The most unpleasant thing is that this hum resonates with music, which makes it much more noticeable at such moments. Thank you again - this is exactly what I assumed it existed (turning off what generates this hum). Thank you!

The author of this material claims that EAPOS implements exactly those filters that REW uses when generating the corrections using the "GENERAL". But since REW's GENERAL mode has a limit of 30 filters, I would like to know which of the Configurable Equalizer filters are implemented in EAPO - Configurable Equalizer does not limit (?) the number of filters!!! ???

Does the hum persist if you turn down the completely un-necessarily high sample rate. Say down to 96kHz - or even 48?