Windows 10 - Best Equalizer Software?

[Celty]

I am used to using Asus Xonar Audio Center for any EQ tuning. In going to an external DAC and Amp, I would appreciate advice on the best software for equalization for windows that will will work with a USB fed external setup. I am aware of the PC Equalizer and Peace interface, but would like to know if others are recommended over this.

 

[twsecrest]

Which model of Asus sound card do you currently use?
Check the free program Foobar2000 for listening to audio.
https://www.foobar2000.org/

 

[Celty]

Which model of Asus sound card do you currently use?
Check the free program Foobar2000 for listening to audio.
https://www.foobar2000.org/

I am using the original Essence STX. I am looking for something that works for all my listening, for all all applications / sources from flac and video files to Youtube and Netflix.

 

[twsecrest]

Did you disable the motherboard's on-board audio, in the BIOS, when you installed the STX card?
Have you tried the Unified Xonar Drivers?
http://maxedtech.com/asus-xonar-unified-drivers/
For around $60, you can upgrade the 3 op-amps in the STX.
What headphones do you have or are planning on buying?
Check out the website Majorgeeks, lots of free programs, some even come with EQs.

 

[audimus]

I am used to using Asus Xonar Audio Center for any EQ tuning. In going to an external DAC and Amp, I would appreciate advice on the best software for equalization for windows that will will work with a USB fed external setup. I am aware of the PC Equalizer and Peace interface, but would like to know if others are recommended over this.

Are you looking for a graphic equalizer to manually twiddle the bands or a parametric equalizer that can take, for example, room correction filters generated by say REW?

Equalizer APO works well for the latter transparent to any sources you may use on the PC. I use it regularly. But its user interface is not something you would want for manual EQ.

I don’t have any experience with former. Googling Best Equalizer for Windows turns up a lot of useful comparisons depending on what you are looking for.

 

[Celty]

Did you disable the motherboard's on-board audio, in the BIOS, when you installed the STX card?
Have you tried the Unified Xonar Drivers?
http://maxedtech.com/asus-xonar-unified-drivers/
For around $60, you can upgrade the 3 op-amps in the STX.
What headphones do you have or are planning on buying?
Check out the website Majorgeeks, lots of free programs, some even come with EQs.

Ah, actually I upgraded the Op-Amps when I got the STX some years ago, and us the UNi-Xonar-W10-1825-v1.81a-r2 driver. I have the HD6xx AND HE4XX headphones. I have the Monolith 887 amp and SU-8 DAC on the way.

Thanks for the suggestions

 

[Celty]

Are you looking for a graphic equalizer to manually twiddle the bands or a parametric equalizer that can take, for example, room correction filters generated by say REW?

Equalizer APO works well for the latter transparent to any sources you may use on the PC. I use it regularly. But its user interface is not something you would want for manual EQ.

I don’t have any experience with former. Googling Best Equalizer for Windows turns up a lot of useful comparisons depending on what you are looking for.

I am looking to "manually twiddle the bands" and hopefully be able to save profiles for different headphones.

 

[M00ndancer]

Take a look at the Voicemeter products. It's donationware. https://www.vb-audio.com/

 

[Eirikur]

Take a look at the Voicemeter products. It's donationware. https://www.vb-audio.com/

Their tools are very good, but have one caveat: they only work up to 96kHz - plenty for most applications but a restriction nonetheless.

 

[M00ndancer]

they only work up to 96kHz

And that would be a problem?

 

[Eirikur]

And that would be a problem?

Probably not an any audible way, just something to keep in mind.
For instance, some people like to up-sample to whatever maximum their DAC accepts.

 

[M00ndancer]

For instance, some people like to up-sample to whatever maximum their DAC accepts.

In my opinion, upsampling does nothing good at all. If you still would want to do to that, 96 KHz is plenty to go around.

 

[Vincent Kars]

Maybe this one: https://mathaudio.com/

 

[M00ndancer]

Maybe this one: https://mathaudio.com/

Nice!

 

[Westsounds]

Any more of these around does anyone know?

https://sourceforge.net/projects/pc-equalizer/

I just tried using PC Equalizer which isnt bad, better than the 10 band eq on my sound blaster card. The only trouble is it causes my pc to glitch a little when playing music. Would like more bands to play with as well 20 is ok but 30 would be nice to really fine tune sound.

 

[BadMorels]

Any more of these around does anyone know?

https://sourceforge.net/projects/pc-equalizer/

I just tried using PC Equalizer which isnt bad, better than the 10 band eq on my sound blaster card. The only trouble is it causes my pc to glitch a little when playing music. Would like more bands to play with as well 20 is ok but 30 would be nice to really fine tune sound.

That's the one I was going to link. I tend to linger on the purist side of the spectrum, but I have had luck tinkering around with that one.
I used to have one on my phone called Viper, and I believe they had a version for Windows. But the link I found to their site is redirecting to a Chinese one, so it might just be a ghost at this point.

 

[Vasr]

Voicemeeter is one of the most stable but not great for EQ work.

Peace Equalizer (which runs over EAPO) is one of the best graphic equalizer interfaces around outside the custom software provided by card manufacturers or DAW software. But the interface like many free software can be a bit glitchy and temperamental.

EAPO is more of a PEQ and not a graphic equalizer and better for installing room correction filters, etc.

 

[Westsounds]

. I tend to linger on the purist side of the spectrum

Yes, but the trouble with that is there is no such thing as purists, whether you like it or not. All amps, speakers, headphones, dacs, rooms and even cables add, take away frequencies and all you are doing is ajusting to compensate. There's nothing wrong with adjustment even if all your equipment measures perfectly flat, it's not strickly what you are getting. And most of all what sounds pleasing to get the most from your system for you.

Just looking for the best 30 band EQ with benign system demand. Would like to do adjustments on the software side before it goes to the dac rather than add another box.

 

[jae]

Equalizer APO + Peace

CamillaDSP

Sonarworks reference

Best options really. Unless you have some VSTs you want to use, get a DAW/VST host and use that

 

[Westsounds]

Equalizer APO + Peace

CamillaDSP

Sonarworks reference

Best options really. Unless you have some VSTs you want to use, get a DAW/VST host and use that

Thanks will look at those.

I seen the Waves one which is stunning. The trouble is it's Windows 10 only and a fairly powerful pc needed all my music is on 2 old Windows laptops. They just hold the files and send to my dac, that's where it gets good. I would like to adjust before it's converted. Upgrading the pcs is not a cheap option.