DEQX Beginner seeking advice

Hi Mike,

Q1)I’m not aware of any such tutorial. But I think that if you read through the sections of the manual on room measurements and room corrections a couple of times you’ll find them to be a good deal less formidable than they may initially appear.

Q2)Yes, that’s true as far as I’ve been able to determine (for room corrections; speaker calibrations are of course done individually for each speaker). In my case, though, it didn’t seem to be a significant issue.

Q3)I don’t use subwoofers, and I haven’t taken the time to familiarize myself with the sub integration process, so I can’t help on this question.

Keep in mind that in contrast to speaker calibrations, room corrections are done instantaneously, in real time, when you make the adjustments in the cal software running on a connected computer. But while the resulting adjustments are then immediately stored in the DEQX, they are not stored in the computer until and unless you download them from the DEQX into a configuration profile you have previously created, and then perform a "save."

Also, as a starting point, at least, it may be helpful to use the auto-EQ feature for the room corrections. Although I would suggest some changes to the default settings for the auto-EQ function that are in the latest version of the software. If I recall correctly it defaults to 3 parametric "control points," which I would suggest changing to 7 (that being the maximum number that can be used while retaining the ability to subsequently introduce equalizations with the remote control). And if I recall correctly it defaults to zero maximum boost (i.e., to only reducing selected frequency ranges, rather than boosting any). Provided that you believe the power capability of your amplifier and the power handling capability of your speakers to have ample margin relative to your requirements, I would suggest raising that default limit from 0 to perhaps as much as +6 db (which would result in up to a four-fold increase in power delivery at the boosted frequencies).

As with any sophisticated software program, during the initial familiarization process it can seem daunting, but once you get the hang of it after some hands-on experience I don’t think you’ll find it to be nearly as complex as it may first seem.

Good luck. Regards,
-- Al

Blang11, welcome to Audiogon! As you can see in my system description thread I am using an HDP-5 in my system, which serves as my line stage preamp in addition to providing its signal processing functions. However my system does not include subwoofers or any form of biamping, so I can’t comment knowledgeably on some of your questions. But I’ll give them a shot:

1)I’m not familiar with what Devialet has done in that regard, but I’d imagine it would probably be impractical for DEQX to either do that sort of thing themselves, or to provide enough different speaker manufacturers with their equipment for the measurements to be comprehensive enough to be worthwhile.

2)As you may have seen in the thread Bombaywalla referenced I performed my measurements with the speakers moved to the center of my living room, with large acoustically absorbent panels placed against nearby walls and other reflective surfaces. But the one or two or three second tone bursts that are used for each speaker measurement are typically set to automatically repeat numerous times, which under most circumstances apparently allows the software to pretty much filter out and ignore extraneous outdoor noises.

3 & 4)Many analog volume controls operate similarly, of course, with respect to the resolution of the adjustment becoming coarser at low settings. The gain structure of my system is such that for my critical sources (LP and CD) I use the control in the upper half of its range, where I find the resolution to be satisfactory.

Ideally I too would certainly prefer a numeric readout of the setting, that would facilitate precisely returning to a given setting, but I can live without it. And although it is less convenient, it is still possible to do that using the up/down buttons on the remote, by going a given number of steps above or below a setting at which the light changes color.

Also, as you have most likely seen, the HDP-5 and also the Premate+ provide a volume slider on the touchscreen in addition to the indicator light that is provided on the earlier models. That is of course still less than ideal compared to a numeric readout, but I find it to be a marginally useful feature.

5 & 6)Can’t comment knowledgeably.

7)I don’t do any critical listening off-axis. But many users including me leave profile 0 (the others being numbered 1, 2, and 3) in its as-delivered bypass configuration, so that the speaker and room corrections can be disabled with one press of a button on the remote.

8&9)Can’t comment knowledgeably.

10)I didn’t use the DEQXpert service, but I am somewhat familiar with the experience of one of the members here who posted extensively in the "game-changer" thread and did use the service, and who has a room that is particularly challenging from an acoustic standpoint. The session involved a few hours, with results that he found to be satisfactory at the time. A few months later he purchased another session, which also lasted a few hours, and resulted in some further improvement.

11)I’m not 100% certain, but I believe the answer is "yes," especially given that one pays for the service. Also, I believe that Nyal Mellor can provide a comparable service. I purchased my HDP-5 from him, and yes, he was wonderful to deal with.

Good luck. Regards,
-- Al

Roscoe, congratulations on the new digs, and on the improved acoustical situation!  And thanks for posting the links to the John Darko reviews in the "game changer" thread.

Best regards,
-- Al