I use a Behringer DEQ and can't imagine not having it. I actually tried to go without it for a while and went back. My room has a couple of nasty "peaks and valleys" that the DEQ can smooth out for me, not completely, but a little. I send a digital signal into the Behringer and then a digital signal out, to a PS Audio Link DAC III. I'm very pleased with what it does.
Should Equalizers make a comeback?
Some like warm, some like bright, some like neutral. Should hardware equalizers make a comeback? Basically aren't Marantz and Rotel amps just rolled off a tiny bit in upper end? In the recording world, you can buy a one box Focusrite mic preamp emulator that seeks to recreate the classics from the past (I'm sure it lacks in pure sound quality from the originals). Would something like this work for audiophiles?