Is DEQX a game changer?

Question.

Do you find the DEQX output level to be low without increasing the gain on the DEQX control panel?

ozzy

No, the only increased gain I've set via the control panel is volume matching for two subs to main speakers on an HDP-3 slave processor.

The master HDP-5 has no gain adjustment - most listening is within the 'blue' light range on the front display, or 'pink' for higher volume, only occasionally needing 'white' when using a lower output cartridge on a turntable or if I want extreme volume levels. 

drewan,

Interesting, perhaps it is my source (PS Direct Stream Dac) that feeds the DEQX.

ozzy

Hi Ozzy,

I’ve never adjusted the gain on my HDP-5 via the Control Panel, and I believe that increasing the gain via the Control Panel would reduce the headroom that is available for frequency response boosts that may be introduced for purposes of speaker calibration, room correction, or equalizations that may be desired. In turn resulting in the possibility of clipping the output circuits of the DEQX. I believe that would apply to both the analog and digital outputs.

My present amplifier (a Pass XA25) has relatively low gain (20 db), and what I have done to add some gain is to change the internal jumpers in the DEQX which control the voltage range of its analog outputs that I use to drive the amp. See page 166 of the manual. Relative to the default position of the jumpers that results in a 4.9 db gain increase on the single-ended outputs I use, and I’m pretty certain that is accomplished without any sacrifice in headroom. Those jumpers have no relevance to digital outputs, however.

Best regards,
-- Al

Hi Drewan
I have the hdp5 now and have tried the chord Dave. I have to say it has made me like the deqx even more.

I tried the Dave on its own and the deqx sounded better due to the room treatment. I have tried the Dave as a dac after the deqx and feel it is ok. Maybe slightly wider soundstage maybe I can hear more in the music. However in some way it sounds more smeared if that makes sense. The deqx on its own without the Dave still holds its own and it may be my preference, considering the price difference 

Do you think I need to recalibrate the deqx with the Dave to make it sound better? Is that what you did when you added dacs?