[Phil A]

I've done my room treatments in conjunction with my on-third octave RTA and I'm quite happy with the results.  EQ is OK for low frequencies after alternatives have not worked.  Many just buy equipment w/o thinking about the room it will go in which is another problem.  When my friend worked at a high end shop and I did installs with him over a 5 yr. period I can't tell you how many things people bought based on ranking/reviews w/o regard for their listening room.  We delivered some nice stuff that just sounded awful for the room they were in.  The most overlooked component is the room itself.

[Slingshotx]

I guess it just shows we have different setups, I'm not bothered about HDMI, but I don't use my Sub for music so don't have the option of just EQ'ing my sub (well I do but only for movies).

I've done what room treatments I can do, don't have a dedicated HC room either, I've also played around with cheap EQ on the main channels, it solved some problems but introduced others.

I would have agreed with Brucek about EQ no good for higher frequencies a few months ago, but having read peoples comments on the new Audyssey pro and Lyngdorf stuff, I'm remaining open minded on the subject, just maybe it does work and maybe it would make a Rotel processor sound better than a Bryston in some rooms!

[Thunder]

......usually a lot of the EQ would be done with room treatments

Absolutely. Wavelengths of very low frequencies (in relation to most room dimensions) are long enough that the behavior is considered to be very well suited to equalization. For example, a 50Hz tone has a wavelength of about 22 feet, so primary reflections from the walls, floor and ceilings of the room arrive at the listening position with a phase shift of much less than a cycle. Subwoofer parametric equalizers inserted between the processor and subwoofer to take care of the resonances caused at these model frequencies are quite effective and inexpensive..

Outside this subwoofer low frequency range equalization is quite ineffective in creating suitable results beyond a very small listening sweet spot as a result of shorter wavelengths. The EQ at higher than subwoofer frequencies is really only valid at the point where the response was measured and a small region around that point (don't move your head). At these frequencies (which is generally where all these automatic parametric systems operate), well executed acoustic treatments can improve the response over a much larger area. At very low frequencies the treatments required are quite large. This is where equalization is effective and can be accomplished with a simple external subwoofer EQ device. Adding EQ to the SP2 would also require a harware change to include a microphone input.

To add broadband parametric equalization to the SP2 is simply a bad idea in my opinion. No doubt Bryston has come to a similar conclusion. 

brucek

Well said, agree completely. I use Rives PARC product for my sub EQ needs. My room is heavily treated with difussion and bass traps to deal with the rest my acoustic needs/problems. The room measures very well and sounds great thanks to Rives help. I also agree with comments of others WRT getting a seperate EQ if you feel it's necessary to have one. 

[Thunder]

Here's an interesting post from another message board on the subject of EQing:

"Active room control , flatly stated, does not work. Never did..never will. Simple rules of physics vs the human hearing function. The very idea and execution...basically...retards the reproduced sound that emanates from the speakers in such a way that it bears little resemblance to what was recorded on the disk. I've also seen active room control devices blow drivers. The room must fundamentally be corrected via acoustic treatment FIRST....and then MAYBE some small amount of active control may, I repeat -may be utilized.

This is not a rant against active control systems...merely a fact.

If your particular room does not allow for proper acoustic treatment, then fix the room, or move into another one. Ultimately, as one's understanding of what is actually going on in a given actively eq'd system -one that is involved in electronically manipulating the output of said system for 'room correction'-, one will come to the seemingly startling revelation that they simply don't work.

The source of the problem is that the reflective time smear characteristics of the room 'issues'..remains intact, and the direct radiator sound source is being retarded to compensate for this. Thus the result is a time smeared mess where the issues remain, and the original source is destroyed.

This is about as completely, irrevocably, bass-ackwards as one can get.

The only thing it is good for, is if you aren't actually listening to your system.

Great for pro amient enviroments or large auditoriums but they don't work in a serious two channel or serious HT system."

Here's a response someone provided:

"I used to have French client that told me "I see based on your demo that what you're recommending works in practice, but we can not implement it if it does not work in theory."

I used a Tact setup two homes ago in a living room theater setup. The room had lousy "physics": asymmetric room, speakers in entertainment cabinets up high with subs down low, chairs up against plate glass windows, etc. In that environment the Tact made a remarkable improvement in imaging, in dialog intelligibility, in air and ambience, etc. It wasn't ever up to the standards of an amazing room, but it was an order of magnitude improvement.

In another room in that same home, a professionally designed room with terrific acoustics, extensive room treatments, etc., that same Tact unit was detrimental to the sound.

Based on my experience I wouldn't hesitate to try a Tact or something similar in a lousy room (or even a Rane PEQ if that was all that I could afford), and, would be pretty hesitant about the same in a good room."

Point of all is, if you really care about great sound, fix your room abnd forget about EQ. Having fixed my own room with some professional help, I am a firm believer that about 50% of what you hear is the room and the rest is your equipment. When you put Bryston and PMC is a well designed room, it is nothing short aof awesome.