"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. Great for pro ambient environments or large auditoriums but they don't work in a serious two channel or serious HT system."
Here's a response someone provided to me recently:
"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 and 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 of awesome.
