[warnerwh]

transport and dac? Thanks

[mb]

Don't quite get the question... equalize the analog output of the DAC, then pass it to a preamp? Just about all EQs do that (analog in -> EQ -> analog out).

What would be more interesting (what I use) is: S/PDIF -> EQ -> dac -> preamp. This way the EQ is just in digital domain, and your investment in dac is retained. The Behringer DEQ2496 does this, as do most other modern digital EQs, I expect. The Behringer's d-a section is certainly nowhere close to that of my CI-Audio dac.

[warnerwh]

mb: I didn't get my question either so I edited it. Had surgery and am still on pain meds.  Hope you like that excuse:)  But I got the answer I was looking for, something that equalizes in the digital domain. I will check out the Behringer.  Thanks

[Rob Babcock]

The Behringer does have a model/option that accepts a digital input and outputs the same, with no analog conversions in between.  You should be able to run your transport into the Behringer and a digital out to whatever DAC you're using without any problem.

[BikeWNC]

I have a Tact RCS that fits between my transport and dac.  It is a room correction system that operates in digital mode.  The Tact is also a preamp and is available with both dac and adc though I choose to use only the correction system and an external dac which then feeds my tube preamp.  

Andy

[Rob Babcock]

Of course the Tact is a much nicer unit that does more, but it's an awful lot more expensive.  Not that price was necessarily mentioned as being an issue, although it is for me.

The Behringer does parametric eq plus a few more things, but not the type of time and room correction that the Tact can.

[randytsuch]

Of course the Tact is a much nicer unit that does more, but it's an awful lot more expensive.  Not that price was necessarily mentioned as being an issue, although it is for me.

The Behringer does parametric eq plus a few more things, but not the type of time and room correction that the Tact can.

Rob, I think the new Behringers do time and room correction, pretty sure people use it for that.  I am not sure there is one model that does both time AND room correction.  It is built to a different price point than the tact, so a stock Behringer probably does not sound as good as the tact.

But, I have heard of people modding the Behringer, and saying it sounds very good after the mods.

Randy

[mb]

Rob, I think the new Behringers do time and room correction, pretty sure people use it for that.  I am not sure there is one model that does both time AND room correction.  It is built to a different price point than the tact, so a stock Behringer probably does not sound as good as the tact.

But, I have heard of people modding the Behringer, and saying it sounds very good after the mods.
Randy

I'll chip in here: the time correction offered by the latest DEQ2496 is too coarse for domestic use (it's targetted at delay for auditoriums and halls). In stock form, I'm sure it doesn't sound as good as a TacT . The D-A section sounds ok -- clear, clean, forward, rather like good pro audio gear -- very good for the price. I recall listening to a stock Art DIO, and the sound was similar. With considerable work (equivalent to comprehensive Art DIO mods, but w/o exotic parts, tubes or transformers), it can sound very good. I was disappointed with the A-D section, so I generally feed by DEQ with S/PDIF only.

[warnerwh]

I see that this preamp doesn't seem to come with RCA inputsor ouputs. How are you guys connecting? I don't have balanced out of my transport and need to use RCA or toslink on the output side also. thanks

[randytsuch]

I see that this preamp doesn't seem to come with RCA inputsor ouputs. How are you guys connecting? I don't have balanced out of my transport and need to use RCA or toslink on the output side also. thanks

I have seen some info from Thorsten showing how to make a balanced to RCA adaptor, but I could not find the page anymore.

There is some other info the the behringer here
http://diyaudio.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=15943&perpage=15&highlight=crystal+source&pagenumber=1


Randy

[Dan Banquer]

Last I knew, Z-systems makes a very good one.

[nathanm]

A digital EQ might be a slippery slope into madness.  With all that control at your fingertips you are inevitably going to spend hours playing with the thing, all the while fretting about "is this flat enough?  What is this really supposed to sound like? Have I gone too far?"  It could be a whole lot of gear fiddling and very little enjoyment.  At least that was my experience with digital EQ in the past, yours might be different.  There's just too many ways to screw up.  Get one if you enjoy tweaking more than listening.  Not making a judgement here, just saying that this type of device does offer that possibility.

[mb]

Imho, a digital eq is more like the Swiss Army Knife of the audio world. Some of us will keep admiring and honing it, while others may just use it for emergencies, then stow it away. To date (couple of months) I've done two major tuning sessions. The first was when I had just purchased the deq, so it was interesting that the 2nd tuning led to very similar settings as the first.

I still do lots more tweaking on components (modding/upgrading) and setup (position, room tweaking) than with the dials on my deq . YMMV!

Regarding cables for the deq, a balanced / unbalanced cabling diagram is provided in the manual. An AES to RCA S/PDIF adapter is basically connectors, cable + resistors, and you can request for info on AA.

Imho, the main caveats about deq are:
- you must be willing to read up
- you cannot just use the built-in measurement s/w; you need higher resolution tools on a pc
- for greatest transparency, use it digital in, digital out, otherwise get the d-a section upgraded