[MarkgM]

Hi,
I've recently gotten a USB DAC, Creative HD, but I come to find with this great sound, that I will be wanting to use an equalizer (not the pre-set types)  This DAC does not have that option in the software (even with after-market patches).

Among the things I like to do, I like Pandora and Netflix via this.  So, what are my options for getting either EQ for my browser, or a DAC (with good sound) and with an equalizer?  Any other options?

There is something I do not understand, when moving beyond, is it Windows XP?  People remove their equalizers.  I have onboard realtek, and I've enabled EQ with that by getting the realtek AC97 drivers, but I cannot use that with the creative USB DAC.  Creative have successfully made it so that their eq won't work with it.  MS appears to have stopped providing a multi-band EQ with Windows sound support.  (How about one of these companies making it so I can buy one?)  I have applications, such as foobar (and I hear windows media player) which have their own equalizers, independently of drivers.  Foobar is using an asio4all driver.  Foobar doesn't know the hardware, but has eq.  Why is there not a system-wide EQ?  I ask because I don't know how sound is layed out on the PC.  I have done other things programming on the PC.  Can an EQ be made that plugs into Windows 7 (sound)?  It seems so, since foobar is doing this.

Cheers,
Mark

[mcgsxr]

I am slowly creeping towards a USB DAC, for my headphone setup.

I am looking for a mid-fi solution (vs an all out attack state of the art $$ piece), and my research has led me to the Musiland Monitor 01 US.  This piece supports ASIO, and has an EQ in the s/w.

Roughly $80 shipped from Asia on eBay.

[MarkgM]

... my research has led me to the Musiland Monitor 01 US.  This piece supports ASIO, and has an EQ in the s/w. ...

I was just reading that there is no eq with it...

In the features box, click the link to more...
http://www.pacificvalve.us/MusilandMonitor01US.html

A very interesting DAC.  This one says asynch USB.  The cheapest I have seen with that was the HRT Streamer II (24/96, $150).  Or the $300 V-DAC.  It must be appearing more and more.

[mcgsxr]

Ah, I am getting my Musilands confused.

It is the ~$115 02 that has the s/w with the eq - http://www.headphiles.org/index.php?topic=174.0

[MarkgM]

That is a really interesting DAC.  I'm glad you showed it to me.  Fyi, as far as EQ goes, it looks like it has 5 bands of EQ'ing for up to 200 Hz (bass).  I like the second review here:
http://www.head-fi.org/products/musiland-monitor-02-us/reviews

I see it higher priced than that ($115).

That's the second asynch USB DAC for around that price I've seen.  The other is the HRT Streamer II.  Both sound like very good USB DACs for the money. 

I'm looking into other directions... Learning about VST plugins and what can be done with them.  What I want with eq'ing will be to tame things up in higher frequencies (5-10 KHz).  Like a de-esser.  - still looking -

Cheers,
Mark

[MarkgM]

In playing with software for (full range) EQ on Windows 7, I am having an interesting time.  I am trying to tinker with a few things.... ASIO4ALL, Virtual Audio Cable, and a demo of Console (Sound Modular Studio).

I have successfully gotten a virtual audio cable created, and set it in windows as the default playback device.  I made a VAC (virtual audio cable) repeater that connected the virtual cable (device) to the USB DAC.  Anything making sound goes through the virtual cable.  What I do NOT know how to do is put anything else in line (other than a virtual cable), such as something with EQ, such as perhaps a VST host?  Or a virtual something!

In my efforts, "Console" sees an equalizer VST plugin I got, called Electri-Q.  I haven't gotten Console to connect to the audio system on my machine for real, though.  I've got input and output devices.  Here's a question... Since I haven't gotten VAC's kernel-streaming repeater to work - only its MME one, will that get missed by Console?  I haven't gotten sound to go through it, but I had it set up in Console as:
virtual cable --> Electri-Q --> USB DAC
(With connector lines for 1 and 2, for 2-channel I presume, between each)

So many questions.  I'm not sure if I can get it to work, but it all seems obscured.  It looks like on the source side there are VST hosts and plugins, which I have not gotten to work for anything, and I'm not sure how to wire a VST host into my chain.  I have foobar working with ASIO and sending its output to my virtual cable.  I need something like foobar (w/plugins, effects), but in the windows audio chain, like VAC.

- Mark

[MarkgM]

Just like that... I post a note, and then I make it work. 

Using console, or maybe any VST host, ok, using console for sure...
I set the speakers as the input and output device - Correction - its virtual cable as input.  I put the EQ plugin in the middle, and connected them all together.  That worked.  And Electri-Q is pretty cool.  And there are other fancy EQ's out there I can do this with.  Very nice to have something working. 

Cheers,
Mark