 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
Posted: |
May 16, 2015 - 2:44 PM
|
|
|
|
By: |
edwzoomom
(Member)
|
My family surprised me with a graphic equalizer for Mother's Day but we had a problem hooking it up to my receiver. The receiver is a good quality piece about 10 years years old which sat unused in my son's room for at least 9.5 of those years. Like many kids today, the iPod attached to a tiny speaker was the music source of choice. My son came to me and said he wanted to clear his room of the receiver and a great set of speakers we had bought him for the receiver.
The speakers are like new as well. I gladly took all of it off his hands and we set it up in our bedroom.
After adding a new disc player I received for my birthday, I wanted the equalizer as well. Well, when we went to hook it up the old fashioned way, it didn't work. The old tape loop method is outdated and my husband has been out of the industry for almost 30 years. This was a guy who owned and sold the most sophisticated audio equipment out there, knew how to set it up with his eyes closed and could solve any problem you had with it. When a house fire destroyed all of his equipment, replacing it was not an option when you have 2 kids and a mortgage. The only thing we did replace was a set of Klipsch Cornwalls which still sound amazing.
When my husband encountered the hook-up problem, he called the support line with a few questions, It was amazing to see him get animated about audio equipment again. The support tech was knowledgeable but listened intently as my husband shared some of his expertise with him. The tech suggested an alternate hook-up method which didn't work but lo and behold it gave my husband an idea. He tried it and at last, music poured out of those speakers enhanced by the new equalizer!
Yes, I received flowers, cards and a lovely brunch for Mother's Day but I also received the lovely sound of music.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: |
May 16, 2015 - 6:20 PM
|
|
|
|
By: |
edwzoomom
(Member)
|
Happy you have it working, Eee-Dee.
By some weird coincidence, my EQ starting buggering up a few weeks ago.
It was by no means a high-end unit and I did actually have it for a long time anyway, so I guess I have to suck it up and cope with it until I can get another.
It's startling to not have the signal processed through it now. My living room is very padded and now that I can't EQ to compensate it's a real strange experience.
I know, 1st world problems!
Maybe not 1st world problems, but annoying nonetheless. This is a DBX piece my husband picked out and it works perfect. I didn't realize what I was missing until I played this full tilt today. Hope you get your eq issue resolved soon.
My husband and I were laughing today when he reminded me of my reaction when I saw his audio equipment for the first time after we met. I looked at everything and said "why do you have two receivers and where is your FM/cassette player?" He had an amp, a pre-amp, a turntable and speakers. When he explained what everything was, I still didn't see the point. When he played an lp for me, I "heard" the point. 
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: |
May 17, 2015 - 9:16 AM
|
|
|
|
By: |
Octoberman
(Member)
|
But that leads me to the question: please excuse my ignorance but I thought Graphic Equalisers were a thing of the past. I recall seeing a (rich) work colleague's hi-fi set-up and asking what that box with the sliders, lights, etc. was for and then wanting to buy one but knowing it would never happen with my meagre salary. But that was in the early 1980s.
My first Receiver - some 13-14 years ago - had numerous sound mixes and I played around with various options ... only to learn that the best - by a long shot - was the setting "Direct" ... pure 2 channel stereo with no additives. Volume control and L-R Speaker balance were the only options and the only time I changed the setting was when I played a CD encoded for surround sound.Mitch
I don't think they are a thing of the past. They are merely an extension of the console in a recording studio. It's a necessary tool to adjust for many factors, not the least of which is bad (for want of a better word) hearing, sloppy audio production, unique speaker characteristics, listening room acoustics--the list can go on and on. It's certainly NOT ignorance on your part, but it's certainly a very happy fact that the direct signal is what you find to be what works best for you.
For my home listening, I use the EQ purely to compensate for the room's deficiencies. It's set a certain way (some freq's additive, some subtractive) and then it's left alone. I'm not fiddling with it every couple of minutes. Sure, I could change things in the living room to make all this unnecessary--no carpets, no drapes or such like, but then I'd have a living room I wouldn't want to be in.
Like you described above, my receiver has a bunch of DSP presets, too (Dolby Surround, concert hall, etc.)--but I almost never bother with them. They are fun, but sometimes I feel like they're gimmicky. On the occasion I really need surround I just pop in a bona fide multichannel disc.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: |
May 17, 2015 - 12:07 PM
|
|
|
|
By: |
edwzoomom
(Member)
|
You brought a smile to my face this morning, edwzoomom, with your posting, especially ... when I saw his audio equipment for the first time after we met. I looked at everything and said "why do you have two receivers and where is your FM/cassette player?"
Even after 16mths of my present hi-fi set-up, my wife's question is What are all those black boxes for ... especially the ones without any buttons?
I've posted a few times about the importance of improving the sound quality - from those early days of very cheap record player, amp, speakers and cassette deck ... gradual improvements make such a difference. And it's so pleasing to read a posting from someone who has found such pleasure from improving SQ.
But that leads me to the question: please excuse my ignorance but I thought Graphic Equalisers were a thing of the past. I recall seeing a (rich) work colleague's hi-fi set-up and asking what that box with the sliders, lights, etc. was for and then wanting to buy one but knowing it would never happen with my meagre salary. But that was in the early 1980s.
My first Receiver - some 13-14 years ago - had numerous sound mixes and I played around with various options ... only to learn that the best - by a long shot - was the setting "Direct" ... pure 2 channel stereo with no additives. Volume control and L-R Speaker balance were the only options and the only time I changed the setting was when I played a CD encoded for surround sound.
I have an updated Receiver (though I'm not sure it's better but I needed to update for HDMI) but rarely use this for music play having since purchased an excellent hi-fi (integrated) amp. This allows Volume and L-R Speaker balance control only ... not a graphic equaliser in the whole product range.
Whatever: enjoy!
Mitch
Hi Mitch, I am so glad my story made you smile and your question is certainly not ignorance on your part as Octoberman succinctly put, equalizers are still available but rarely utilized by folks other than as part of a recording studio or as band equipment. My son's band had several they used for recording and shows. My husband actually never used one years ago because he relied on the amp, pre-amp and speakers to give him rich sound. I owned a Technics equalizer, receiver, turntable and cassette deck when I met my husband. At the time it was a decent set and fit my budget. I really thought I had a "fancier" set-up than his until I visited the store where he worked and checked out the pricey equipment there. We used my set reliably until the house fire which took that too. I still have memories of the kids playing Raffi's Baby Beluga in the cassette deck.
The reason we had the initial issue with the hook-up was the fact that the receiver plays analog and digital. The old connections no longer applied because we were unable to play the cd component and the equalizer through the receiver. Simply put, the equalizer is now using the tape loop and the disc player is playing through the equalizer. I can't listen to the receiver for FM but I don't care.
Octoberman is correct about the equalizer making up for room deficiencies. The room our set-up is in is large but carpeted which absorbs all the sound. This is when the eq comes in handy. I don't bother with the presets either unless the disc I am playing needs an adjustment. In all honesty, this set-up only came about because my son wanted the receiver and speakers out of his room. Up to that point, I had been content with a small JVC unit. Suddenly, the audio monster woke up. I will say that the eq is not pretty because it has no cabinet because it is a rack mount. Again, not a big deal.
It sounds like you have a great set-up with the integrated amp. You don't need all the buttons and bells right? If it pleases your ear, then it works.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
... and as I have a stacking unit - already full - I would have to make the decision to remove one or two components.