DEQX products

BlueFox

BlueFox

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Is anyone using, or experienced, any DEQX products? I have read good things about them in one of the stereo mags, but can't recall any forum activity. Now that I have reached my cable plateau I think I will start trying these DSP engines.

DEQX High Definition Audio
 
Bud, they are outstanding products. I had one for a trial and it definitely solved any room issues I had (before treating the room). I also know there is a member here who has one of their products and swears by it.

The key with the Deqx products is that you are best to use their DAC/preamp, as going A-D-A is not ideal.
 
I've heard their products several times & thought thy were great.
 
I use the Deqx HDP-4 for bass correction for my Wilson speakers and bass eq for my room gain issues in the bass.

While the Deqx is very good as a preamp I get better results with my analog pre amps with my 5 turntables. My preamps are both considerably more expensive than the Deqx :)

You get the maximum performance by having a preamp with a tape loop. This was the deqx is always at full signal and you can easily with the press of the tape monitor button take the deqx completely out of the loop.

I used it all the time with music that has large/big bass. 50's and 60's vocals, beatles, music with little bass etc I don't need it.

If I used digital only, probably Mike's advise is correct as the dac's are very good.

cheers
 
I used to own an HDP-4.

What are you trying to accomplish? Crossovers? Room EQ? Driver linearization?

It can do some things well and others things not so well. I think it's an excellent DAC. Because it has some limitations which can be easily bettered with a good pro DAC/ADC coupled with FIR filter measurement/generation software, it's a tough recommendation from a performance standpoint. For me, it was a continuation of my DSP education. I liked it okay.

If you have limited experience with DSP, it's a great product.

BlueFox said:
Is anyone using, or experienced, any DEQX products? I have read good things about them in one of the stereo mags, but can't recall any forum activity. Now that I have reached my cable plateau I think I will start trying these DSP engines.

DEQX High Definition Audio
Click to expand...
 
I bought the DEQX PreMATE in September, 2014. IMO, it's an amazing product that solves many speaker and room problems.

I happen to believe in the theory of speaker time coherence. It's the driving principal underlying Vandersteen speakers. The DEQX corrects for time alignment issues that are inherent in most (if not all) speakers that use high order cross-overs. As an fyi, Vandies use 1st order cross-overs.

Perhaps the biggest improvement derives from room EQ correction which is effected by using a mic at the listener position. I cannot overstate the deleterious effect my crummy room had on my rig. The DEQX tamed my room and speaker problems. The main improvement is that my speaker operate more like a matched pair and have a more level FR. Soundstage, imaging and the like are just fantastic. It's hard to believe that I got so used to listening to such a blurry soundstage and a washed out sonic presentation.

Perfect?? NO! Tamed?? Yes.

IMO, one could have the most expensive high-tech rig, and own speakers costing 6 figures .... and if the room is crummy, you've tossed a lot of green down the receptacle.

P.S. Unless one is a real computer savvy tech head, I strongly suggest that they use the DEQXPert (a real person) to remotely configure the DEQX using your own PC, ... assuming you spring for the DEQX.

Bruce
 
Bifwynne said:
I bought the DEQX PreMATE in September, 2014. IMO, it's an amazing product that solves many speaker and room problems.

I happen to believe in the theory of speaker time coherence. It's the driving principal underlying Vandersteen speakers. The DEQX corrects for time alignment issues that are inherent in most (if not all) speakers that use high order cross-overs. As an fyi, Vandies use 1st order cross-overs.

Perhaps the biggest improvement derives from room EQ correction which is effected by using a mic at the listener position. I cannot overstate the deleterious effect my crummy room had on my rig. The DEQX tamed my room and speaker problems. The main improvement is that my speaker operate more like a matched pair and have a more level FR. Soundstage, imaging and the like are just fantastic. It's hard to believe that I got so used to listening to such a blurry soundstage and a washed out sonic presentation.

Perfect?? NO! Tamed?? Yes.

IMO, one could have the most expensive high-tech rig, and own speakers costing 6 figures .... and if the room is crummy, you've tossed a lot of green down the receptacle.

P.S. Unless one is a real computer savvy tech head, I strongly suggest that they use the DEQXPert (a real person) to remotely configure the DEQX using your own PC, ... assuming you spring for the DEQX.

Bruce
Click to expand...

Welcome Bruce. I'm looking forward to getting my PreMate+ up and running soon, it arrived on Friday. Also, I will be getting trained as a "DEQXPert" soon.

I will also, in conjunction with DEQX, be setting up a program where interested parties will be able to demo a DEQX product in their system.
 
Thanks for the welcome, Gents. Some of the members may recognize me from Audiogon, of which I am still a long-time member.

Mike, you wrote "I will also, in conjunction with DEQX, be setting up a program where interested parties will be able to demo a DEQX product in their system." That's very interesting.

If you are talking about home auditions, I would be interested to see what you come up with. In my case, the DEQX National Sales Manager, who happens to live about 20 minutes away from my house, arranged a 2-week home audition for me and was not anal about the conditions. He even arranged for the DEQXPert to set me up. That's quite an investment ... and maybe potential risk. But I guess he saw me for an honest guy and didn't appear to give it a worry.

Wish there was a practical way to home demo larger gear, especially speakers. I've read stories that some dealers will do that, but it's the very rare case. I suppose there is something to be said about doing auditions in dealer showrooms, but there are so many variables in play even beyond the room, such as the front end gear, etc.

Cheers,

Bruce
 
Bruce - that's exactly the program the DEQX distributor (who is the guy who helped you) and I will be setting up. I know the audiophile mindset and I know DSP is like Kryptonite to audiophiles, but I've also heard how incredible the DEQX product is. I'll be honest, I've been highly skeptical of DSP, but I've heard enough DEQX demos and I've heard the tremendous benefits of SAM on the Devialet to become a believer. I also know that the new XD series from Avantgarde will be incorporating DSP to ensure perfect time alignment between the bass woofers and horns and also to better incorporate the speakers into any room. I also know first hand that room treatments are a crap shoot unless you work with an expert, spend a fortune on ugly treatments and are prepared to do things to your room you or your spouse may not like.

If people get curly toes about DSP, hit the bypass button on the DEQX and I bet it won't take more than a few songs before its engaged again.

If we think of sound waves like light, we wouldn't want to watch the TV with a wall in front of us - so why do we insist on doing the same with our sound systems?

DSP IS the next frontier for HiFi and DEQX is the leader. I'm happy to be representing the brand and bringing substantial sonic improvements to music lovers.
 
Agreed ... 100% Mike.

Frankly, it's a no-brainer. My only pause is that I don't relish the idea of inserting an artifact into the signal path. But as one reputable very high-end dealer I know once commented, "sometimes you have to take a step or two backwards in order to take 10 steps forward."

That approach dovetails with something else I learned from a number of conversations with Kal, the customer service rep at ARC; namely, that electrical design and engineering entails making compromises. For example, my amp, the ARC Ref 150 SE, uses about 14db of negative feedback. Some might say that using negative feedback is a no-no. But as Kal explained, the amount of negative feedback used provides certain benefits, such as increased bandwidth and lower output impedance. Therefore, from a design perspective, ARC is making design compromises to achieve an overall better result.

I surmise that unless one has had their sound room carefully designed and treated, there is a good chance that they are not even listening to a pair of matched speakers, as measured from the listening position. And/or, the FR of the pair looks like the rocky mountains. And I haven't spoken yet about time incoherence because of using high order crossovers.

So, the bottom line ... the DEQX is another audio compromise. Will it achieve perfect results? NO! Better? Yes!!

Bruce
 
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