Traps vs Equalizer

Dirtyragamuffin...Ideally the room dimensions and shape and decorations can be designed as an ideal listening room. Rives audio provides info on how to do this.

Unfortunately most of us live in houses that serve other purposes than audio, and are already built. I cannot move the fireplace, raise the ceiling and eliminate the staircase and all the windows. Of course I tried all the tricks with speaker placement and room treatments, but measurements of room response clearly showed that the problems remained, however the results I have now achieved with an equalizer are excellent. I suggest that you hold your fire, which seems to be theoretical, until you have the oportunity to experience what active room correction can do.

Dirtyragamuffin, good luck with your engineering career. The pro side needs more people with an audiophile attitude.

I really disagree with your attitude towards EQ devices. I looked at your system, which looks real nice, and it includes a vinyl rig and multiple tubes amplifiers. It's a little hypocritical of you to accuse other piece of equipment basically being a distortion devices. Phono preamps/tubes, talk about your EQ and distortion adding components!

One think you'll learn about audio engineering - whatever works, works. Don't limit yourself with pre-existing biases.

Marco, I was trying to be cute. I should know better.

Lest my point was lost - I was trying to make a point by being absured, albeit the absurdity had some basis in fact, that is the importance of the color of light in painting (and photography) as well as the blending of colors. But one need not idealize every thing in art, photography, or audio, to have a personal appreciation of it. You set your own parameters for enjoyment. I just don't know the sign for 'tongue in cheek'.

Ah, my bad Newbee. That's what comes from reading and posting while you are trying to work at the same time. Had I stopped and pondered it for more than a nanosecond before responding, I would have noted the tongue firmly planted within the cheek!

Marco

It's a little hypocritical of you to accuse other piece of equipment basically being a distortion devices. Phono preamps/tubes, talk about your EQ and distortion adding components!

One think you'll learn about audio engineering - whatever works, works. Don't limit yourself with pre-existing biases.

Onhwy61, as you can see above, I do already agree with you regarding all the distortion/equalisation issues you have noted.

I should mention that beyond the theoretical, I have also experimented with both graphic and parametric equalization in my system and have felt that the benefites did not outweigh the downsides whereas I have found few downsides experimenting with room treatments. At this time I should add that my listening room is also currently my studio control room. It is rented and cannot be altered; there have been some concessions made and lots of experimentation with room treatments. I do realize I don't have the WAF issues and can have bass traps and other doohickeys hanging around all over creation if I so desire. That's a benefit for me and it is what it is.

I do agree with you completely that whatever works, works. EQ has not worked for me; hence, I am making my argument here. Simone sought opinions and certainly got them! All readers of these threads should have a grain of salt handy as they are subjective responses to be taken for what they are, where they are, for the price paid.