Room correction - what device works best?


Looking at room correction and all the threads I found seem old. What are the current options for excellent 2 channel sound. Comments on DSpeaker, Lyndorf, DEQX, Audessy, Rives and others welcome. I have option for using in digital domain or putting between pre and amps. Would of course prefer great sound at lower price. Also prefer something that does not take a year of obsessive fiddling to get right. Have a very large family room, so room treatment options limited. Current system is Ayon Cd5s (transport, DAC and pre combined), Nuforce Ref 20 mono amps and Von Schweikert VR55 speakers. Is most of the bang for buck in correcting for room modes or is speaker phase issues also necessary? Eventually in may have subs but not now.
Thnaks
128x128gammajo
Gentlepeople-
I find this thread to be fascinating because I am not technically inclined but I believe that implementation of digital room and speaker correction may be in my future for several reasons:
1. I'm not a purist.
2. I mostly listen to digital files served wirelessly from a MusicVault server to a Modwright/Logitech Transporter.
3. My Transporter is beginning to fade away, I fear. One of the displays has quit. The work around is to use one of the smartphone/tablet apps, but it reminds me that this is an orphan product with limited; probably very limited repair potential.
4. The dac in the Transporter is limited to 24/96 and while I currently have a relatively low % of hi-rez files I'd like to think that will increase over time.
5. The wireless connection is a weak point because the router and server are upstairs in the SW corner, while the Transporter is downstairs in the NE corner. I know that there are solutions, but still, moving the server so it can be hard-wired to the player/DAC seems like the most foolproof approach.
6. The DEQX or similar device with a DAC could be inserted between the server and my pre-amp w/o having to add an additional A/D step.
7. I am running open baffle speakers w a single driver plus whizzer cone and dual on-baffle subs with the single drivers and subs driven off separate amps. The subs are driven by plate amps which take a speaker level signal from the tube amps that drive the mains. It seems to me that there are ample opportunities for phase and time alignment problems with such a configuration, yet overall, this is the most satisfying system I have had. My system is listed for a more complete description.
8. My system is in my living room, which constrains main speaker placement and rules out any significant room treatments.
9. I don't live too far from Almarg, who has kindly offered to be let me hear for myself what the DEQX product can do, once he gets it dialed in.
10. My speakers do not weigh 300 lbs and I have a large screen porch next to the LR, which I can use for the initial speaker correction analysis.

I'd love to hear thoughts from any of you as to whether or not the DSP approach makes sense under these circumstances. I know there is no substitute for hearing it, but I'm still early in the thinking stage. I'm also curious if anyone has any thoughts about frequency response correction vs. the observations of those who say that a perfectly flat FR sounds "un-natural".
Going to disagree with the 2 sub suggestion, I had 2 sub at one point, it lead to a worse sound than 1 sub.

Putting speaker right at the corners though, now that is magic.
New Dspeaker announcement (traslated from Suomi):
Anti-Mode X 4 coming in the summer of 2015

Anti-mode 2.0 dual core announced! Anti-Mode ™ X 4 stereo preamp + crossover-huonekorjain-DAC

The Golden Ear award-winning native Anti-Mode product series expands to the top of the 2015 European corporate governance code during the collection of the novelty of the product. Anti-Mode x 4 is a modern receiver to the heart, which makes the speakers and other equipment to cross the customary standards of even the most exacting acoustic conditions. This is a real feat of domestic audio excellence!

Feature list can be found in mm. high-quality Hi-Res/DSD Burr-Brown D/A converters, adjustable crossover, wide connectivity, as well as the 2.2, and completely redesigned the Anti-Mode 3.0 huonekorjain.

Anti-Mode X 4 has been developed specifically to optimize the performance of a two-channel audio hardware. Pääkaiuttimien in addition, the system can be connected to one or two speakers and a subwoofer to attach them to the sound image of seamlessly.

Room correction is now easier and more convenient than ever before. In accordance with the philosophy of all the anti-mode 2.0 dual core announced!-is included in the sales package, including a completely redesigned the microphone and mikrofoniständi. A computer or other assistive devices are not needed. As usual, the ease of the system has paid special attention to the achievement of excellence in sound, so does not require the user knowledge or expertise.

Of course, the needs of the discerning enthusiast is not forgotten. In addition, the automation is provided with a wider palette of tools that you can use to shape the sound to fit the smallest nyanssia always to the hilt.

At the moment, according to the Anti-Mode x 4 is on sale in the summer of 2015.

The preliminary estimate is about 2995 € (incl. VAT).
Michael (Swampwalker), here are my thoughts in response to your post:

Regarding the last question, about flat frequency response, see these paragraphs from the DEQX FAQ. Makes sense to me, and note that DEQX provides a goodly amount of flexibility in that regard, for both the speaker and the room calibration/correction processes. Also, keep in mind that a large number of user-created equalization settings can be set up in the DEQX, and selected among via the remote control.

Regarding the speakers, my instinct would be that the sonics of the 5 inch mains you are presently driving full-range would be likely to benefit from having deep bass frequencies kept out of them. Provided that the plate amps on the subs can accept line-level inputs, you could accomplish that by taking advantage of the DEQX subwoofer integration features.

If you were to do that, and if you were to place the DEQX ahead of the preamp in the signal path as you described, to keep the volume levels of the mains and the subs in sync you would use the DEQX's volume control to adjust volume, with the preamp's volume control set to a fixed position. DEQX volume can be adjusted via both the remote and the front panel.

Regarding item 4, a point to be aware of is that John Atkinson's measurements of the DEQX PreMate that were provided with Kal's review in Stereophile indicated that the DEQX downsamples 192 kHz data to 96 kHz, and 176.4 kHz data to 88.2 kHz. In the comments section following the review JA said the following, which makes sense to me:
Running powerful DSP at 4Fs sample rates is very consuming of resources, so this compromise is not uncommon. It is likely that the benefits of the DSP correction outweigh the potential drop in sound quality due to the downsampling.
(4Fs presumably refers to a sample rate of 4 times the redbook CD rate. 4 x 44.1 kHz = 176.4 kHz)

Best,
-- Al
It is well documented that multiple subs can achieve better results than an equivalent single sub in appropriately sized rooms. Typically smoother frequency response from spreading room nodes and higher output/lower distortion from twice the woofer radiating surface.