AudioBanter.com - View Single Post

Nousaine wrote:

(---MIKE---) wrote:

I'm not convinced that automatic room equalization is useful. I
purchased a Rane 1/3 octave equalizer and spectrum analyzer. When I try
to "equalize" the room using the analyzer, the results are awful - much
too bright. This could be because my speakers (DBX Soundfield One) are
not adaptable to this type of measurement but I had to just try to
eliminate a few peaks and balance the bass. The end result was good.

---MIKE---

Many people forget that equalization for far field response is not "flat" but
needs the downsloping shape (1-1.5 dB per octave in rooms; 3 dB in cars.) The
reason for this is not at all intuitive but you can verify the need for
yourself by equalizing a speaker for flat response in the near field (or
anechoic) and then re-measurig the speaker in the far field. You'll see that
the flat near field response has a downslope in the far field.

The HK-AVR635 actually takes near-field and far-field measurements of
the front-stage (LCR) speakers into account when computing the proper
manipulations to the signals. In addition, it also automatically
calculates delays and cross-overs for all the channels, based on
measurements of time-domain responses. The process it uses is much, much
more complex than taking a microphone and try to flatten out the
response with a 1/3 band equalizer. It actually uses a set of parametric
equalizers for all the channels. The reviews so far are very positive,
especially in how the center-channel is much more clearer, and in how
the low-frequency response of the room is smoother.

Unfortunately, since the 6-channel input signals are not digitized,
those advantages are not available in the 6-channel direct mode, which
one would use for listening to SACD or DVD-A.