Behringer DEQ2496: Ease of Use

Everyone commenting about the audio quality of the DEQ2496 should be sure that it is operating at an appropriate signal level...not down in the mud. This signal level is a bit higher than the typical "line level" of consumer audio equipment. 24 bit digital devices don't buy you much if you only tickle the lower ten bits!

I have my system set up so that when I play a CD from beginning to end the peak (maximum) signal level (which the DEQ2496 logs and displays) runs 3 to 6 dB down from CLIP. Average level (the green LEDs) runs about -20 dB most of the time during play. When set up this way, the output of the DEQ2496 needs attenuation for input to my power amps.

Once I realized this requirement there was significant improvement of audio quality.

Edaltford - good point. I run the Behringer fully open and attenuate with Endler attenuators down to regular levels.

If anyone can hear any less transparency using just the Behringer, not it's dac, I'd sure like to know how. I have a very resolving system and cannot hear any degradation whatsoever.

The point is that most people are not using it properly. If you cause digital clipping then you will hear degradation. That's why there's an adjustment. It depends on how much equalization you use to where you want to set the gain. As long as there's no clipping it's pretty impossible to hear this piece doing something wrong when it's being used entirely in the digital domain.

Warnerwh...Clipping would be obvious, from the Red LED flashing, and from the Peak reading saying "CLIP". Digital clipping can occur in the input A/D or the output D/A, but not in the digital processing which is implemented by a floating point device.

there's no clipping it's pretty impossible to hear this piece doing something wrong when it's being used entirely in the digital domain.

Not sure - it depends what you mean by wrong....I agree in the sense of "distortion", however an EQ introduces phase effects....often inaudible but they can be obtrusive at extreme settings...you can even get "ringing".

Furthermore an EQ does not fix an imbalance between reverberant sound fields and primary signal...like a band aid it reduces the OVERALL sound field. Some microphone analyzer systems and software can distinguish reverberant from direct sound fields (the decay)....something our ears/brain can do to a limited extent (early coherent reverberation is added to the primary sound - so it helps us hear some details that might be "masked" with out the reverb).

Ultimately it is a balance in primary and reflected sound that allows us to hear the most details.....this is what makes some auditoriums excellent and others terrible for listening, and the same can be said for an audio system in a room. The PEQ does nothing to help restore this balance even though it is a great tool.