Rives Audio PARC

What is your goal? If it is general EQ and room matching, physical treatments are always preferred but, admittedly, they can be extremely large for bass modes.

Assuming you have only 2 active speakers (no subs), you would be best served with room treatments for everything above the bass and EQ only for the bass but this is difficult to implement in an all-analog system. The PARC will be a big help (http://www.stereophile.com/roomtreatments/883/index.html) but there are much more effective digital options these days.

PARC is analog. IMHO better than digital options.

I have 18 Gik acoustic devices and i do have a pro company building true bass absorbers. They work and you can set them at a specidfic frequency. But again, very large and very heavy. A PARC is small and i can use it with ease. Question is, what are the downsides?

I have a PARC and installed it only after large ASC Super Traps failed to bring a couple of low frequency modes (31 and 62 Hz) under control. It made a tremendous difference with no apparent downside to my ears. You can check out my room by viewing my system.

The limitations of PARC are the restriction to 3 bands of EQ and the inability to boost non-modal troughs in the FR. It also lacks bass management/crossover functions which are necessary for many 2 channel analog systems.

As for "PARC is analog. IMHO better than digital options," I consider that as faulty as are most gross generalizations.

Kal

I have used the PARC for many years to deal with a single standing wave created by the width of my room. It is indispenable in my system. So much that when its power transformer burnt out a few years ago the system was never used when it was being repaired.My system is multi amplified so the PARC sits between crossover and bass amplifier,I therefore cannot comment on if its presence influences the sound at other frequencies

I've been using the PARC for a few weeks now.
Next week i'll get a kit which calculate the rooms Q-value aswell as frequency response/ curve. I have been forced to revise the use of all my Gik devices. I also tried taking all of them out. Now i think it is spot on, taking a few panels out. I expect even better performance once measured and setting exact calibrations. Now it is very detailed, no flutter echo, no bloat, no colouration over overhang. It is precision and top notch PRAT. To hear music this way, is incredible. I did not expect this superb performance from my Barefoot MM27 speakers and Wadia 381.

Excellent !! I heard the PARC at Lenny's house (poster above). It was pretty amazing along the lines you describe...In a tough room, it's a killer improvement!