Equalizer in a Hi Fi system

Your cdp is a digital source. That code gets converted to analog waveforms either in that machine or you stand alone dac or your preamp. Tell me your components and I’ll explain how it all works. Also what cables used also. 

All digital signals MUST get converted to analog by the time they hit your speaker wire. Now if you’re wireless…can all occur in one box. @tattooedtrackman , tell me your components and cables. By the way, I don’t know where on Audiogon to find everyone’s gear list. And I don’t know how to post mine. 

And yes, it’s very ok to have cdp as source and analog EQ running into your preamp

@tlcocks  Audio Research Ref 750s mono amp. Audio Research Ref 6SE pre amp. Audio Research Ref 9 cdp. All Straight wire Crescendo XLR cables. 

Room Response

This example shows my family room response curve that represents the room’s acoustics. Every room is different in this regard. You can see peaks and dips at specific frequencies. To correct those, an equalizer has to be able to target the frequencies where the peaks/dips occur. Most graphic equalizers are designed to target pre-determined frequencies per band. That kind of equalizer can change the tone of the sound but cannot address a specific room’s acoustics which is a primary factor that distorts what you hear relative to what was recorded. A parametric equalizer can be set to address specific frequencies so that is a better solution. Then you have DSP which provides the ultimate flexibility in changing what you hear. DSP is a computer program that works with digital audio signals and. applies algorithms that can automatically determine what needs to change and then create the specific equalization and apply it to the digital audio signal to adjust it for the room. Whereas with a traditional graphic equalizer you can adjust specific frequencies but you cannot do that in a manner that properly addresses the variations that a specific rooms acoustics creates. Hope this helps to understand the differences.