I own 3 Schiit EQs and all of them work brilliantly. I use a Loki in my video rig, and another for a headphone EQ running into a Schiit Vali 3 tube amp. The third is a Loki Max remote EQ in my main hifi pile...this thing is brilliant. 4 Presets, amazingly well designed EQ curves in a remote controllable ultra quiet hip design. No noise, built like no other EQ I've ever come across in decades of audio geekdom and professional musician work. Will utterly cure Fletcher Munson issues with zero negative impact on your groovy ARC amps...or any other amp. I don't use DSP anywhere as I'm too much of a snob.
The Low Volume Loudness Dilemma
I love the power and detail of music played at what I call "Actual instrument volume" which is pretty loud and dominating.
I like music in the background when I'm reading or entertaining. The problem is that the fullness and richness is thin to gone at low volume. This seems to be the case no matter how much a system costs. I listened to a Burmester rig driving a set of Wilson Alexx V speakers in a perfectly tuned listening room with cabling that costs more than my Lexus and the "missing music" at low volume problem was there too. $350,000 in gear couldn't fix it.
I did the unthinkable - I bought a DBX 2231 equalizer off of eBay for a couple hundred bucks and messed around with the sound curve. Viola! "Loudness"! I know this is sacrilege and may cause excommunication by the purist class but I am able to get full rich sound at low levels. The Eq also compensates for the anomalies in my listening area (large great room with other rooms connected to it.)
I don't have the square footage or budget to build a proper dedicated listening room with all the sound management treatments so I'm "making due" with what I do have.
Does anybody have some guidance or constructive thoughts on how to get full rich music at low SPLs?
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@bdp24 speaks the truth about efficiency Speakers are calibrated at 1 watt @ 1 meter at the factory. Marketing materials are printed and distributed using this standard spec. So far, so good. A "medium efficiency" speaker, say 85db (@ 1 watt) produces, duh, 85 decibels at 1 watt. When producing 75 db, this drops to 1/10 watt. Things are quite different inside that speaker box at those minuscule power levels. And, the sound will altered considerably. Case in point: We were a dealer with a wide range of speakers of various sizes and efficiencies. I decided to do a low listening level listening test with a (very) high efficiency speaker vs a medium efficiency (highly regarded) model. Somewhere north of 10 db difference in their efficiencies. First, the medium efficiency: With volume starting at zero and slowly working our way up to just above the threshold of hearing, the sound was pretty much as we expected. Nicely rendered. But, a strong departure from its full volume levels. Then, the (very) high efficiency speaker: Volume starting at zero, as before. Then slowly raising the volume to the same "just above the threshold of hearing" level. The music was dynamic, with some subtle characteristics of a live performance. Bandwidth was greatly improved. Yes, real bass. And, high end extension. Micro-dynamics, absent in the other example, were audible and engaging. This was simply a comparison that was no comparison. This is not a "pitch" for high efficiency speakers, but merely a statement that low energy applied to a high efficiency driver can move things around in a more energetic (and musically satisfying) way. At low listening levels, we're experiencing the "perfect storm" of flaws in human hearing PLUS mechanical/electrical limitations of the speaker. As far as enhancement devices (EQs, loudness contours, etc) are concerned, it would be nice if they could be placed in a tape or accessory loop so they can be switch in/out of the signal path at normal listening levels. |
"As far as enhancement devices (EQs, loudness contours, etc) are concerned, it would be nice if they could be placed in a tape or accessory loop so they can be switch in/out of the signal path at normal listening levels." Yes, this. The ARC SP3 preamp had a tone defeat button. Along with the usual treble and bass controls, it had a knob for something they called "Contour", aka loudness. I rarely used them but when I did I was quite happy to have them. I'm all for the 'straight wire with gain' philosophy but in the real world, a bit of help is not a bad thing IMHO. Happy listening. |
I have the the newish Luxman L-507z. It has Bass and Treble controls and yes a Loudness button. It also has a line straight button that bypasses everything and is pure from the amp. I listen at 70db at nite on my cornwall IVs. Almost sounds too loud sometimes late at nite. But they sound is deep and rich withe great upper extension. Just a normal family room with no treatment. I rarely use any tone controls at all |
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