Is DEQX a game changer?

09-23-14: Bifwynne
The DEQX home demo was completed last night. I am buying the DEQX.

Not being inclined to the use of vivid hyperbole, I do not think the DEQX is transformational. But I do think the improvements are considerable and significant enough for me to spring to buy the DEQX.

awesome!
I'm happy to read that you now recognize the importance of time coherence to music playback. :-)
it IS very significant.
The time-coherent speaker manuf weren't barking up the wrong tree - no sir, they were not...
So, anyway you can make your speaker time-coherent will work to significantly improve your listening pleasure: apply a Band-Aid like DEQX or buy a time-coherent speaker from the get go.

Bruce, maybe you'll be transformed in time to come. I'll poll you in about 6 months & request you to pull out the DEQX from your system & give me your opinion. I'm wagering that you won't be able to listen to your system ever again without DEQX.... ;-)
That's what happened to me - once you get use to a time-coherent speaker system there is NO going back even for a few seconds....

As others have already written, I too await your report after you've collected your thoughts. Thanks.

Drewan ... I bought the rep's demo, which was a PreMate. So I have DAC capabilities ... to be explored and understood in the coming days and weeks.

Bombaywalla ... the DEQX device can cut-out the correction circuit and step out of the signal path ... if you believe that is truly possible. If so, I can compare the DEQX correction on the fly --- in and out. It "appears" that when the DEQX is cut-off, the rig's SPL seems lower as compared to when the DEQX is engaged.

The DEQX guys explained that the SPL isn't really lower. Rather, when the DEQX is cut-off, I am turning up the gain to try and capture the missing "X-factor" correction the DEQX adds. In fact, when the DEQX is engaged, I can turn the gain down a little and the presentation is just fine.

As I understand the DEQX guys' explanation, an important "fix" is in the midrange frequencies, which are most noticeable when corrected. So ... when the mids are time corrected and room equalized, I simply "hear" the music qualitatively better. Ergo, I don't need to crank up the SPL.

The DEQX seems to have tamed my rig. It would sure be helpful if other audiophiles could listen to my rig and validate what I think I hear.

Al (Almarg) ... if you're ever in my neck of the woods, feel free to stop by and have a listen. I greatly value your opinion.

Al, right now, my vinyl and CDP are connected in usual fashion to the ARC Ref 5 SE pre. The DEQX is inserted between the Ref 5 and the Ref 150 amp. The DEQX is "twisting" the signal there.

As I said, it's hard to know the extent to which the DEQX is affecting the sound by being in the signal path. The DEQX guys think the effect is minimal. But, regardless even if that is not so, the game is about trade-offs.

Now ... what will be interesting is if I use the DEQX as a DAC. Then my ARC CDP will feed a digital signal directly into the DEQX and end-run the ARC pre.

Btw, I understand my phono pre can feed an analogue signal directly into the DEQX too. That would obviate the need for my ARC preamp.

Using your DEQX as your DAC works very well and is highly recommended.

Al, I would bet that with a little more configuration tweaking you will be able to get even better results than you have now. Ultimately, you many need to take a few more speaker measurements at different distances to really nail it. But listen to it like it is for a good while before you make any changes.

BTW, even if you thoroughly know what you're doing when it comes setting up the DEQX, which I'm most certainly sure that your person giving the demo does, by devoting some extra time to the configuration you will usually find room for improvement, and often times substantial improvement, over your initial calibration.

Enjoy listening to music through your corrected system!