Is DEQX a game changer?

Bif, SACD has a sample rate of 1 bit/2,8224Mhz vs 16 bit/44.1Khz for standard CD. It cannot be handled by a conventional DAC so processing is done by the SACD player and enters the DEQX via an analogue input

I believe the CD-8 will only play regular redbook CDs, SACD requires a dedicated player (inc some Bluray players)

There are also relatively few SACD disc being produced these days, most of mine were purchased when originally issued. As always in audio, mastering of the original recording has the greatest audio impact (IMO), so a really great CD or digital file sounds better than a so-so SACD or LP

I have a lot of FLAC files at CD quality, quite a few at 24/96 and some at up to 24/192. The same comment about mastering applies so I don't get too hung up about it. The 'best' vinyl beats everything else but then maybe I am a dinosaur?

"Bombaywalla or perhaps Drewan77 --- what is the DEQX's digital capabilities?? Can I use the CD-8 as a transport and the DEQX as a pure DAC to play SACD?"

No, you can only use the onboard DAC for up to 24/192 processing, not SACD. It is good for CD or streamed MP3, FLAC, ALAC, WAV etc. The CD-8 can be used as a CD transport but for SACD you need to input from a dedicated player via one of the analogue PreMate inputs

I was at the NY Audio Show today and the room with DEQX was high on my list. When I got there there was a tiny room with Alta Audio Three towers (likely the largest speakers of the day). I wanted to hear the DEQX toggled on/off and the presenter said they were using the DEQX in passive mode for some subs or something. His justification was to show what the speakers were capable of w/o help from EQ. Booo

I visited hotel rooms that were begging for DRC -- any flavor would due. I'm shocked that DRC is barely acknowledged, let alone showcased at a large trade show.

I was impressed to see that Vanatoo used DSP instead of crossovers to produce a flat response in their tiny $500 2way powered "computer speakers".

DEQX 'corrects' time allignment on speakers. I would rather find speakers who time allign correctly from the get go, rather than adding a unit, cables, etc. The shortest distace to good sound is a shorter, streight line.

Cerrot ... your comments, from an aspirational perspective, are valid. But aspirations do not necessarily align with reality. I suggest that you read the many posts in the "Sloped Baffle" thread. In particular, read Roy Johnson's many posts about 1st order cross overs and using sloped baffles. I recall that Bombaywalla and a few other similar thinking folks have also posted some very insightful comments.

Just an fyi, most speakers that use passive cross-overs are NOT time coherent, even if they are phase coherent at their respective x-over points. The physics is explained in the "Sloped Baffle" thread. Roy Johnson's White Papers are excellent resources as well.

To my knowledge, there are only 3 conventional driver speakers on the market that purport to be time and phase coherent; namely Vandersteen, Thiel and Green Mountain Audio. There may be others but I don't know which brands they might be.

The 3 brands mentioned above share several common design parameters. One -- first order crossovers (roll-off is at a 6db per octave slope); two -- sloped front baffles to mechanically align the voice coils of the various drivers; and; three -- drivers that operate over a wider pass band as compared to more conventional drivers.

In the case of the 3rd point in the preceding paragraph, drivers cross that over to each using a 1st order cross-over necessarily must operate over a wider pass band. By comparison, my Paradigm's use 3rd order crossovers between the mid and tweeter drivers. I believe that equates to a 24 db roll off rate. In short, each driver's operational pass band is much tighter.

While time coherent design features provide obvious advantages, they present design challenges as well. For example, drivers that operate over a wider pass band tend to be less linear. Also, their output may become congested at high SPLs and or when playing complicated musical passages.

My point is that there is no magical solution that solves every design parameter perfectly. So, be it going the Vandy, Thiel or GMA route, or using a DEQX with a more "conventional" speakers, or just living with time incoherence, ... there are trade-offs.

Welcome to our hobby.