I know this is heresy, but...

Dpac996...The DEQ2496 has balanced inputs and outputs, but can also be connected single ended either input or output, or both. It automatically detects what you are doing and sets its gain accordingly. I use it single ended in from preamp, and balanced out to power amps. I had unbalanced interconnects made with RCA on one end and XLR on the other so as to avoid using adapters.

Opinions about "transparency" range all over the place, and I suggest you ignore them all. (Except mine of course...very transparent). The darned thing is so inexpensive that you can get one and form your own opinion.

The Behringer DEQ 2496 in my system is completely transparent. It also has helped sound improvements substantially. My room is already well treated being LEDE with four large bass traps, one in each corner.

The rest of my system consists of VMPS RM 40's(super revealing), Primare Pre 30 preamp, Rotel amp running both woofers of each speaker, Sony ES cd player outputting to the Behringer which then outputs to my Bel Canto DAC 1.1.

I've never heard better sound anywhere. I've also never paid so little for something that could help so much. As I said earlier even in my well treated room the 300 bucks the Behringer will cost you is a killer deal. After over 3 decades in this hobby I'd classify it as the best tweak per dollar in existance.

You have two ten band parametric equalizer bands as well as two 31 band graphic equalizer bands. The piece will also do auto equalization. You just set the curve you want, hook up the microphone(a necessity if you buy one) and let her rip. Then where it boosted the dips bring them back down to near even.

Please remember the AVERAGE listening room has peaks and dips of 15db. That's alot and is like letting a 5 year old adjust a graphic equalizer for you. That's what your room does to the sound. Fixing it can make a huge difference in the sonic presentation of your system. I'd still get room treatments first but for the little money the Behringer unit costs it's a no brainer.

The quad preamps have a "tilt" tone control that is very nice, and they are relatively inexpensive. They sound pretty good.

Undertow,

The more harmonics in music the less sensitive it will be to room modes (if you excite several modes at once an uneven response at a particular frequency becomes less obtrusive). An instrument without harmonics is not much use....it won't sound good at all. Tube amps on electric guitar throw out loads of harmonics and give the guitar a very rich sound even when distorting a sound that is good in all kinds of venues due to the richness in harmonics.

Analog generally has higher harmonic distortion content than digital, especially in the LF, it is possible that a good analog system will therefore play better in a room than digital. The same can be said of Tube amps...the added harmonics can help even things out a little ( our brains perceive a combination of the fundamental and related partials not single frequencies ).

Digital, with the least harmonic content, is less forgiving on the room, IMHO. So I would agree with your comment. Digital will also sound "thinner", particularly in the bass.