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Re: Agree 100%

Posted by longtimequadowner (A) on June 12, 2006 at 12:34:48

In Reply to: Re: Agree 100% posted by johnvb on June 12, 2006 at 07:02:58:

As for comparing the dac of the SB vs DEQ, I can't really say because I never bothered with the SB dac - I got the DEQ and the SB at roughly the same time, and once I heard what digital EQ could do for my system, there was no way I was going back. I tried the SB only ever so briefly, but once I heard my room without EQ again I didn't last through even one song.

You can in fact set the digital output of the SB to be "variable volume" - that's how I used mine into the DEQ. The SB set the volume digitally, the DEQ obeyed. However, the output of the DEQ like other pro gear is VERY high - something like 5v instead of the usual 2v I think, so your gain might be radically increased if you use the DEQ's dac which you would be in that situation. That was a real problem for me, my system is very sensitive to gain - I could have NEVER used that without my intervening Creek OBH12, and the Creek was set to it's lowest possible level. Might not be a good match then. If you currently play your SB at volume level 5 or so (I believe it goes up to 30?), I don't think you could go low enough once the output of the DEQ is taken into account. If you play it at 15 to 20, then maybe there's some room there. Others claim that lowering volume digitally reduces resolution through reduced wordlength, I heard no ill effects - I listened late at night at volumes 5-10 with the SB to DEQ and was quite happy - but remember that was with the Creek intervening at it's lowest level as well - again, I don't think it would work in your case without an intervening volume attenuator of some kind.

I've never been brave enough to output anything direct to my amp without an intervening volume control - one mistake and my Quads are gone. Esp the DEQ - which as great as it is, is not built to high end standards, if it were to emit a loud pop or something, ouch (mine never has, but still won't risk it)

In addition, to use the outputs of the DEQ dac, you have to purcahse some conversion from balanced to rca - I did as the original poster did, got some interconnects from the pro gear shop that had balanced on one end, rca on the other - they seemed to work great considering they were something like $20.

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Kimber Kable

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