General Asylum: REVIEW: Audiosource EQ 100 Accessory by boland7214@aol.com

Model:	EQ 100
Category:	Accessory
Suggested Retail Price:	$100
Description:	Graphic Equalizer
Manufacturer URL:	Audiosource
Manufacturer URL:	Audiosource

Review by boland7214@aol.com ( A ) on May 07, 2007 at 21:57:17
IP Address: 207.200.116.66

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for the EQ 100

The following is a critique of the way the "high end audio industry" has manipulated most of us for MANY years. They sold us on a bill of goods: "Do NOT use tone controls to improve you audio as that will 'degrde' the signal. You MUST "buy better gear such as amplifiers, turntables, cartridges, pre-amps, interconnects and speaker cables to correct ALL bright or not enough bass problems". And all this "upgrading" at a VERY HIGH PRICE! What a "crock" we have been sold!
I started to "upgrade" recently until I found an older model Graphic Equalizer in my bedroom. The product is an AudioSource EQ 100. The current model is the EQ 200 for about $100. I had a James Galway flute recording that was "too bright". I started to fantacize how changing my interconnects and power amp would "cure" this problem on THIS CD. Then I decided to try the equalizer. Within about 5 minutes of attaching it to my system and adjusting the controls----voila!!!....my "brightness problem" was cured! Really! And it cost me nothging! And was "the signal degraded"? No, the "palpable presence" and the "they are here" quality that we have become adicted to was still present! That's when it ocurred to me that we have been victimized by being dissuaded all these years from using tone controls or equalizers! This AudioSource EQ 100 really works! And for $100!
So, I suggest you buy or borrow the above. Amazon has some for sale and some reviews. Two of the reviews indicate a problem with the "plastic slide tips" coming off or something. I never experienced that myself. But, we're talking about $100 here...so the "worst case" is that you lose $100. The "best case" is that you SAVE THOUSAND OF DOLLARS by purchasing this equalizer and avoid trying to "cure your audio of "brightness" or "lack of bass" by making expensive purchases of audio gear and thus being unable to feed your kids or pay your rent or mortgage. Which course of action makes the most sense to you--spend thousands or spend $100?
Let's "get smart" and use our common sense. "The best cure for any malady is the least expensive and the least 'invasive' one", right?

Product Weakness: Two reviewers out of 10 on Amazon had some mechanical problem with the levers. One reviewer said he received good response from the importer in replacing his defective models. Hopefully, the manufacturer in China has improved the product so this mechanical problem MAY be solved. In either case there is probably a guarantee plus the cost of the item is onlyt $100 so that is your total "investment" in this "cure" that could save you thousands of dollars.
Product Strengths: Doesn't seem to degrade the sound very much in my experience. It "cures" the "brightness" of many CD's and increases bass response with the flip of a lever.

Associated Equipment for this Review:
Amplifier:	NAD 325BEE Power Amp Portion
Preamplifier (or None if Integrated):	CAT SL-1 Reference Mark II
Sources (CDP/Turntable):	Adcom CD575
Speakers:	PSB Image T45 Towers
Cables/Interconnects:	Kimber 8TC, Kimber Hero, Synergistic Research Sterling Active Alpha X2
Music Used (Genre/Selections):	Classical, Folk, Jazz, Latin, Opera, Ethnic and Anything Interesting
Room Size (LxWxH):	25 x 20 x 12
Type of Audition/Review:	Product Owner