Members twostone Posted September 26, 2009 Members Share Posted September 26, 2009 I know this is off topic but I have a friend that wants to buy a used home stereo EQ but I not sure what to look for on CL and eBay his budget ain't much at $50 so any recommendations would be appreciated. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Bobby1Note Posted September 26, 2009 Members Share Posted September 26, 2009 Do you know why exactly he wants an EQ? What system components does he presently have? What's he trying to achieve? At $50.,he'll definitely have to look at the "used" market, and keep his fingers crossed that he finds something decent, maybe a parametric EQ in an estate sale if he's VERY lucky, but my gut instinct tells me he's already wasting his time. Any decent playback system, is only as good as it's weakest link. Do you know anything about his listening habits? What type of music he listens too? Playback volume? etc. Does he tend to listen while seated in a sweet-spot? Does he want something for loud parties, etc? FWIW, an EQ is the last place I'd look. Bob Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members twostone Posted September 26, 2009 Author Members Share Posted September 26, 2009 Stereo is older pioneer system with eclipse speakers. Not sure the model on the eclipse.Metal is what he listens to in his bedroom with occasions get together. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members gspointer Posted September 26, 2009 Members Share Posted September 26, 2009 I don't know what they cost, but, I fixed a Rotel once and was pretty impressed with its construction. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Bobby1Note Posted September 26, 2009 Members Share Posted September 26, 2009 I gather then (if he's listening to Metal), that he's probably looking to boost his bottom-end, rather than looking to enhance resolution. If that's the case, I'd be looking for a decent active subwoofer and not an EQ. If he adds an EQ to increase bass-output from his current set-up, he'll most likely end up frying his speakers. I take it these are desk-top computer speakers, correct? Bob Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members MarvinDog Posted September 26, 2009 Members Share Posted September 26, 2009 I'm guessing he's looking for the smiley curve with cruddy speakers, right? Instead of an EQ, how about a used Sonic Maximizer from ebay? They shouldn't be more than $50. And then he can be pleased with owning some 'pro' gear. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Balladeer Posted September 26, 2009 Members Share Posted September 26, 2009 EQ's on home stereo tend to be for those who listen with their eyes. Get the best looking one you can afford. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Bobby1Note Posted September 26, 2009 Members Share Posted September 26, 2009 I dunno. A decent parametric, used to cut, rather than boost, can be beneficial to a point. It's more of a band-aid, rather than a solution. If he's looking for more/tighter bottom-end, an active sub like some of the Velodyne offerings can offer outstanding performance, but, they're pricey. He'd have to be pretty lucky to find one of those, cheap. New, a Velodyne ULD-15 for example, would probably run you around $1500-$1800. User-adjustable frequency/slope, and 350 watt amp are included however. There are a lot of cheaper ones out there, but I find they all tend to sound muddy/boomy. The Velodyne is VERY tight. The speaker cabinet is inert, so you won't get unwanted/undesireable cabinet resonance. Another much less expensive solution, might be a good pair of open-backed headphones. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Gordon Sound Posted September 26, 2009 Members Share Posted September 26, 2009 If he likes metal tha he would probably like a older style speaker with a 10" or larger woofer not nessicarily a subwoofer. Tell him to look out fo a old pair of speaker, labsl, cerwin-vegas, RTS, Sansui, Pioneer, Radio shack Mach 1's you know the kind you used to find at garage sales for $35 a pair when you were a kid. I think parts express calls them "garage speakers" ( so big, the wife keeps putting them in the garage". Most of my friends who like metal dog the old school speakers to listen to metal. Metal has a lot of bass ( not sub) you just cant get with small speakers and a subwoofer Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Bobby1Note Posted September 26, 2009 Members Share Posted September 26, 2009 I find that the reason why so many people listen "loud", is because their systems just can't reproduce the full frequency spectrum "accurately". The sound becomes un-natural to the ear, so in order to compensate, they crank-up the volume to make up for the missing content (usually, bass). The entire spectrum then becomes distorted, causing listener fatigue. A decent sub, properly powered and crossed-over, can give you that added bottom-end "weight", without over-taxing the remainder of the spectrum. You'll listen at overall lower volume, but still have the previously missing bottom-end content. I like to set the sub as natural-sounding as I can. I don't want to notice that there's a sub present. just a natural, yet full, frequency spectrum. If you've ever listened to a symphony orchestra in a good concert-hall, playing a passage at low volume, then you'll recall that there is a certain weight to that sound, even though they're playing softly. A well-integrated sub, will give you that weight and sense of power. Using the ULD-15's electronic crossover, I've blended my ULD-15 with several different satellite speakers (B&W 101, Monitor-Audio R 700MD), and the results were quite astonishing. I truly believe the quality of the bottom-end, is more important than the quantity (volume). Bob Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members agedhorse Posted September 26, 2009 Members Share Posted September 26, 2009 People listen loud because they don't realize the damage they are causing over the long term. Some folks just like loud too, even painful is a good experience for them. Not my cup of tea. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members twostone Posted September 27, 2009 Author Members Share Posted September 27, 2009 I'm guessing he's looking for the smiley curve with cruddy speakers, right? Instead of an EQ, how about a used Sonic Maximizer from ebay? They shouldn't be more than $50. And then he can be pleased with owning some 'pro' gear. I think we have a winner here I think my drummer would sell one of his since he has a spare or two since he swears by them. Thanks for the suggestion. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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