# equalizer for subwoofer



## aLittletank (Dec 25, 2011)

I was told that I should use an equalizer to adjust my DIY sub after I download and get REW up and running. My understanding is that Audyssey on my DENON 1910 doesn’t do enough to adjust a subwoofer. What would be a budget equalizer to consider for taming my sub?


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## Broxin (Jan 3, 2012)

do you read the stickies?

http://www.hometheatershack.com/for...1946-bfd-alternatives-fbq-sms-1-dcx-more.html

fdq2496 i would say


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## lsiberian (Mar 24, 2009)

There are many devices to do EQ. I personally use the minidsp. You will also need a measurement system to use REW.


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## KalaniP (Dec 17, 2008)

If you're starting from scratch, my personal recommendation would be to _consider_ upgrading your receiver to one that includes Audyssey MultiEQ XT, which will EQ your sub along with the rest of your speakers.

The amount of money you'll need to spend to get a fully-working REW setup going, from scratch, including the BFD or other EQ devices, mics (or at least the radio shack meter), cabling, and adapters is just high enough that you might only have a spend a small amount more (or less, depending on which devices you go with) to upgrade your receiver instead, which will then automagically EQ the sub with little or no work on your part.

There is definitely some benefit to having a full-fledged working REW setup, but if all you're looking to do is EQ one sub, there are easier ways of doing it. Plus you get a new receiver. 

If you decide you do want to go with the REW route, there are lots of threads discussing the various hardware combos that are known to work, including some recent ones. At a minimum, you need a radio shack meter or a mic ($45 for the RS meter, more for the mic plus a way to provide phantom power, so perhaps a small mixer or other device), probably an external sound card with a line in ($20 at least), and I'd guess $20+ in various cables and adapters to connect it. Then you need a BFD of some sort (~$100, or there's a guy selling one here, used, for $55) to actually apply the Equalizations you determine, and again, whatever cables and interconnects you need to add the BFD to your system. Gets into the $200+ range pretty easily, and that's sticking to a budget and using some stuff you may already have.

By selling your existing AVR and adding that same money to the budget, you can probably upgrade to an xx12 Denon AVR and get it all done easier. Although REW is really cool and you may want to get into serious room analysis and educate yourself anyway.


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## aLittletank (Dec 25, 2011)

Thanks for the responses. It appears that the Denon 2112 AVR is available for about $450 and it includes Audyssey MultiEQ XT. Is Audyssey MultiEQ XT really that good? I am all about hitting the easy button but I thought that I would need a room measuring like rew to do acoustic treatments properly as well.
This hobby just gets more and more complicated! 
:sarcastic:


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## lsiberian (Mar 24, 2009)

Auto EQ is only effective for crossover corrections(BSC, breakupmodes etc) not placement comparison. 

With REW you can experiment with placement, do house curves, and get real data on your system. Instead of relying solely on your ears you can measure your system. And a REW setup isn't 450 dollars either. 

Imagine being able to compare your sub in 2 different positions to see which one is best.


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## ALMFamily (Oct 19, 2011)

Please someone correct me if I am wrong, but I think what I have read most people doing is using XT to do the initial set-up, and then dialing it in further using REW.


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## Kal Rubinson (Aug 3, 2006)

ALMFamily said:


> Please someone correct me if I am wrong, but I think what I have read most people doing is using XT to do the initial set-up, and then dialing it in further using REW.


How does one do that?


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## ALMFamily (Oct 19, 2011)

Kal Rubinson said:


> How does one do that?


Absolutely no idea - just a guess from reading through a number of build threads and the order of the posts - hence the "correct me if I am wrong"..... :R


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## Kal Rubinson (Aug 3, 2006)

ALMFamily said:


> Absolutely no idea - just a guess from reading through a number of build threads and the order of the posts - hence the "correct me if I am wrong"..... :R


Since you ask. This would require an external EQ as Audyssey is not tweakable. However, putting such after Audyssey would compromise its function. This is not SOP.

Kal


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