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DSP, EQ, room-correction search for low bass treatment

Chris81

Chris81

pfm Member
Hello,
I have a very annoying room mode @ 38Hz which I can’t solve thru placement changes in my small 14sqm room (3,15m x 4,49m).

I have tried a RME ADI-2 DAC with an integrated EQ.

I didn’t liked the sound from the Dac and prefered my Sugden Dac-4 by far.

The RME sounded artificial, grey steril anf flat. So I sent it back.

Then I tried Dirac-live-studio. It eliminated the room modes but also the dynamic is reduced. The bass sound is okay and I don’t hear a negative effect on the timbre but the midrange and the high frequencies are slightly coarse and less refined. For me a step to the side not forward.

I would really like too keep my Harbeth C7 so I’m still looking for a solution.

I know mini-dsp, sonaworks (measuring didn’t worked out), Lyngdorf, Anti-mode dual core, Audiovero accourate but didn‘t tried any of them for a longer time, but none of them satisfied me on the long run.

I would be very happy for other recommendations.
My prefered solution would be a digital solution which stays digital and then is converter by my dac.

I would consider a Helmholtzresonator but AFAIK there is no guarantee that it will workout.

There are active bass traps like Bag End or from PSI audio AVAA but they are very expansive.

Thank you for your advices.
 
Old Shatterhand said:
Hello,
I have a very annoying room mode @ 38Hz which I can’t solve thru placement changes in my small 14sqm room (3,15m x 4,49m).

I have tried a RME ADI-2 DAC with an integrated EQ.

I didn’t liked the sound from the Dac and prefered my Sugden Dac-4 by far.

The RME sounded artificial, grey steril anf flat. So I sent it back.

Then I tried Dirac-live-studio. It eliminated the room modes but also the dynamic is reduced. The bass sound is okay and I don’t hear a negative effect on the timbre but the midrange and the high frequencies are slightly coarse and less refined. For me a step to the side not forward.

I would really like too keep my Harbeth C7 so I’m still looking for a solution.

I know mini-dsp, sonaworks (measuring didn’t worked out), Lyngdorf, Anti-mode dual core, Audiovero accourate but didn‘t tried any of them for a longer time, but none of them satisfied me on the long run.

I would be very happy for other recommendations.
My prefered solution would be a digital solution which stays digital and then is converter by my dac.

I would consider a Helmholtzresonator but AFAIK there is no guarantee that it will workout.

There are active bass traps like Bag End or from PSI audio AVAA but they are very expansive.

Thank you for your advices.
Click to expand...

What's your source? If it's a computer then the easiest solution is playback software that provides parametric EQ plugins. As a Mac user I use the free AU plugins provided in Audirvana+ to take care of room modes. It's very effective because I can precisely control the centre frequency, Q, and dB reduction of each filter.
 
My source is a windows 10 pc with foobar and tidal.

If Audirvana has the same plugin for windows 10 then this would be an option even if I didn’t like the surface of Audirvana.
 
Have you considered limiting the correction to low frequencies only? I use a minidsp SHD/Dirac and limit the correction to below 500 Hz, leaving the mids and highs unaffected.
 
Personally I think a sterile and flat sound is the lack of bass pressure in a room ,if your sat in a null you are basically screwed. Moving seating area could be the only option to get it to work. I found the equilateral triangle with speakers facing the sitting area to work best.
 
Hayche said:
Personally I think a sterile and flat sound is the lack of bass pressure in a room
Click to expand...
It is not because I‘m talking about flat and steril in the mid and high frequencies, I used tracks with female voices and string instruments.

I have tried several positions in my room with the speakers and the listening position, I can lower the mode @ 38Hz even more but logically I get more mid and upper bass modes which are also there right now but not as excessive as the 38Hz which isn‘t touched with every song.
 
MarkW said:
Audirvana on Windows has VST support - there are plenty of free EQ VST plugins to choose from.
Click to expand...
I‘d be happy for some advices for a good sounding EQ.

Foobar has one installed but the lowest possible frequency is above my problem with 38Hz.
 
zarniwoop said:
Have you considered limiting the correction to low frequencies only? I use a minidsp SHD/Dirac and limit the correction to below 500 Hz, leaving the mids and highs unaffected.
Click to expand...
Do you know if that is possible with Dirac live too? If yes that would be a solution I could live with I guess.
 
ToTo Man said:
Yes, you can limit DiracLive to low frequencies only by dragging the correction window from right to left.
Click to expand...
Thank you, I have tried it. Unfortunately you still hear the grain, even if you stop correction above 150Hz. To get a second opinion I asked me wife if she will listen to the system with the filter switched on and off. She heard the same. I will check it out later with the filter only down to 80Hz and 50Hz but I guess it won’t change the slightly grainy effect.
 
Old Shatterhand said:
Thank you, but Roon is way to expensive IMO.
Click to expand...
You can get a 14 day free trial of Roon, plenty long enough to try their parametric or other eq such as convolution. It would take a few seconds to put a notch filter in at 38Hz, and vary the Q to suit. At least you would then find out whether that would solve your problem, and you might then reconsider the price - an annual sub works out at about 21p a day.
 
Perhaps you could try GIK for some bass treatment, assuming it works financially but also practically in the room?
I bought some GIK items but had to send back, so the cost was shipping ultimately for a short loan. Had to send back because the other half was not so keen! She hates my hi Fi..

I too have a similar room gain issue around 40Hz, which I tackle via Roons EQ option. It’s not perfect but it does take the edge off the room boom. You can also save various presets so you can try one for a couple of days, listen assess, then try another etc.

I use Roons EQ option in multiple rooms and for headphones.
 
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