DEQX PDC-2.6P

The DEQX PDC-2.6P is a digital crossover with both speaker and room correction capabilities. It will allow the user to measure and adjust both frequency and phase relationship of the speakers relative to the room. Quite frankly I had no idea that my room was as bad as it was. Using the DEQX I was able to connect not only the frequency response but also phase timing between the speakers. The result was impressive in both overall sound balance and imaging…. The newer version as listed on Audiogon and the manufactures web site is $4,000 without the calibrated mike…..My unit does come with the unit, the software, the commuter to DEQX long serial interface cable a long high quality mike cable and a calibrated mike. It does not have the remote control which is optional….The following is copied from the DEQX Web Site….DEQX Calibrated™ PDC-2.6 P processor is a stereo digital processor offering DEQX’s patented speaker and room correction technology. When connected to a PC running DEQX’s software, the PDC allows you to measure and correct your main speakers and subwoofers using its largely automated Wizard driven measurement, analysis, and correction software….Loud Speaker’s introduce between ten to one hundred times more distortion, as well as errors in the form of inaccurate frequency-response and incoherent timing, than the signal that arrives to drive them. Unlike DSP room correction systems, whose measurements must contain room acoustic effects, the PDC first measures and corrects a speaker’s native (anechoic) behavior so that timing (phase and group-delay) errors and frequency-response errors can be compensated in detail before measuring and correcting room acoustics. The PDC can be used for correcting passive speakers, or if you have additional amplifiers available and are able to bypass your existing passive crossovers, its six analogue outputs provide up to 3-way active crossovers. Configurations supported are; passive speakers plus the option of one or two subwoofers, 2-way active speakers plus optional subwoofers, and 3-way active speakers. Stereo digital and analogue Inputs include: SPDIF (RCA), AES/EBU (XLR), unbalanced analog (RCA), balanced analogue (XLR). Standard outputs are analogue unbalanced (RCA). Optional outputs include balanced analogue (6 x XLR) OR Digital outputs (3 x XLR, 3 x RCA). Multiple PDC-2.6 units can used together for multi-channel configurations such as 4.2 and 5.1 to 7.7 configurations. The industry leading SHARC 32-bit floating point DSPs from Analogue Devices contribute only about 0.00001% distortion and noise. This new HD version of the PDC-2.6 processor contains improved power supplies and analogue electronics to preserve the system’s digital processing transparency as much as possible........As for my spin on the DEQX…let’s see….where to begin….I happen to be an EE that happens to love music….I am one of those analog guys that listens to CD’s and SACD’s due to most current music is not available on vinyl. I guess through hard work and good fortune I have had the pleasure of owning allot for “what some” would consider good stuff such as Wilson Alexandria’s, Genesis 1.1’s, Sound lab’s , Halcro, Convergent, Audio Research and well the list goes on....I am not bringing the names up in order to tout it, but rather I have spent years listening to allot of very good combinations.....Being and Engineer I would look at the speaker response curves (which most are very flat +/- a couple of DB) and of course the same could be said of the electronics.....But every time I moved a speaker within a room (sometimes 1/2 of an inch), or from room to room, or house to house the sound changed radically. Therefore I began wondering how bad "was the room acoustics", and "how was the speaker was coupling to the room"? At that time I was also playing around with tri-amping the four panel Genesis 1.1’s. So I bought the DEQX. What I learned amazed me and the results were far greater than I could have imagined.....Step one with the DEQX is to quantify the time (phase relationship) and amplitude during frequency sweeps, from there you do the same within the room in order to qualify the characteristics of the room......The DEQX can then be set up to compensation for errors in both domains. What was learned was “that through simple placements” of not only the speakers, but also furniture, reflectors and absorbers (carpets, drapery, etc) one could adjust the room in order to create the desired response.....I did this for some time and what the DEQX taught me was far greater than any cable, fancy do-dad or writing could have had possibly accomplished......It was amazing to learn how to adjust the room and/or the speakers in order to create the desired sonic response that which would be illustrated by the sweep curves of the DEQX.....From there I began playing with the tri-amp configuration and quickly learned through trial and error how various cross over points along with their slopes can radically affect the overall time (phase relationship) and amplitude.....In the end.....One can definitely argue that more stuff in audio chain is not a good thing (and I would completely agree with that adage)....Then when one considers what the DEQX is doing....first it performs an analog to digital conversion, it then corrects/alters the digital word through preprogrammed commands and algorithims, and then after all of that....it then converts the altered digital record back to analog again….The bottom line is “there is a lot going on”. But I am pleased to report that the DEQX does a pretty good job of keeping the low level detail stuff intact....But anytime you do this much manipulation you do lose some musical information.....“What you get in spades” is knowledge and the ability to tailor your system with the room along with speaker placement.....The end result is that the DEQX digital adjustments simply blow away the slight loss in musical detail. If you have some patience and wish to learn the DEQX is a fantastic tool....If you’re a purist you will roll your eyes and say “you have got to be kidding”.....But in the end I do strongly believe it will be one of the best investments you will make into improving (or at least learning about and understanding) your speaker/room interaction....If you’re wondering why I am selling mine is that I am planning on buying their one of their fully balanced units….I will be used on my next experiment ….I guess I am off my rocker….So there you have it, well at least my thoughts….the bottom line is the DEQX is a great learning and adjustment tool….For further information please see the www. DEQX.com…The unit model number is PDC-2.6P and the serial number is PDC2.6-0512286…The main circuit board is Rev. 6 which I understand was the latest rev for this model. PayPal users please add 3.5%. Thanks for reading my ramblings…..you can go to sleep now....it certainly is a great tool.....Pay pal buyers please add 3.5%