The DEQX PreMate

[tom1040]

Just curious if anyone has used this piece? Reviews sound good and it looks interesting. I have no knowledge of this type of gear but would like to learn a bit more. Thanks.

[tom1040]

Well, if G.T. uses these they must be pretty good. Expensive, but good.

[JuniorJBL]

If I were to try the DEQX gear I think I would opt for the HDP-4. I would want to go all active with a processor like this.

They do look really interesting.

GT mentioned these at one of the Dome's GTG's and was pretty impressed with them.

[Titanium Dome]

If I were to try the DEQX gear I think I would opt for the HDP-4. I would want to go all active with a processor like this.

They do look really interesting.

GT mentioned these at one of the Dome's GTG's and was pretty impressed with them.


I'd be fully onboard with you until the time the invoice had to be paid, especially if you're going to add the Earthworks calibration kit. :eek:

[richluvsound]

Ken P ran his Westlakes with these and I used one with my 4345 ..... absolutely top drawer . Seems expensive , but look at what you get in that box ..... Pre-amp , DAC , Room correction (PEQ) , time alignment , Crossover .... thats good value for money anyway you look at it . Down side is you need to understand how to program it . If you have the money get the pro's to come and help you get started .

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hZA7S3DGz08


Richard

[Mr. Widget]

I'd be interested in trying DEQX again. I used one of their first generation units for a few years when they were first introduced. The learning curve was pretty steep, but once you get the hang of it using the product made sense and was very good. I ultimately stopped using it because I didn't think the A to D and D to A was as invisible as I'd like, but that was over ten years ago and that technology has improved a hell of a lot since then.

That said, whether you are using DEQX, BSS, DBX, Behringer, or any other DSP/crossover... there are only a handful of settings that will approach "correct" and an infinite or near infinite number of settings that will really screw your system up. You really need to know what you are doing and invest the time to get it "right".


Widget

[Goldjazz]

Is there a model that has 4 outputs? I couldn't see one on theire website. If so, I would consider going fully active for my 4343's with this system. Agree the system is expensive but compared to what I need to do next with my system it may make sense. I need to get a good preamp, dac, and was going to fully rebuild the xovers with good components. If there's a 4 way unit that can do all this, then it may be worth it, especially since I have 4 good power amps already that would be good for a fully active 4 way system. I once did my 4343's fully active but was let down by the quality of the crossovers and I also felt it was too hard to eq properly, and was concerned about time alignment and room correction. So this could be a good solution.

[Mr. Widget]

I once did my 4343's fully active but was let down by the quality of the crossovers and I also felt it was too hard to eq properly, and was concerned about time alignment and room correction.

That said, whether you are using DEQX, BSS, DBX, Behringer, or any other DSP/crossover... there are only a handful of settings that will approach "correct" and an infinite or near infinite number of settings that will really screw your system up. You really need to know what you are doing and invest the time to get it "right".



Widget

[Goldjazz]

Ok so I've been in contact with DEQX, actually their production facility is in the same suburb as where I work.

So I've asked them if they think a fully active 4 way system is possible with their gear for my JBL4343's and they've come back with a Yes. Basically it requires their 3-way unit HDP-4 and their Express II unit being used as a salve. They have offered to come around to my place and set up this system to demo it. I am considering taking them up on this offer, wht do you guys think?

Obviously the question of cost is there. From my standpoint though I have 4 good quality power amps already. I don't have a great preamp, and I don't have a great dac. So I'm planning on upgrading both of those to an Accuphase 2410 pre and a Chord Hugo TT Dac. I'm also planning on building a full crossover with Jantzen silvers etc. Adding all that up it would come close to the cost of the 2 DEQX units and I wouldn't get the EQ, room correction and time alignment functions of the DEQX system. So I'm thinking demo it and see how it goes, am I crazy, what do you guys think?

Regards,

[Goldjazz]

Widget

Cheers

Certainly willing to spend the time, but I'll be the first to admit I don't know what I'm doing :)

[pos]

Why not start with a 3-way active setup, leaving the HF/UHF crossover in place?
You cannot consistently time-align that one anyway...

[Goldjazz]

Why not start with a 3-way active setup, leaving the HF/UHF crossover in place?
You cannot consistently time-align that one anyway...

Yeah but sounds like it would be good to have control over the full frequency range using this system for EQ, room correction and time align, including the UHF. Could be annoying having part of the range off to the side out of control. But then again the cost of the additional slave unit to have this extra bit of control may be a little crazy. I don't know about what the tradeoff in control and result would be, I agree it sounds like not enough to justify.

[rusty jefferson]

I would do the demo. It's a rare opportunity to audition something like this in your system, in your room, with people who know how to use it.

[Goldjazz]

I would do the demo. It's a rare opportunity to audition something like this in your system, in your room, with people who know how to use it.

Yeah I agree, just clarifying what the costs would be to make sure it's a feasible option. If the numbers stack up I'll defintly get it set up and will document the experiment well here. Also just enquiring if I need the second slave system or if I can just use my first watt b4 for the UHF. Will keep all interested updated.

[pos]

Just to clarify my suggestion was not to use an analogue crossover for the uhf, but to keep the hf and uhf as a single active channel in the deqx, with the passive crossover handling the hf/uhf separation.
That way you keep everything under the control of the deqx, short of that ~9kHz crossover.

[Goldjazz]

Just to clarify my suggestion was not to use an analogue crossover for the uhf, but to keep the hf and uhf as a single active channel in the deqx, with the passive crossover handling the hf/uhf separation.
That way you keep everything under the control of the deqx, short of that ~9kHz crossover.

Yep got it, thanks.

[Mr. Widget]

Just to clarify my suggestion was not to use an analogue crossover for the uhf, but to keep the hf and uhf as a single active channel in the deqx, with the passive crossover handling the hf/uhf separation.
That way you keep everything under the control of the deqx, short of that ~9kHz crossover.That is exactly how I deployed DEQX when I was using their first generation product with my Project Widget 4-ways. This simplified the setup considerably.


Widget

[JeffW]

Living in the same town as DEQX might sway my decision, living half way around the world would be a different story. If I was as smart as Greg Timbers, then living half way around the world might become an option again. Having a professional DEQX representative set it up is the only way the majority of people would ever realize the full potential of the things, I look back at the trials and tribulations of Ken Pachkowsky as a reminder that setting these things up can drain the fun out of the hobby.

[Goldjazz]

Living in the same town as DEQX might sway my decision, living half way around the world would be a different story. If I was as smart as Greg Timbers, then living half way around the world might become an option again. Having a professional DEQX representative set it up is the only way the majority of people would ever realize the full potential of the things, I look back at the trials and tribulations of Ken Pachkowsky as a reminder that setting these things up can drain the fun out of the hobby.

Yeah in talking with them, they admit its a challenge to setup. They now have thia DEQexpert online thing with moat of tje gear whi h apparently helps. But yeah just having them loae by, makes sense to use that.

[rusty jefferson]

The fellow who does the online set up is the person Ken mentioned in an earlier discussion. He recently helped a friend of mine who bought a DEQX for his active 3 way system. My friend is extremely knowledgeable of the set up and measurements of his system. He's an engineer who designs and builds equipment and speakers. He worked on the set up for several weeks, then had the fellow do the online evaluation, and the guy improved it quite a bit in about 2 hours. I hope that guy is training someone how to do it!

[Darren69]

I lived with the HDP4 in my system for maybe 12-18 months.

It was the pre amp and time phase/room eq. It fed an external dac with it's 'digital out' function.

Allan from DEQX was going through town one time and personally dropped in and checked everything as right. He got it absolutely spot on and it is the best company support I have ever experienced in this hi fi malarkey yet.

My only contribution to this thread would be to keep your mains full range. I was sending the lower frequencies to the twin 12 in subs I use and feeding the Focal 1038Be's the rest but when I went back to a conventional pre amp (JC2) and used the Meridian 808.3i's dac, the music became much more room-filling. Was better to my ears anyhow and really a bit obvious when you think of it, as the mains are designed to do full range!

Just my 2c lads/ladies.