Hello. I'm trying to hook up a graphic equalizer to a Sony amplifier I have, and am having trouble figuring it out. The top two pictures are the receiver, the last two are my equalizer. I assume the Rec Out and Tape ports under TAPE on the receiver are used, but I'm not sure. Any help with how to do this would be appreciated.
The topic has been covered extensively throughout this forum section. Read the archives for more answers to your question.
Basically, each device acts as its own entity.
Therefore, in goes to out and out goes to in no matter which device you are looking at.
Tape/line out from the receiver goes to tape/line input on the eq.
You'll only have one choice left after you make that connection.
If you take the eq input from the tape monitor, you must take the eq output to the receiver's tape input. Just always think in to out and out to in.
Use only one circuit, either tape or line and don't mix those two.
To engage the eq in the audio signal path, you engage the tape monitor if you've taken the connection from the tape monitor side. To exclude the eq you disengage the monitor.
Do not use the eq as a volume control. In other words, eq adjustments should be made with as little boost as possible. The amp has its limits and the receiver's low Voltage circuitry can be overdriven by excessive Voltage coming from the eq.
Consumer grade eq's are traditionally very cheaply made and their circuits can quite easily be overdriven with excessive boost leading to a distorted signal being sent back to the receiver. Distorted inputs lead to distorted outputs. So easy does it with an eq.
Too much bass or treble boost can easily overdrive your loudspeakers and result in poor sound quality, at the least, and destroyed drivers all too often.
It is best to cut back on the eq which will provide a similar effect to boosting the eq when done correctly. A gentle "smile" is often the best setting for any graphic eq device if you are trying to actually boost the bass and treble.
Most listeners would suggest you use loudspeaker placement to correct for sound quality rather than inserting another distortion producing device in the signal path. If you don't know how to do speaker set up, ask for instructions.
Parametric eq's have their own parameters but I assume you have a more basic graphic eq device.
If you want to use a tape deck without passing the signal through the eq, then you want to connect to the line in and out of the receiver. Again, always in to out and out to in.
This places the eq "in front" of the tape circuit in the signal path. Same in to out and out to in arrangement. You would then engage the "equalizer" switch to place the eq in line for listening in playback of any source. To record a tape with eq applied, you would use the "equalizer rec" switch. The same rules of overdiven signals apply to any tape eq.
If you use the tape monitor function of the receiver and you connect only the eq, there's not much difference between using tape or line connections.
If you have a tape deck and use the tape monitor for the eq feed, the tape deck normally must be powered up to complete the signal path.
If you don't have a tape deck, just use the line in and out for simplicity.
Also, don't use your receiver's tone controls in addition to the eq. From the photos it looks as though you've already boosted some levels. Use only the eq and set the tone controls to "0".
You're introducing a lot of comb filters when you use either tone controls or eq. Using both is simply over doing the whole affair.
There are numerous comb filters created by the direct and reflected signals coming from your loudspeakers as they load into the room. The more of these filters you add, particularly when they are very broad in their effect, the worse the sound gets, not the better.
You are making the same mistakes that are always made with lower end audio.
In reality, the simplest signal path with the greatest amount of attention applied to set up will provide the best sound quality.
In other words, stop jacking with buttons and knobs and more crap added to the signal. Adding more stuff you can screw up only makes matters worse.
It's your system though and you get to do what you want. I don't know what you listen to or what you listen for as quality but, if your audio system sound quality ideal is based on your iPod or your car stereo, go listen to some live music.
