13-Oct-2020, 23:55
Summary: My initial experimentation with Sweet Room filters from REW yield subtle changes for the worse, so point out if I'm doing something wrong.
I had previously taken measurements for Dirac and REW, so had those ready to go.
In REW I played around with rePhase filters, changing the Target Level in .1 dB increments and seeing how REW calculated the EQ filters. I chose what looked best (correcting the biggest flaws with the smallest gain) and wrote that into a Sweet Room file (using the Alternate as a control). I measured the difference in SPL when using each and then level-matched them with a 1 dB main gain so that the comparison was more valid.
I'm surprised by how subtle the difference is, but it is noticeable and not for the better. It almost seems like the processing is degrading the sound quality but the filters aren't doing anything. What I hear is flatter, less dynamic, and farther away. Voices are a notch back on the soundstage, there's a bit less bloom to crescendos, and instruments are a little less realistic. I keep staring at my Sweet Room file trying to find a syntax error (which would mean it isn't used), but the amps show it in use and there is that small difference in sound. I expected a -5.7 dB gain with 2.73 Q to be dramatic. My Dirac filters are much more noticeable. Were my expectations wrong or have I made a technical mistake somewhere?
I had previously taken measurements for Dirac and REW, so had those ready to go.
In REW I played around with rePhase filters, changing the Target Level in .1 dB increments and seeing how REW calculated the EQ filters. I chose what looked best (correcting the biggest flaws with the smallest gain) and wrote that into a Sweet Room file (using the Alternate as a control). I measured the difference in SPL when using each and then level-matched them with a 1 dB main gain so that the comparison was more valid.
I'm surprised by how subtle the difference is, but it is noticeable and not for the better. It almost seems like the processing is degrading the sound quality but the filters aren't doing anything. What I hear is flatter, less dynamic, and farther away. Voices are a notch back on the soundstage, there's a bit less bloom to crescendos, and instruments are a little less realistic. I keep staring at my Sweet Room file trying to find a syntax error (which would mean it isn't used), but the amps show it in use and there is that small difference in sound. I expected a -5.7 dB gain with 2.73 Q to be dramatic. My Dirac filters are much more noticeable. Were my expectations wrong or have I made a technical mistake somewhere?
