What really blew me
away about the R-DES, is how the designers at Onix were able to take a fairly
arcane concept, parametric bass EQ, and develop an interface and setup procedure
that makes it pretty easy for most people to understand what’s going on. While
the adjustments are all done manually, there’s no shot-in-the-dark guesswork
involved. As you adjust the on-screen frequency, level controls, and slope of
the adjustment curve, or Q,you get a simultaneous graphic representation of
exactly what each change will do, and this effectively flattens what could have
been a steep learning curve.
In my own system, I have always lived with a
significant peak in the bass at 65 hertz, and over the years I have used a
combination of careful sub placement and some gentle EQ from my B&K
Reference preamp/processor to tame things. With the R-DES, I was able to
eliminate this problem, while noticeably smoothing out the response throughout
the bass frequencies. The effect is quite remarkable, making the transition from
the sub to the main speakers much harder to hear, while adding a healthy dose of
additional weight and impact. As I review different products, I often need to
interface my M&K MX-350 sub with all kinds of different speakers and
electronics, and I can see that the R-DES will make this task much easier to do
correctly.
As with all good things, there are limits to what the R-DES can
achieve. Don’t think that with just a few twists of the controls, the R-DES will
coax ruler-flat bass down to below 20 hertz out of an 8-inch sub. A good rule of
thumb is to try to stick with fixing problem areas, because while taming a nasty
response peak can be very effective, filling in a deep bass suck-out is nearly
impossible.
Powerful, extended bass that is also tuneful and seemingly fast
is the ultimate goal for many subwoofer designers. When you add a properly tuned
R-DES into the mix, getting there becomes a little easier. I’m hanging on to
mine.
RATING: EXCELLENT
Description: Onix Rocket R-DES Digital Equalization System
High Points:
Powerful tool for fixing bass problems; well-developed interface; multiple curve
storage
Low Points: No automated operation; requires PC and Radio Shack SPL
meter for set up; no MAC support
Contact: AV123, 877.543.7500,
www.av123.comPrice: $399 (direct)
