Something like this? It is on offer on Amazon apparently.

You can also go for a two band version so you can manipulate two channels.

Hi fellow Pirates,

I was wondering if anyone uses any hardware equalizers in their head-fi station setups. I only use software eq but was wondering if a hardware eq would sound better. Perhaps connected to the DAC then to the amp (Dac -> Hardware EQ - > Amp). I have tried several software eq's and still can't seem to get that sweet spot. purrin or is it Marvey now? suggested I try using parametric EQ and I took his advice and read about how to use them, but I still can't get a good eq that I like, unless I just don't know how to use it properly even after reading about it.

Has anyone ever used one? I know a lot of pirates use flat eq or no eq at all, but I do like eq'ing my cans. Anyone have any thoughts and/or experience with hardware eq's?

Analog EQ has advantages and disadvantages.
A disadvantage is added noise is/may be higher than in the digital domain but how much depends on the circuits used.
Another disadvantage is that phase is also shifted in analog circuits where that may not have to be the case in digital designs.

Analog has some small post-ringing in its filters depending on bandwidth (number of sliders) where digital filters have pre- and post-ringing in the audible range (ringing of DAC is outside of the audible range).
The more sliders, the higher the Q the more ringing.
Digital may have artefacts in sound depending on how well it designed, for analog this is not the case.

I have heard some negative side effects when using (freeware or built-in) digital EQ and less/none with analog so in that aspect analog is 'better'.

have build and used analog parametric and graphic (with 12 or or more bands) and 'custom' filters.
The latter works best but is not 'universal'.

It should be noted that one can NOT EQ all faults out of headphones and that's where the limit really is.
Only headphones that are already good performers by themselves can improve that last bit (FR/tonally wise) and become 'stellar'.
headphones that are 'decent' will never become stellar.

In essence all EQ be it digital or analog has limits.
Both methods have their own drawbacks and benefits but are 'patches' non the less.

Yeah that is something I am looking for, hopefully something cheaper though. That looks awesome and has all the EQ bands I am looking for, wish it was cheaper. Thank you for the post and that is an awesome EQ. That is what I am looking for, maybe just a cheaper model, but if I had the money now, i would probably get the one you posted. Thanks

I get the sense that you are looking for something...cheaper?

Have you checked eBay for that or similar gear? Maybe a slightly older model?

I can't speak for absolute sound quality, artifacts, etc., but I've used EasyQ in JRMC before with good results: http://www.rs-met.com/freebies.html

EasyQ is also the free PEQ that I use with foobar. I don't eq the hd800s anymore but it works wonderfully when I am eqing the SB7220 speakers to sound much better than stock.

To answer the question on hardware EQ, this is what I would probably use: Behringer DEQ2496. AES SPDIF in and out. SE SPDIF to balanced cable seems to work. Or we can use toslink.