[jdandy]

Ivan.......Necessary or novelty is a rather narrow view of this extremely powerful high-end audio tool. Like any high quality tool it may not always be needed but when there is a need for such a specialized tool you are so thankful to have it available.

The Accuphase DG58 offers exceptional versatility for system voicing and room equalization. The DG58 is a fourth generation of this Accuphase Digital Graphic Equalizer. It enables both sound field compensation (Voicing) and sound field creation (Equalizer). According to information in their newest literature the Accuphase DG58 offers the newly added Simple Voicing course that makes automatic sound field measurement and adjustment a breeze, while the Custom Voicing Course provides the user with extensive control over every aspect. The wide-format color LCD panel allows direct writing of response curves with a stylus pen, plus the DG58 has a programmable 20 pattern memory.

The Accuphase DG58 is a highly sophisticated audio tool. It is definitely not your typical 10 band equalizer with the accompanying distortion and phase abnormalities. The DG58 includes high-speed 40-bit floating point DSP devices with separate digital filters for Voicing and Equalizer sections. This processing power delivers 67 frequency bands with 1/6 octave spacing (adjustment range 12 dB) for Voicing plus 80 frequency bands with 1/6 octave spacing (adjustment range 12 dB) for the Equalizer. That is serious control for any audio system. As if that isn't enough, the Accuphase DG58 also has a built in real-time spectrum analyzer for music signal and microphone input and comes with a calibrated full range microphone. The spectrum analyzer has 35 frequency bands with 1/3 octave spacing and real-time operation, plus the DG58 provides analog and digital inputs/outputs.

There are toys and then there are tools. It is clearly evident the Accuphase DG58 falls into the latter category. In fact, the Accuphase DG58 is in a very lofty category of its own. Novelty? No way. Useful? Absolutely. Necessary? That can only be answered by an Accuphase system owner.