Introduction:Whilst we don't actually have a DEQX in front of us to test and compare with, we can still leverage the test results from a recent
Stereophile review of the DEQX Pre-mate which apparently is the same hardware used in all of their models with some changes to the I/O and software capability otherwise it is the the same old hardware except for the cheaper models which apparently use a switch mode power supply instead of the linear power supply used in the more expensive models. Of course the UP uses a linear power supply in all of its models
For a detailed comparison between DEQX and the Ultimate-Preamplifier please click here to refer to our comparison table Test Results:Conclusion:We can see a pattern emerge here and that in all tests shown below the Ultimate Preamplifier displays superior performance over the DEQX in all cases. Not just a small improvement but a major improvement !
DEQX claim the following from their
own website but the measurements from Stereophile review don't really support these claims !
Audiophile-grade engineering
Every aspect of a DEQX is carefully engineered for optimum audiophile performance. For example: countless design, development, and auditioning iterations were put into the latest A/D convertor circuit and the DAC's I/V (current to voltage) convertor circuits. Over a decade of constant refinement and attention to detail has paid off in superlative performance.
Now add in superb digital coding and algorithms: a −140 dB digital processing noise floor and a precision digital volume control. The end result? A truly transparent component with zero digital artifacts. An "analog" sound for all combinations of input to output: analog to analog, digital to digital, and any combination of the two.
DEQX also claim in one of their reviews of "'first do no harm' transparency" but the measurements from Stereophile compared to our own measurements of the Ultimate Preamp show anything but transparency. Add to this an antiquated DSP platform with very limited FIR capability shows that this product is trying to be all things to everyone but succeeding at none of them.