Extremesam
Active Member
I recently bought a vintage JVC SEA 11 equalizer. It has a feature called "SEA" Does anyone know what it stands for and what it does? I can't seem to find an owner's manual online.
Needing help with a vintage JVC SEA 11 Equalizer.
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Well, to help you on the basis of my personal practice for a long time, and being in a forum, place of exchange of opinions, here is my personal advice.
If you are interested in a feasingly decent "deep bass" acoustical output of your system, resell the JVC SEA 11, with its lowest frequency slider at 63 Hz, ipso facto depriving you of possibility to feasibly compensate the strong roll-off of the so called "deep bass" (the “25…45 Hz” frequency band) in practically all “market” LS models. And buy a good quality graphic equalizer, NOT LESS THAN 10-BAND, or more, with its lowest frequency slider at NOT HIGHER THAN 31 Hz, approx. ≤0.02% (or 0,02% who likes it more) THD with the sliders at “0 dB”, range “+/-10…12 dB”).
Why the lowest frequency slider not higher than at 31 Hz? Exactly for to be able to manage the “25…45 Hz” frequency band, the container of these "deep bass".
Taking an important precaution against boosting strongly the “20…31 Hz”, “50 Hz”, “8000 Hz” and “16…20000 Hz” sliders at high listening power levels, to avoid LSs and/or even hearing damage!
Practiced for many years and giving the desired effect.
Extremesam
Active Member
Thank for your replies. Very helpful
swamppirate
Lunatic Member
NAD80
Super Member
User and Service Manual here on HiFiEngine.com. Just register and download for free. https://www.hifiengine.com/manual_library/jvc/sea-11.shtml Welcome to AK.
A good example, if in good technical condition.
There is its Owner’s Manual on the Net.
Extremesam
Active Member
Looks great!
Extremesam
Active Member
Thank you. I saw that before and it's a service manual. Not sure if an owner's manual exists.
NAD80
Super Member
https://www.petervis.com/gallery/Vintage%20Advertisements/jvc-high-fidelity-components/sea-11.html Found this with some specs on the equalizer. Sorry I thought they had the user manual.
Extremesam
Active Member
I've used the JVC SEA -11 for a week now. It is what it is. A retro piece best used with vintage equipment.
I connected it to my digital system and just cant handle the lowest bands. Back in it's day it was probably fine but don't get one if
your using digital. My bad I bought it. You members told me the risks. Today, I'm an idiot!
I connected it to my digital system and just cant handle the lowest bands. Back in it's day it was probably fine but don't get one if
your using digital. My bad I bought it. You members told me the risks. Today, I'm an idiot!
“A retro piece best used with vintage equipment” – WRONG! In the quality parameters matter, there is no vintage or not vintage equipment. All the considerations I exposed above are actual for any equipment.
NO! Back in it's day and earlier, there were numerous full frequency range EQ models.
Wrong! No difference analog or digital.
No, no! Don’t be so self-abasing! It’s a very many people’s mistake by shortage of specific information.
Gazdatronik
Super Member
Baxandall type EQ's are the most user friendly, and if you have to have complete control, thats what DSP is for.
For what its worth, I found the SEA family of equalizers horribly musical, they usually used inductors with a steep slope. Would work fine as an effects processor for musical instruments, but a bit of an Albatross to have slopes that steep without being able to change the frequency centers around, such as on a mixing board.
Can't fault the idea of EQ's back in their time, for analog room correction, its all we had. But the idea of having 7-10 preset frequency adjustments that would work well enough with all speakers in all rooms is pure nonsense once you start to look at the all the data inside a sound wave and how one propagates.
The Baxandall eq types are more gentle and infinite about how they do their work, such as like the Schiit Loki, some of the Quad stuff with the "tilt shift" EQ, and my well loved APT Holmans.
For what its worth, I found the SEA family of equalizers horribly musical, they usually used inductors with a steep slope. Would work fine as an effects processor for musical instruments, but a bit of an Albatross to have slopes that steep without being able to change the frequency centers around, such as on a mixing board.
Can't fault the idea of EQ's back in their time, for analog room correction, its all we had. But the idea of having 7-10 preset frequency adjustments that would work well enough with all speakers in all rooms is pure nonsense once you start to look at the all the data inside a sound wave and how one propagates.
The Baxandall eq types are more gentle and infinite about how they do their work, such as like the Schiit Loki, some of the Quad stuff with the "tilt shift" EQ, and my well loved APT Holmans.
Extremesam
Active Member
I have the Schiit Loki on order. The problem I'm having is playing digital and analog music together. The intensity and frequency
levels are so different I find myself constantly adjusting the EQ. I'm hoping the Loki will at least make the adjustments quicker.
levels are so different I find myself constantly adjusting the EQ. I'm hoping the Loki will at least make the adjustments quicker.
Gazdatronik
Super Member
I have no issues like that, perhaps one of your digital sources is much hotter than the other and is pushing the EQ into distortion. For those times, that is what the attenuator button is for, it helps with gain matching.
Snuck
Active Member
So much freely given hatred for sea, wow.
Also, sea 11 isn't top of sea. And maybe with times, some parts went wrong but I suggest you keep it and when you have better gear, give it another shot. Remind yourself it is aged, what you bought will never last that long.
Beware, schiit loki is cheap, but it is what is, cheap, there are better units like asus dac or cambridge dac that can be found on second hand.
You'll find yourself very limited if you really wanna explore audio benefits with it. It's an entry but that's all.
Also, sea 11 isn't top of sea. And maybe with times, some parts went wrong but I suggest you keep it and when you have better gear, give it another shot. Remind yourself it is aged, what you bought will never last that long.
Beware, schiit loki is cheap, but it is what is, cheap, there are better units like asus dac or cambridge dac that can be found on second hand.
You'll find yourself very limited if you really wanna explore audio benefits with it. It's an entry but that's all.
Gazdatronik
Super Member
The loki is an equalizer, not a DAC, and at four bands, its probably as cheap as it needs to be. There aren't that many other wideband equalizers on the market that do just what it does, so for those wanting a vintage style tone control solution, its a good buy.
Snuck
Active Member
Oh there's also a dac version, awww four bands.
Back to the 60s! There's a lot of equalizer in vintage that'll never decrease value that goes down, and may even rise, some even goes down to 10hz up to 100khz.
Some modern pieces can be good when you go into high end, but 150 bucks, there are better things out there.
Back to the 60s! There's a lot of equalizer in vintage that'll never decrease value that goes down, and may even rise, some even goes down to 10hz up to 100khz.
Some modern pieces can be good when you go into high end, but 150 bucks, there are better things out there.
