When you EQ a speaker for something that approximates flat, with passive EQ, all you can do is cut the treble to match the bass. With DSP, you can either boost the bass or cut the treble, but in either case, you wind up with the same maximum power handling. Why? Because single-driver speakers are always excursion limited in the bass. Power handling is not the same as efficiency, but the end result is the same. Single-driver speakers are power limited in the bass. End of story.

When I start EQ'ing a speaker, I first get a FR curve of the speaker in the position I intend to use it. Then I set the sliders to a mirror image of the FR with the 1kHz slider at 0dB. The job is 90% complete. Only a bit of tweaking remains.

BTW, I rarely wind up with a speaker EQ'ed flat. That seems too laid back for me. I usually wind up cutting the bass a bit.

Bob

Check out:
http://www.mhsecure.com/products/ChannelStrip/EQTech-CS.php

PAY attention to this line:
It is very difficult to characterize the precise nature of what frequency range corresponds to what timbre. You’ll find (as you gain experience) that it is often the relative balance of frequencies that count; sometimes it is better to cut the midrange than to boost the highs.

Hope this helps.
-akhilesh

• EQ basics

I have my Lowther DX4s mountd on open baffle. This is the most transparent sound for them, but then equalization is required. With mounting them on open baffle, even with the the passive components in the signal path, the sound of Lowthers is more transparent than mounting them in back horns without such devices in the signal path.

Retsel