I compete in IASCA Sound Quality comps. and you still have to be able to play a standard CD for judging.

You are correct, and this is an unwinnable battle. I spent a lot of time and effort a couple years ago trying to convince IASCA to allow me to compete using my empeg player. It is hopeless. I understand (and even agree with) their position: they are in the business of judging audio playback systems. Allowing alternative sources different from the official judging CD opens up the possibility of people remastering the CD (don't think I didn't give that idea some serious thought!) to minimize the deficiencies of their particular installation. IASCA wants to see who has the best stereo, not who has the best recording studio!

I have given up on trying to tweak my system for an absolutely flat RTA curve on the Pink Noise track. For one thing, the new rules effective this year greatly reduce the scoring impact of the RTA (used to be a maximum of 20 points; now all is just a simple 5 point pass/fail); and to be truthful, a perfectly flat curve doesn't sound very good. The human ear is attuned most strongly to the mid-range frequencies, and unless the low end and the high end are boosted disproportionately compared to the middle, it comes out sounding kind of "thin". I just tune for a nice "smile-shaped" curve that is never more than 3dB different from one 1/3 octave band to the next, take my 5 points pass/fail, and use the same setup for SQ.

Now, you may be a much more serious competitor than I. I am what would charitably be described as a big fish in a small pond -- I win, but my competition isn't all that tough to beat -- mostly Rice-Boys with hiss-boom systems. If I showed up at a regional competition in California or Florida, they would laugh me out of the parking lot.

tanstaafl.