2013 year of the digital amp?!
Hi Soundcheck,
Happy new Year!
I just found this thread and read it all...Thanks so much for all your time and effort modifying and testing the DDX to realise its full potential. Guys like you are the true un-sung heros of DIY audio!!
I am interested in buying a few boards ( up to six ) to build into the back of my BMR ( 4.5 inch Neo) full range line array loudspeakers, pics attached.
My entire audio system is LiPo battery powered, and I am building my own music and movies fanless PC which will also be battery powered. Even my TV is about to be battey;d!
I have read all your recomendations but I am still a little unsure of the "End Game" version you suggest.
Can you please summarise your ultimate "wish list" of mods in order of most important first?
I have access to low cost LiPo batteries at all voltages and current capacities so where ever possible I am happy to bypass / replace voltage regulators...
Thanks again and here's hoping 2013 is the year of the all in one digital solution.
Cheers
Derek.
Hi Soundcheck,
Happy new Year!
I just found this thread and read it all...Thanks so much for all your time and effort modifying and testing the DDX to realise its full potential. Guys like you are the true un-sung heros of DIY audio!!
I am interested in buying a few boards ( up to six ) to build into the back of my BMR ( 4.5 inch Neo) full range line array loudspeakers, pics attached.
My entire audio system is LiPo battery powered, and I am building my own music and movies fanless PC which will also be battery powered. Even my TV is about to be battey;d!
I have read all your recomendations but I am still a little unsure of the "End Game" version you suggest.
Can you please summarise your ultimate "wish list" of mods in order of most important first?
I have access to low cost LiPo batteries at all voltages and current capacities so where ever possible I am happy to bypass / replace voltage regulators...
Thanks again and here's hoping 2013 is the year of the all in one digital solution.
Cheers
Derek.
Attachments
Hi.
If I'd rate my tweaks I'd put the 3.3V LipoFe and the output coils on top of the list. Without pulsetransformer - if you go SPDIF coax - you won't be happy either.
IMO that'll be the minmium to start with.
I'v been also thinking about going the active multichannel route.
What keeps me away from doing so are the facts that
1. I hardly manage to get 2 channels properly under control
2. not any DSP 2-channel solution has been better than no DSP (my main fullrange
speakers run without any crossover and my tweeters with a single cap)
I've been trying DSPing in DRC, resampling, crossover. The experienced DSP related losses were always bugging me more than the flaws they were supposed to solve.
3. I'm questioning if all the associated effort and cost is really worth it.
Good luck.
Cheers
If I'd rate my tweaks I'd put the 3.3V LipoFe and the output coils on top of the list. Without pulsetransformer - if you go SPDIF coax - you won't be happy either.
IMO that'll be the minmium to start with.
I'v been also thinking about going the active multichannel route.
What keeps me away from doing so are the facts that
1. I hardly manage to get 2 channels properly under control
2. not any DSP 2-channel solution has been better than no DSP (my main fullrange
speakers run without any crossover and my tweeters with a single cap)
I've been trying DSPing in DRC, resampling, crossover. The experienced DSP related losses were always bugging me more than the flaws they were supposed to solve.
3. I'm questioning if all the associated effort and cost is really worth it.
Good luck.
Cheers
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Active crossover Vs full range ?
Hi Soundcheck,
Thanks for the info, I think I will try out 2 boards and go from there.
I to have been questioning the benefits of "problem solving of DSP" Vs the purity of full range with no DSP and no crossover.
So far I have found that poor quality DSP ( low grade equipment or even good equipment poorly implemented) results in worse sound than good full range with no DSP.
My reference for the last 10 years has been the Manger driver, an incredible driver ( at an incredible price!) and it easily shows up any faults in the signal chain.
In the last year I have been getting great results with the 4.5 inch BMR driver in line arrays. The secret is NO crossover but add in high quality Eq ie Blue Cat, Fab Filter or other mastering grade studio plugin software.
With JRiver as the VST host and Jplay running the PC operating system it gives the best of both worlds ie The purity of full range WITH the benefits of Eq and no low grade "DSP bottleneck" .
Thanks again and all the best
Derek.
Hi Soundcheck,
Thanks for the info, I think I will try out 2 boards and go from there.
I to have been questioning the benefits of "problem solving of DSP" Vs the purity of full range with no DSP and no crossover.
So far I have found that poor quality DSP ( low grade equipment or even good equipment poorly implemented) results in worse sound than good full range with no DSP.
My reference for the last 10 years has been the Manger driver, an incredible driver ( at an incredible price!) and it easily shows up any faults in the signal chain.
In the last year I have been getting great results with the 4.5 inch BMR driver in line arrays. The secret is NO crossover but add in high quality Eq ie Blue Cat, Fab Filter or other mastering grade studio plugin software.
With JRiver as the VST host and Jplay running the PC operating system it gives the best of both worlds ie The purity of full range WITH the benefits of Eq and no low grade "DSP bottleneck" .
Thanks again and all the best
Derek.
Audio interface
Hiya,
At the moment running JRiver and Jplay as the music library & reply software. Hardware is a Sony Viao VPCF12MOE with an iCore 7 chip.
I also use Blue Cat and Fab Filter plugins ( hosted on JRiver) and have Reaper as a comparison.
I am building a new dedicated music / movies media PC around an Asus Mother board. Going to be interesting to be able to compare direct USB out from the Mother Board with Digital out from a good sound card...
Cheers
Derek.
Hiya,
At the moment running JRiver and Jplay as the music library & reply software. Hardware is a Sony Viao VPCF12MOE with an iCore 7 chip.
I also use Blue Cat and Fab Filter plugins ( hosted on JRiver) and have Reaper as a comparison.
I am building a new dedicated music / movies media PC around an Asus Mother board. Going to be interesting to be able to compare direct USB out from the Mother Board with Digital out from a good sound card...
Cheers
Derek.
I was actually asking what (multi-channel) audio interface (SPDIF) you're using!?
Cheers
Foucusrite Saffire Fire wire to SPDIF
Hiya,
Thats easy!
Fire wire out of the Sony into the Foucusrite Saffire ( battery powered) SPDIF out into my DEQX ( battery powered) into my power amps...yes battery powered!
Also I have to tell you another way, not very High End but really remarkably good sounding for the low cost and convienience...
No fancy power amps, no fancy DEQX, not even a crossover...Just feed the SPDIF straight into a home cinema amp, ( or low cost stereo intergrated amp or even power amp) even a mid range Yamaha (mine was approx £400 I think), I run it in "Pure Direct" mode for music.
This still allows me to use JRiver Eq for the full range line array BMR's...
Its so good and low cost no hassle two of my non audio mates have asked me to build them a pair...!
Cheers
D.
Hiya,
Thats easy!
Fire wire out of the Sony into the Foucusrite Saffire ( battery powered) SPDIF out into my DEQX ( battery powered) into my power amps...yes battery powered!
Also I have to tell you another way, not very High End but really remarkably good sounding for the low cost and convienience...
No fancy power amps, no fancy DEQX, not even a crossover...Just feed the SPDIF straight into a home cinema amp, ( or low cost stereo intergrated amp or even power amp) even a mid range Yamaha (mine was approx £400 I think), I run it in "Pure Direct" mode for music.
This still allows me to use JRiver Eq for the full range line array BMR's...
Its so good and low cost no hassle two of my non audio mates have asked me to build them a pair...!
Cheers
D.
As far as I can see all your solutions won't provide multiple SPDIF/Toslink outputs. That's what would be needed if you run multiple DDXs.
The only multichannel (2 in /4 out) SPDIF interface I'm aware of is provided by MiniDSP.
But with that one you're tight to their DSP. Beside that I'm not sure if MiniDSP stuff would meet my overal (SQ) quality expectations.
RME as well as Lynx come with multichannel AES cards. Unfortunately the DDX320 has no AES interface. Those cards are quite expensive and would
require an additional AES-SPDIF converter !?!?.
I got stuck at this point.
Unfortunately there's no movement in the multichannel market ( Dig-IN/Dig-out) for quite some years.
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I tried several different HQ pulsetransfomers on SPDIF. They all sounded seriously different.
I'm not really tempted to put another disturbing element into the link.
Beside that I got away from SPDIF and switched to Toslink.
Come on. This is not the kindergarden.
I guess it's pretty clear what I'm talking about.
If people talk SPDIF people usually talk about coax
Sorry, if I've been confusing you. Hopefully, you feel better now. Enjoy your day.
Wow that exchange went sour.
What are you currently using Kjeldsen, miniDSP or have you gone DDX and if so any comments on the sound quality? Just read the STA320 datasheet in search of any frequency responses for the different EQ filters, no luck, has anyone measured the differences. Intend to run a dipole setup with this so hoping the ones of a bass-boost variety come in handy.
Soundcheck,
Any news on the direct i2s connection? Was hoping to run this from the Amanero USB -> i2s module. Hope you will update your blog soon with additional DDX findings and perhaps a few pictures. A very nice read!
What are you currently using Kjeldsen, miniDSP or have you gone DDX and if so any comments on the sound quality? Just read the STA320 datasheet in search of any frequency responses for the different EQ filters, no luck, has anyone measured the differences. Intend to run a dipole setup with this so hoping the ones of a bass-boost variety come in handy.
Soundcheck,
Any news on the direct i2s connection? Was hoping to run this from the Amanero USB -> i2s module. Hope you will update your blog soon with additional DDX findings and perhaps a few pictures. A very nice read!
I was just trying to help. One can easily go from AES to spdif (same sound protocol - AES has some other protocols, but going from AES to spdif ia a 1:1 relation - impedance match can be easily done). There is no conversion going on, so unless something is constucted badly, there will be absolutely no difference
Still using MiniDSP and their MiniAmp. I'm slowly progressing with my OB. I'm not using DDX, but either Connex 8950th modules or a 6 channel TA2022 tripath module.
Absolute No Difference = Absolute Nonsene.
The bits will have the same logical value, but that's about it.
Anything you change on the link, will make a physical difference.
It'll depend on the receiving unit, what impact that physical
difference will have on the experienced SQ.
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