Violet DSP Evolution - an Open Baffle Project

[sqlkev]

Originally Posted by cuibono

I wonder if anyone will try building them - they were designed to be fairly high performance while fairly inexpensive...

the complexity of the PC based xo will probably prohibit many of us from building

once you start w/ the passive route...i think there'll be interest for sure


btw...i might be interested in your BAMTM set in the near future if you don't have a buyer for them. I built a set for my friend and he thoroughly enjoys it. Another friend of mine wants one too.

[cuibono]

Good point - I forget that not everyone wants to deal with computer headaches.

The EQ for the woofer section could be pretty easily done passive or analog, line level active - I just haven't bothered.

Are you in California sqlkev?

[cuibono]

Another couple of notes.

I forgot to add that the Neo3PDR drivers have a series capacitor to protect them from undue abuse (I've already killed a pair). I currently am using a 22uF 35V Panasonic FC electolytic - sometime I'll try a film cap, but I'm not expecting much return on the $40.

Originally Posted by human.bin

there should be ways of routing the input to several dsp...

Oh, I forgot, I already have a way to route stuff through the computer - I set it up a while ago, and haven't been using it much lately - it involves 'Jack', and audio routing/patching program. It actually works okay, I just dislike it because it was finicky to originally setup, and whenever I want to use it, it still requires a bunch of setup - starting various programs, and then linking them together. I don't know what it does with the sample rates, it leaves a tiny space between songs, . Its just not my favorite, but it works.

[tinitus]

Originally Posted by cuibono

I currently am using a 22uF 35V Panasonic FC electolytic -

sometime I'll try a film cap, but I'm not expecting much return on the $40.

Please dont wait too long

btw, I would still like a seperate discussion on your bass section

[cuibono]

I'm a little surprised no one has asked "Hows it sound?", but I guess that is a good thing. My evaluation probably isn't worth too much, full of bias, we all know. But I'll throw a few tidbits out there - I'm currently doing production ceramics, so I have the speakers set up where I work, and listen to them about 6 hours a day.

I tend to get caught up in technical stuff - hows the bass extension? Is it even? Can I hear a, b or c?... But after just listening for a couple of days, I stopped thinking about that stuff - and today I found myself thinking how beautiful everything sounded. Every recording sounds different, and some of course have issues - but even recordings that I didn't like in the past don't sound offensive anymore - they just have a certain 'character'. They are all involving, very open and clear sounding, and all very enjoyable to listen to. They also are all convincingly realistic, even poor/amateur recordings.

I think that is about all I'd describe them as - very enjoyable to listen to.

I was trying to push the volume today - and I couldn't push it enough! Particularly, I was listening to Vivaldi's Four Seasons, a piece I like a lot. I maxed out my computer before I maxed out the speakers or amps - the signals going through were on the verge of clipping, and represented 15-20dB louder than I would usually listen at. I haven't measured SPL yet (which is difficult to do meaningfully), but I can say the music was at what I would guess are live levels. It was pretty loud. I would expect, if someone were there with me, they would have to shout from a few feet away. And how did it sound? AWESOME!! Loud is GOOD! There was no hints of stress, congestion, or loss of coherency - if anything, things were easier to follow, more well defined, more powerful, and way more enjoyable to listen to. I really want to keep turning it up! I'll have to see what I can do... I think my ears were ringing a little afterward. My heart and foot were definitely beating!

Anyway, I enjoyed it.

I've been thinking a little more about the analog active version - the cost in part is going to be in the $350-$425 range (about the same as the Orion and Pluto ASP boards). It is pretty easy to put together a good, small computer for that price. I'm not sure going with the ASP is worth it - for the same money, one can have a much more flexible platform. Similarly, a computer would allow one to do phase linearization, which is something I'll look into before too long. I think the only reason to avoid the computer (which could be a headless unit), would be to be an analog purist about things (digital is bad!). I guess computers add a degree of instability, but my turntable isn't even close to working these days. I guess there isn't a lot to be gained in going analog. (Similarly, analog active boards with lots of opamps can have high noise floors.) Pick your poison, I guess.

[cuibono]

Originally Posted by tinitus

Please dont wait too long

btw, I would still like a seperate discussion on your bass section

Anyone want to loan me a pair?

Tinitus, feel free to ask any questions...

[CLS]

Originally Posted by cuibono

....

AWESOME!! Loud is GOOD! There was no hints of stress, congestion, or loss of coherency - if anything, things were easier to follow, more well defined, more powerful, and way more enjoyable to listen to. I really want to keep turning it up!
...

Congratulations

It's a perfect evidence that you've done a great job in putting them all together.

------------

I've been enjoying loud music myself, too, but in these years I found myself trapped in a miserable situation. I always worry about disturbing the neighbors. Such conflict makes it a 'forbidden' pleasure Just like driving.

I drive fast, with all caution and concentration I can have. But even so, I can't enjoy the speed because the worry of speeding tickets. Sigh~

[sqlkev]

Originally Posted by cuibono

Good point - I forget that not everyone wants to deal with computer headaches.

The EQ for the woofer section could be pretty easily done passive or analog, line level active - I just haven't bothered.

Are you in California sqlkev?

yes...i'm in southern california



hmmm...sound like you've got quite good extension and spl w/ those woofers
i built myself a set of LR's Thor dipole woofers but they weren't loud enough for my taste. Looks like I'll be trying out the woofers you're using soon.

[Rudolf]

Originally Posted by cuibono

Every recording sounds different, and some of course have issues - but even recordings that I didn't like in the past don't sound offensive anymore - they just have a certain 'character'.

cuibono,

what you are writing is very indicative to me that you must really have a very nice system. Your description reminds me of some of my own experiences of lately.

When I got into loudspeakers in earnest, it was all about differentiation: Extended treble with less distortion, contoured bass instead of boom boom and improved imaging, which separeted individual instruments/voices from one another. That was the time, when "bad" recordings became unlistenable. Annoying hiss, ping pong stereo, missing stage - all those things.

Not long ago things started to change:
More and more I got interested in integration or - better phrased - 'balance'. A certain degree of differentiation had become a matter of course in my system, but it did not all fall together harmoniously and with ease. This has improved. I very much ascribe it to my better understanding of room related matters like power response, directivity and early reflections. As of now I have achieved a much better integration of the musical performance in front of me. And - lo and behold - many of those 'bad' recordings have become listenable again. Of course they have not changed in quality, but they don't annoy any longer.

I'm wondering if this is some end of the journey or what will come next.
Thank you for giving us such a significant insight into the 'sound' of your system.

Rudolf

[StigErik]

Interesting what you say there Rudolf, and I have the same experience with my new dipoles: "bad" recordings are revealed as "bad" to an even greater extent, but they are much less annoying, and the music in the recording is let through much more than before.

A stereo system that needs good recordings to sound nice is not really a good system in my opinion.