BTW you are wrong with MiniDSP, there are so many people using this piece of equipment and almost everyone except you like it. Compared to the Behringer DCX2496, it is clearly superior. BTW I own both of them.
So use the nanoDIGI instead. It's digital in / digital out, so you can use the DAC(s) of your preference. Same xover and filtering capabilities as the miniDSP, with extra channels left over that could drive multiple subs with full EQ capability. No analog input, though, so if you play LP's you'd need to provide an ADC along with the phono stage.
Bill
Yes...I guess it is only suited to tin ears like me, and SL I suppose. Oh the burden carried by those with golden cochlea!
Not a bad idea. But I can't currently because my source is my DAC.
I know, curses, I want passive...
miniDSPs are fine. Especially if Linkwitz is using them. I admit I haven't seen a lot of measurements for their performance but many people are perfectly fine incorporating them in their projects. Even Stereophile said that the LXMini was one of the best speakers they heard at a recent show, and that is with the miniDSP.
The downside is that you need to invest in more amplification. For a pair of two way speakers that means you need either a 4 channel amp, 2 stereo amps or 4 mono amps. 4 ways get even more complicated.
I would like to take this opportunity to prostitute my own knockoff:
http://www.diyaudio.com/forums/showthread.php?t=265428
Inspired by Linkwitz's Pluto or LXmini, I dub mine the "Polluto". Other than being about a meter high and having a speaker, there the similarity ends. On the other hand, mine costs about $30 to make vs. $600, $3000, whatever
http://www.diyaudio.com/forums/showthread.php?t=265428
Inspired by Linkwitz's Pluto or LXmini, I dub mine the "Polluto". Other than being about a meter high and having a speaker, there the similarity ends. On the other hand, mine costs about $30 to make vs. $600, $3000, whatever
LX Mini with Crown XLS 1500's
I've built the LX Mini using the miniDSP and driven with a pair of Crown XLS 1500's. I can attest that the sound is spectacular. The XLS 1000 can used for the full range driver. I elected to use the 1500's due to the better signal to noise ratio. I was first hesitant about using these pro amps because the THD and IM is typically an order of magnitude higher than a good consumer amp. Compared with a pair of older Bryston 3B's, the sound of the Crowns are more open and more articulate. The Bryston amps have less glare and are less fatiguing especially at higher volume levels. The Crowns provide better dynamic range and offer better transient presentation. Both are neutral sounding amps that don't editorialize the sound.
I see no issues with the miniDSP degrading the sound quality. The mini DSP only has unbalanced inputs and outputs however. Fortunately my Benchmark DAC 2 HGC has provisions for both XLR and conventional outputs.
The newer Crown XLS series has better voltage sensitivity matching (choice of 1 V and 2V) then the older XLS. The older series has an input sensitivity of 1.4V whereas the mini DSP 's output voltage is 0.9 volts. So, in my case the output power is significantly reduced. But there is more than enough power to drive the LX mini's without clipping.
I'm interested in building a sub woofer using the Crown's pass through, level control and equalizer to cross over at 60HZ. The sub will be powered by another Crown XLS 1500. Another consideration is to step up to the 4X10 HD and upgrade to the LX Studio. Going this route will cost a little over 2K all in. If you shop carefully you can get new Crowns at a significant discount.
I've built the LX Mini using the miniDSP and driven with a pair of Crown XLS 1500's. I can attest that the sound is spectacular. The XLS 1000 can used for the full range driver. I elected to use the 1500's due to the better signal to noise ratio. I was first hesitant about using these pro amps because the THD and IM is typically an order of magnitude higher than a good consumer amp. Compared with a pair of older Bryston 3B's, the sound of the Crowns are more open and more articulate. The Bryston amps have less glare and are less fatiguing especially at higher volume levels. The Crowns provide better dynamic range and offer better transient presentation. Both are neutral sounding amps that don't editorialize the sound.
I see no issues with the miniDSP degrading the sound quality. The mini DSP only has unbalanced inputs and outputs however. Fortunately my Benchmark DAC 2 HGC has provisions for both XLR and conventional outputs.
The newer Crown XLS series has better voltage sensitivity matching (choice of 1 V and 2V) then the older XLS. The older series has an input sensitivity of 1.4V whereas the mini DSP 's output voltage is 0.9 volts. So, in my case the output power is significantly reduced. But there is more than enough power to drive the LX mini's without clipping.
I'm interested in building a sub woofer using the Crown's pass through, level control and equalizer to cross over at 60HZ. The sub will be powered by another Crown XLS 1500. Another consideration is to step up to the 4X10 HD and upgrade to the LX Studio. Going this route will cost a little over 2K all in. If you shop carefully you can get new Crowns at a significant discount.
- Status
- This old topic is closed. If you want to reopen this topic, contact a moderator using the "Report Post" button.