I have some 3 way towers that I would like to convert to 3.5 way actives. Any recommendations for DSP to use? My receiver's pre-outs and my amplifier inputs are un-balanced RCA jacks. I don't have a computer connected to my system and I don't want to add one. This is for home use in my living room. Here is what I'm considering.
freeDSP Aurora - I like it the best, but I have to pay for shipping from EU, I will need to add a lot of parts and time to make it work. The analogue inputs and outputs are balanced so I might need to add buffers to make it work with my un-balanced equipment.
MiniDSP 8x8 HD - Has everything I need but there is no way to access the DSP directly with Sigma Studio. This might not be necessary, also I see some posts saying miniDSP products have low quality ADC and DACs, not sure how much this matters in the real world.
2X miniDSP 2x4 HD - A little cheaper than the 8x8 HD, but managing two devices might make paying for the more expensive miniDSP a better solution. Same pros and cons as the 8x8 HD.
Something else?
freeDSP Aurora - I like it the best, but I have to pay for shipping from EU, I will need to add a lot of parts and time to make it work. The analogue inputs and outputs are balanced so I might need to add buffers to make it work with my un-balanced equipment.
MiniDSP 8x8 HD - Has everything I need but there is no way to access the DSP directly with Sigma Studio. This might not be necessary, also I see some posts saying miniDSP products have low quality ADC and DACs, not sure how much this matters in the real world.
2X miniDSP 2x4 HD - A little cheaper than the 8x8 HD, but managing two devices might make paying for the more expensive miniDSP a better solution. Same pros and cons as the 8x8 HD.
Something else?
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A PC.
EqualizerAPO or Roon have more capabilities than any hardware solution. IIR - no problem. Many biquads - no problem. 100Ktaps FIR filters - no problem. 64bit processing - no problem.
EqualizerAPO or Roon have more capabilities than any hardware solution. IIR - no problem. Many biquads - no problem. 100Ktaps FIR filters - no problem. 64bit processing - no problem.
PC seems like the way to go if you don't want/need your hifi to act like a piece of consumer electronic equipment. I use a miniDSP 4x10 for my 4-way actives. It acts like a preamp. You turn it on and it has a volume control knob. If you want to change the input source you push one button on the remote. I need this level of simplicity as I am not the only one that uses the hifi.
As to the quality of the data converters - The DACs seem fine to me. The ADCs may not be state of the art, but I only use them for vinyl playback (with an external phono preamp) and I'm sure there are enough deficiencies in the playback chain (cartridge, preamp, not to mention the records themselves) that the ADCs are the least of my problems.
As to the quality of the data converters - The DACs seem fine to me. The ADCs may not be state of the art, but I only use them for vinyl playback (with an external phono preamp) and I'm sure there are enough deficiencies in the playback chain (cartridge, preamp, not to mention the records themselves) that the ADCs are the least of my problems.
Benefits of a hardware solution are they just work. Turn it on, listen, turn it off.
Problems with a PC, well it's a PC... MiniDSP stuff is easy to use having used some before, but the standard 2x4 box has a bit of noise on the output.
Problems with a PC, well it's a PC... MiniDSP stuff is easy to use having used some before, but the standard 2x4 box has a bit of noise on the output.
As being LAKE user i would go LAKE LM26 or Linea Research ASC48.
But next thing for me is passivate my active speakers.
If you are home user, mind the amp gain, any hiss going on signal path and fan cooled amps.
But next thing for me is passivate my active speakers.
If you are home user, mind the amp gain, any hiss going on signal path and fan cooled amps.
Just edited my original post again, this is for home use, so noisy fans. Also, I need 2 inputs and 4 outputs. The DSP you recommended are little expensive for my. I'm looking in the $500.00 USD range.
See my signature worked, and was relevant to a thread for once...
Have you look at the Behringer DCX2496 (or two of them)? Might be in your budget, more of a plug and play setup.
Have you look at the Behringer DCX2496 (or two of them)? Might be in your budget, more of a plug and play setup.
QSC BASIS 922DZ, digital input, cheap 2nd hand, much more powerful than DCX2496. You can use a balanced output on SE equipment by just using + and gnd and ignoring the - output. With the QSC the outputs are on the dataport connections and you can make adapters to XLR/phono using VGA cables.
The QSC is interesting, is the CobraNet the only way to configure it? I downloaded Venue, looks like it works on my PC. Next step will be making some DataPort to RCA cables.
It has two network ports so the normal usage would be to use the control port although the manual says you can use the same port for Cobranet as control manual. I would send audio to it through AES/EBU because I have had issues getting Cobranet working reliably in the past (Audio Science PCI card to Symetrix Cobralink). My friend though is having no problems using the Cobranet on his to connect multiple QSC boxes together so it was probably just the particular combination of hardware I had. A cheap source of AES/EBU output hardware is firewire audio interfaces if your operating system can still support them.
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I just bought one on Ebay for $128.00 USD. I don't plan on using digital in at all, I'm going use the unbalanced pre-outs from my NAD and unbalanced outputs to a SpeakerCraft 8 channel amplifier. My total investment is $228.00 plus all the cables I will have to make. I will only use the network to configure it. Hope it all works.
Daum thats cheap, cheaper than my car processor which was 120€ used. How many volts comes out from nad?
Well you just made me panic.
I checked and I did get the AZ, I wasn't aware there are two types.😀
ah cool, no need for the clean box though the preamps on the basis analog inputs have adjustable gain:
Vrms: 1.5, 3, 9, 18 dBU: 5.7, 11.8, 21.3, 27.3 dBV: 3.5, 9.5, 19.1, 25.1
so just put it on 1.5Vrms. I think there might also be hardware output attenuators so you can optimize SNR and avoid giving your consumer level gear 22dBu (it won't like that).
I run Symetrix DSPs (8x8 and Digio) on my main system and have a QSC Basis DZ arriving soon as a backup/to use as a part of a digital snake so very keen on old pro gear.
Vrms: 1.5, 3, 9, 18 dBU: 5.7, 11.8, 21.3, 27.3 dBV: 3.5, 9.5, 19.1, 25.1
so just put it on 1.5Vrms. I think there might also be hardware output attenuators so you can optimize SNR and avoid giving your consumer level gear 22dBu (it won't like that).
I run Symetrix DSPs (8x8 and Digio) on my main system and have a QSC Basis DZ arriving soon as a backup/to use as a part of a digital snake so very keen on old pro gear.