Not sure if it's exactly what you or others are looking for but I've been using a Minidsp Flex HTx for the last 6 months as a crossover for a DSP 3 way, recently 4 with an extra, below 35hz sub....
I used to use their SHD for a 2 way a few years ago, in another system, and I got on well with that, when I wanted more channels this seemed a worth checking out. The (non essential) DIRAC does really tighten up things, annoyingly so as I'd rather do without that for the vinyl input, even though I can use the DSP on crown amps on anything under 100hz.
Crossover functionality is great and easy, it does preamp duties too. I bought it for prototyping with the aim of then building an active crossover but I wonder if that would make much difference in the end.
It'll do analogue input for vinyl connection and it might well do usb input from PC. I use a streamer > Dac in for digital as it doesn't stream.
I used to use their SHD for a 2 way a few years ago, in another system, and I got on well with that, when I wanted more channels this seemed a worth checking out. The (non essential) DIRAC does really tighten up things, annoyingly so as I'd rather do without that for the vinyl input, even though I can use the DSP on crown amps on anything under 100hz.
Crossover functionality is great and easy, it does preamp duties too. I bought it for prototyping with the aim of then building an active crossover but I wonder if that would make much difference in the end.
It'll do analogue input for vinyl connection and it might well do usb input from PC. I use a streamer > Dac in for digital as it doesn't stream.
Hardware dsp solutions do not have the cpu power as a cheap PC. But hardware is just more or less bullet proof. I use a cheap dsp crossover from Thomann and a fir roomcorrection unit from IK multimedia arc hardware standalone version. Its cheap silent and just works
To be truly honest... using DSP for speakers just means going digital for everything.
What's the point of having a nice analog turntable and a P3 and a nice preamp if we're gonna digitize the whole thing? Might as well get an NCore and be done with it.
I love the idea of this thread... a wideband two way makes a lot of sense.... take a wideband driver, take it directly to the amp with no crossover... then have a woofer that uses a simple low pass filter.
That's two of the configurations that I have at home, and although it won't play the loudest and it sort of gets shouty if I turn it up too loud, at reasonable levels it's very satisfying.
What's the point of having a nice analog turntable and a P3 and a nice preamp if we're gonna digitize the whole thing? Might as well get an NCore and be done with it.
I love the idea of this thread... a wideband two way makes a lot of sense.... take a wideband driver, take it directly to the amp with no crossover... then have a woofer that uses a simple low pass filter.
That's two of the configurations that I have at home, and although it won't play the loudest and it sort of gets shouty if I turn it up too loud, at reasonable levels it's very satisfying.
A useful A/D converter will have it's noise and artefacts WAY below the noise and THD and flutter and ... of a turntable.
Try to digitise your Vinyl and play it back and compare ... people are surprised when doing that and experiencing it ;-)
Nevertheless when someone WANTS to stay analog it's totally fine, why not? We have all those possibilities.
Try to digitise your Vinyl and play it back and compare ... people are surprised when doing that and experiencing it ;-)
Nevertheless when someone WANTS to stay analog it's totally fine, why not? We have all those possibilities.
The recording that is transferred to vinyl is most likely digital anyway. I still love vinyl, but I also love DSP
The thought to digitise the vinyl, play it back and compare is a tempting one to try.
I suppose I think, that if DACs' have their own sound, when they play that digitised version back (or the vinyl chain that goes through the ADC) it will then take on that DAC flavour, but then is that bad?
I'd love to find someone who has say a Pass Labs XVR1 (which I guess would be a good, easy to adjust to the same crossover, benchmark), switch in and out my MiniDSP to a system over a good period of time and get a feel for whether the analogue XVR1 and it's style appeals more than the MiniDSP with its room correction. Buying a 3/4 channel XVR1 just to try is a big ask though, I can't imagine there's a resale market here in the UAE.
I suppose I think, that if DACs' have their own sound, when they play that digitised version back (or the vinyl chain that goes through the ADC) it will then take on that DAC flavour, but then is that bad?
I'd love to find someone who has say a Pass Labs XVR1 (which I guess would be a good, easy to adjust to the same crossover, benchmark), switch in and out my MiniDSP to a system over a good period of time and get a feel for whether the analogue XVR1 and it's style appeals more than the MiniDSP with its room correction. Buying a 3/4 channel XVR1 just to try is a big ask though, I can't imagine there's a resale market here in the UAE.
I've used an M-Audio Firewire 410 and later (currently) an RME ADI-2 Pro FS R Black
At 24/96 the recorded sound is extremely close to the turntable... almost indistinguisable..
However, I have such great recordings that sound like a pre Lingo, Ittok, Valhalla, Sonata turntable with a CJ PV9 non teflon. Heck, I have recordings that truly reflect the history of my turntable since around Y2K until sometime into the Lingo-Master-Teflon'd PV9 era.
Unfortunately, my set up today is a Lingo, Trampolin 2, Master 2, Ekos 2, Keel with a P3 with Burson V7 Vivids... and right now the table is in the car for a trip to the specialist to get an Ortofon Cadenza Black.
Oh, and one of these days I'll get the ultrasonic cleaner to replace the VPI Hoover.
So, after I had reached the point that I had AD/DACs that did a great job, I realized I wasn't about to re-re-record everything whenever I upgraded anything in the analog front end.
Back to a Shibata and MC... after years of moving magnets and elliptical.
So, why would I want to digitize my speakers again?
Why would I want to hear what my records sounded on my setup 10, 20 years ago?
At 24/96 the recorded sound is extremely close to the turntable... almost indistinguisable..
However, I have such great recordings that sound like a pre Lingo, Ittok, Valhalla, Sonata turntable with a CJ PV9 non teflon. Heck, I have recordings that truly reflect the history of my turntable since around Y2K until sometime into the Lingo-Master-Teflon'd PV9 era.
Unfortunately, my set up today is a Lingo, Trampolin 2, Master 2, Ekos 2, Keel with a P3 with Burson V7 Vivids... and right now the table is in the car for a trip to the specialist to get an Ortofon Cadenza Black.
Oh, and one of these days I'll get the ultrasonic cleaner to replace the VPI Hoover.
So, after I had reached the point that I had AD/DACs that did a great job, I realized I wasn't about to re-re-record everything whenever I upgraded anything in the analog front end.
Back to a Shibata and MC... after years of moving magnets and elliptical.
So, why would I want to digitize my speakers again?
Why would I want to hear what my records sounded on my setup 10, 20 years ago?
Now I really hate you....
https://auralhifi.com/products/pass-labs-xvr1-vintage-active-crossover-2-way
Well, not really, but you just threw in a spanner to my future audio plans...
Not to rain on anyone's parade, but... in my experience, the miniDSP AD/DA chain isn't really transparent, and doesn't meet my standards for a truly high-end system.
I say this from experience.
When I compared a miniDSP HD to a modest (but decent) DBX analogue crossover IN MY SYSTEM, with both units set to the same 4th order L-R @500Hz, it was pretty clear to me that the sound coming through the miniDSP lost something important... for lack of a better way to put it, it became more "boring" and "flat" (despite measuring the same, in terms of frequency response, at least with the measuring rig that I have).
I say this from experience.
When I compared a miniDSP HD to a modest (but decent) DBX analogue crossover IN MY SYSTEM, with both units set to the same 4th order L-R @500Hz, it was pretty clear to me that the sound coming through the miniDSP lost something important... for lack of a better way to put it, it became more "boring" and "flat" (despite measuring the same, in terms of frequency response, at least with the measuring rig that I have).
