Can a subwoofer be classed as high fidelity?
When I listen to music, the bass can be anywhere within the soundstage depending on the recording, not just flapping around in the center.
I guess you first have to define "high fidelity"?
Leads to a lot of opinions.I do not remember anyone ever defining what was a hi-fidelity speaker is, due to the fact that speakers have a lot of THD compared to say an amplifier. In the order of percents not fraction of a percent. Only the very high end speaker mfg's like SEAS, will even provide THD curves for speakers.
BTW bass is not directional, that is why you only need one sub, since it is a sum of L & R channels, so how can it be directional if it summed? As you get further away from the source(sub) it becomes less directional, not so for the high end.
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Sitting in front of a pair of big boxes and listening to the duelling Timpanies on The Rites of Spring over a wide sound stage is just wonderful.
High Fidelity means true to the original, subs are not.
I would love to go to a Beatles concert, do you happen to know of a Time Machine?
Every system has its compromises, my major compromise is lack of space. There is no room for big boxes. The lab, my studio, and listening room all fits into 10 X 11 feet.
Whether the sub is HiFi or not doesn't matter. It fills in the missing octave from 35 to70 Hz. The volume of the sub is set just so you hear it, but it doesn't rattle the place. You are only going to get so much out of a $79 subwoofer. The way it is set up the bass seems to come from the main speakers even though the sub is off to the far left but it is aimed at the wall behind the main speakers.
I never saw the Beatles but I did catch Jimi Hendrix and I was at the infamous Doors concert where Jim Morrison allegedly masturbated on stage. I can still remember Jimi setting his guitar on fire and then playing it, but I don't remember much from the Doors concert.
Yeeah, I'd probably block that one out too... only so much lizard king one can handle.
With the loads of screaming teen age girls too, in a heart beat. All I can say is that I saw Paul but I know it ain't the same at all.
Jimmy and his "Band of Gypsy's". I have a friend that saw Jimmy, he said it was unreal to see him in concert.
Good to here someone that has these experiences, even if you don't remember everything. I'd like to know why (not sure if you want to divulge such details)
you don't remember everything, those were the days. NiceEarliest concert I went too, was the Boston debut, who opened up for Robin Trower. That was loud and smokey, but what fun.
Our first LP was Iron Butterfly, remember that one.
OK, try to believe this.....Jimi Hendrix was the opening act for the Monkees, you know the original boy band kind of Monkees.....
My friend and I left after Jimi played. We had been in a band playing surf music, and we thought we were good. We both had a revelation that night....We would probably never be rock stars.
A few years later some friends had a top 40 single hit that received good airplay. They were totally screwed over by the record company who wanted the girl singer to be the next Janis Joplin and discarded the other 4 members of the band. The girl is no longer alive. I was then permanently cured of wanting to be a rock star.
The Hendrix show was in 1967 (I just Googled it) I was 15 years old, and it was about 45 years ago. I do remember quite a bit from that one. I had just purchased Are You Experienced and was amazed by it. We went to see him play because both of us played guitar and we couldn't figure out what he was doing. That's where I discovered the Echoplex. It enabled Jimi to play along with Jimi. I got one a few years later.
The Doors concert was in 1969. I went because my friends were going. I was a senior in high school and we might have engaged in the use of mind altering substances on the way there. I remember who drove, but not who (or how many) was in the back of the car. We had just seen Steppenwolf at the same venue. The venue was a large steel building on the shore of Biscayne Bay that used to house boats and seaplanes. The seats were removed making the entire place general admission and SRO for that show (unlike Steppenwolf). It was summer time in Miami and it was at least 100 degrees inside. The concert was late starting and Morrison was wasted, couldn't remember the words to his own songs, and only sang maybe 3 or 4 of them. He had taken off his shirt and kept asking the audience to get naked. He got into a shouting match with the Miami cops. The only "lascivious act" I saw him perform was simulated oral sex on the microphone......sounded nasty. We left sometime before it was over since there was no music....at least no good music. I remember walking about a mile down to "hippie park" and looking forever to find the car.
I was so disgusted that I gave away my Doors albums, and never regretted it. Morrison was arrested a few days later, found guilty, appealed, but died before the much delayed media circus was reconvened. A few years ago the governor granted a pardon for Morrison....probably a publicity stunt but nobody cared. It got about a 5 second mention on the local Miami TV news.
I lived within walking distance of the University of Miami and worked next door to the athletic office for 2 years. I went to see dozens of rock shows there Jefferson Airplane, Jethro Tull, Pacific Gas and Electric, Chicago Transit Authority, Pink Floyd......Some I remember, some are kinda fuzzy. If you remember the late 60's and early 70's.....you didn't participate in them.
My friend and I left after Jimi played. We had been in a band playing surf music, and we thought we were good. We both had a revelation that night....We would probably never be rock stars.
A few years later some friends had a top 40 single hit that received good airplay. They were totally screwed over by the record company who wanted the girl singer to be the next Janis Joplin and discarded the other 4 members of the band. The girl is no longer alive. I was then permanently cured of wanting to be a rock star.
The Hendrix show was in 1967 (I just Googled it) I was 15 years old, and it was about 45 years ago. I do remember quite a bit from that one. I had just purchased Are You Experienced and was amazed by it. We went to see him play because both of us played guitar and we couldn't figure out what he was doing. That's where I discovered the Echoplex. It enabled Jimi to play along with Jimi. I got one a few years later.
The Doors concert was in 1969. I went because my friends were going. I was a senior in high school and we might have engaged in the use of mind altering substances on the way there. I remember who drove, but not who (or how many) was in the back of the car. We had just seen Steppenwolf at the same venue. The venue was a large steel building on the shore of Biscayne Bay that used to house boats and seaplanes. The seats were removed making the entire place general admission and SRO for that show (unlike Steppenwolf). It was summer time in Miami and it was at least 100 degrees inside. The concert was late starting and Morrison was wasted, couldn't remember the words to his own songs, and only sang maybe 3 or 4 of them. He had taken off his shirt and kept asking the audience to get naked. He got into a shouting match with the Miami cops. The only "lascivious act" I saw him perform was simulated oral sex on the microphone......sounded nasty. We left sometime before it was over since there was no music....at least no good music. I remember walking about a mile down to "hippie park" and looking forever to find the car.
I was so disgusted that I gave away my Doors albums, and never regretted it. Morrison was arrested a few days later, found guilty, appealed, but died before the much delayed media circus was reconvened. A few years ago the governor granted a pardon for Morrison....probably a publicity stunt but nobody cared. It got about a 5 second mention on the local Miami TV news.
I lived within walking distance of the University of Miami and worked next door to the athletic office for 2 years. I went to see dozens of rock shows there Jefferson Airplane, Jethro Tull, Pacific Gas and Electric, Chicago Transit Authority, Pink Floyd......Some I remember, some are kinda fuzzy. If you remember the late 60's and early 70's.....you didn't participate in them.
Some foggy memories, for me too, but all good times.
I heard about Jimmy opening for the Monkey's, also that it did not last long for obvious reasons. How rediculous was that
Still have my "Are you experienced LP" worn out and all.
Nice stories and experiences.
Do you go to any concerts lately? Last one I saw was Roger Water in his Wall production and before that I saw Gilmore at Massey Hall on his Desert Island Tour. Last tour performance for Richard Wright. I was glad to give him a great ovation when he was announced, seem to be a very humble chap.
Thanks
Rick
Errr, enough of rocked-off cherries ... let's get back to the TPA3116!
Replaced the PS caps with Pan FC 2200uf/25V (tweet) and 2200uf/35 (woof) and swapped the surface mount coupling caps with Silmic2 4.7uf (tweet) and 10uf (woof)
If Silmic2 are good enough for Nelson, they're good enough for me!
I've tried a variety of voltages:
Wallwarts: 9V, 12V, 18V
SLA batts: 6.5V(!), 13V, 18V, 25V
Laptop supplies 12V, 16V, 19V
Having lots of fun with my miniDSP and the digi amps. The 3116 board is great because both gain setting resistors are available (not like the Sure 3110 with only one) and you can just remove the 100k (R1) to decrease the gain from 26 to 20 dB (and increase the input impedance from 15k to 60 k)
Davids and Goliath!
I removed the 100k R1 on the tweet amp to reduce it to 20dB and left the woof amp at 26dB to take some of the gain compensation away from the DSP.
Just a bit of hiss with my ear to the PSD2002 on Wayne's 3Pi's (with horn >100dB!), but ... nothing at the listening chair! Nice!
... let's get back to the TPA3116!Replaced the PS caps with Pan FC 2200uf/25V (tweet) and 2200uf/35 (woof) and swapped the surface mount coupling caps with Silmic2 4.7uf (tweet) and 10uf (woof)
If Silmic2 are good enough for Nelson, they're good enough for me!
I've tried a variety of voltages:
Wallwarts: 9V, 12V, 18V
SLA batts: 6.5V(!), 13V, 18V, 25V
Laptop supplies 12V, 16V, 19V
Having lots of fun with my miniDSP and the digi amps. The 3116 board is great because both gain setting resistors are available (not like the Sure 3110 with only one) and you can just remove the 100k (R1) to decrease the gain from 26 to 20 dB (and increase the input impedance from 15k to 60 k)
Davids and Goliath!
I removed the 100k R1 on the tweet amp to reduce it to 20dB and left the woof amp at 26dB to take some of the gain compensation away from the DSP.
Just a bit of hiss with my ear to the PSD2002 on Wayne's 3Pi's (with horn >100dB!), but ... nothing at the listening chair! Nice!
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I have seen the Moody Blues about 20 times since 1971. I went to an event held at a state park down in the keys some time in 1969 or 70. Some hallucinogens were ingested and someone put On The Threshold Of A Dream on the record player and it just became permanently etched into non volatile memory. Ditto In Search of the Lost Chord.
I haven't been to many concerts lately with a few exceptions. I generally go see Trans-Siberian Orchestra when they come to town, but I will miss them this year. My wife often gets free tickets to the shows at the Seminole Hard Rock Live venue if they don't sell out. I will go if it is an old rock band I liked. Maybe 2 years ago I saw Yes with Rick Wakeman's son on keyboards, also Styx, the Outlaws, REO Speedwagon and others. I used to like Metallica, and have seen them 5 times, Pink Floyd about 5 times.
Lately I find it's just easier to watch the live streams of the major festivals on You Tube. I have a computer and stereo attached to each TV. You can find several vintage shows on You Tube as well.
I haven't been to many concerts lately with a few exceptions. I generally go see Trans-Siberian Orchestra when they come to town, but I will miss them this year. My wife often gets free tickets to the shows at the Seminole Hard Rock Live venue if they don't sell out. I will go if it is an old rock band I liked. Maybe 2 years ago I saw Yes with Rick Wakeman's son on keyboards, also Styx, the Outlaws, REO Speedwagon and others. I used to like Metallica, and have seen them 5 times, Pink Floyd about 5 times.
Lately I find it's just easier to watch the live streams of the major festivals on You Tube. I have a computer and stereo attached to each TV. You can find several vintage shows on You Tube as well.
The good old days, eh?
I can remember seeing the Moody Blues in a small Hotel ballroom south of London just as they had released 'Go Now'.
The Bromley Court Hotel got some great up and coming bands back then. The Animals and a pimply faced 17 year old Steve Winwood in the Spencer Davies group were memorable.
No bloody Lip Syncing or Autotune back then!
Getting back to amplifiers, I really urge you guys to try a $6 tda 7297, wonderful.
I can remember seeing the Moody Blues in a small Hotel ballroom south of London just as they had released 'Go Now'.
The Bromley Court Hotel got some great up and coming bands back then. The Animals and a pimply faced 17 year old Steve Winwood in the Spencer Davies group were memorable.
No bloody Lip Syncing or Autotune back then!
Getting back to amplifiers, I really urge you guys to try a $6 tda 7297, wonderful.
it's hard to measure the actual thd because the tpa3116 output is bridged. and since i don't have access to an isolated scope here's the rough and dirty measurement to the positive output, grounded to the board ground.
soundcard loopback:
powered by a cheap 0.7A 12v smps:
can't expect much. it is a cheap 12v adapter that comes with my wireless router.
board is a stock yuanjing tpa3116. probably not enough current causing clipping during test.
soundcard loopback:
powered by a cheap 0.7A 12v smps:
can't expect much. it is a cheap 12v adapter that comes with my wireless router.
board is a stock yuanjing tpa3116. probably not enough current causing clipping during test.
moving on to my dual tracking bench power supply. the images are probably self explanatory.
stopped at 8.3vrms since it's nearly clipping the soundcard input. changing the voltage divider will cause different distortion figures compared to the rest of the measurement.
i'm using 10:1 divider for all the results above.
8.3vrms into 6.2 ohm bridged is about 22w and the PS shows a current draw of more than 2A.
if anybody have any clever suggestion how to properly measure the THD of the bridged channel i'm all ears. doing a summing opamp is indeed a way, but i need to match the resistor and i need to build the circuit. i'm not that hardworking.
or wait till my isolated scope arrives. sometime next year. maybe.
stopped at 8.3vrms since it's nearly clipping the soundcard input. changing the voltage divider will cause different distortion figures compared to the rest of the measurement.
i'm using 10:1 divider for all the results above.
8.3vrms into 6.2 ohm bridged is about 22w and the PS shows a current draw of more than 2A.
if anybody have any clever suggestion how to properly measure the THD of the bridged channel i'm all ears. doing a summing opamp is indeed a way, but i need to match the resistor and i need to build the circuit. i'm not that hardworking.
or wait till my isolated scope arrives. sometime next year. maybe.