• These commercial threads are for private transactions. diyAudio.com provides these forums for the convenience of our members, but makes no warranty nor assumes any responsibility. We do not vet any members, use of this facility is at your own risk. Customers can post any issues in those threads as long as it is done in a civil manner. All diyAudio rules about conduct apply and will be enforced.

Hi-end DSP based multi-channel integrated Preamp/Crossover/DAC project

Last edited:
Maybe you could incorporate something like the Audinate Broadway chip for Dante network audio I/O. They are very helpful.
I know I would be keen on that feature because I use a lot of Dante as do a lot of studios.
One other thing I was thinking, it would be really nice if you had a ‘remote volume control’ input (three pins gnd, 5v and wiper) that could be fed to a remote pot as a volume control. For example a simple box for sitting in the listening position on a mixing console or on a desk where you wouldn’t have room for the entire unit.
Those three connections would then allow you to have volume, dim and mute. Very useful.
Just my thoughts form a different industry sector.

I have looked at the network solutions but decided to go down another route.

You could probably emulate the remote control to adjust the volume and change other things without having to connect to the preamp.

cheers
david
 
I have just come back from an overseas trip. Here’s a summary of where I am at with this at the moment.

I’ve almost completed all of the R&D I need to do on these projects. We’re planning on releasing two new products which will be completely fully assembled and tested systems. Both will be aimed at building high-end active speakers with the best electronics available. They also double as high-end stereo components as well so people can start off with a stereo system and later build it up to a multi-channel active system without having to purchase more equipment in the future.

The Ultimate-Preamplifier will be replaced with the Ultimate-Preamp Plus (UP+) and is a continuation of the work I have already done and a culmination of the last two years of feedback from users of the Ultimate-Preamplifier and embodies a lot of ideas of what people have requested via email, facebook and this forum. Details and forward announcements of the new preamp will not be posted anywhere except that I have already hinted that the new preamp will use a EssTech ES9038PRO Sabre DAC with significant enhancements from the standard reference design. Other details are not available for comment at the moment. The preamp will still need to be configured (crossover, filter design etc) for multi-channel processing and that’s why this product is still considered a DIY or OEM product and not a commercial retail product.

Also I won’t be selling individual boards for it. There is too much to go wrong in assembling this thing and I get too many people trying to haggle over pricing, particular those in the industry believe it or not ☹ Perhaps later I might do a cut down single board solution with everything mounted on the one board !

Also, people who follow me on facebook will be aware that I am working on a multi-channel power amp designed specifically for active speaker environments. However, it also doubles as a high-powered stereo amplifier just as the preamp doubles as a stand-alone high-end stereo DAC. This allows a future upgrade path for anyone who initially wants a high-end stereo Preamp/DAC/Power amp to drive their passive speakers but later want to migrate to a full-on multi-channel active speaker system. Like the preamplifier this amplifier will be fully customizable with configuration switches inside the amplifier rather than on the outside where people can fiddle with and potentially compromise an existing system. This will be a set and forget system designed for fully custom installations. There will be some other features of this amplifier not available on other amplifiers and aimed at interfacing to speakers 😉

The good news is the Ultimate-Preamplifier Plus will contain some industry firsts. Same with the amplifier 😉 The bad news is that Ultimate-Preamp Plus will be significantly more expensive than what I have been selling the Ultimate Preamplifier for where I was absorbing a lot of the costs just to prove the design. This is always the downside of any new product development cycle.

MultiChannel2.png


MultiChannel3.png
 
...The Ultimate-Preamplifier will be replaced with the Ultimate-Preamp Plus (UP+)...

...The bad news is that Ultimate-Preamp Plus will be significantly more expensive than what I have been selling the Ultimate Preamplifier for...

David,
Does this mean you will no longer sell the "regular" Ultimate Preamp? If you do, will it be the 9028 or 9038 version? I'm still waiting after 4 years for all the pieces to materialize.
 
Yes sorry for the wait but hopefully it will be worth it. ;)

Yes there will be two versions of the preamps. The Mk-2 version (UP2) will replace the existing design and the Plus version (UP+) will be an upgrade in DSP capability. The UP2 will be factory up-gradable to the UP+ version. Both preamps will use the ES9038PRO and have identical DAC circuitry and performance.

Regards
David
 
Yes sorry for the wait but hopefully it will be worth it. ;)

Yes there will be two versions of the preamps. The Mk-2 version (UP2) will replace the existing design and the Plus version (UP+) will be an upgrade in DSP capability. The UP2 will be factory up-gradable to the UP+ version. Both preamps will use the ES9038PRO and have identical DAC circuitry and performance.

Regards
David

Thanks David, that's great news about the Mk-2 version. I apologize for my comments about the wait, that came across much snarkier in print than it was in my head. :eek:
 
Ok I was hoping to have a surprise for Christmas Eve but a few technical issues got in the way and have now been sorted ;)

A truly fully scalable Hi-end DSP based Preamplifier designed to grow with your needs.

Our new upcoming Ultimate Preamplifier plus (UPP) has the option of a significant increase in DSP capability and as such can easily run this stereo 16384 tap FIR filter needed to correct group delay errors in this stereo 4-way 4th order Linkwitz-Riley crossover filter running at 192KHz sampling rate which is equivalent to 6.3 GMACS or 12.6 Gflops of DSP processing capability !

Quite often we get asked how many taps(multiply-accumulate) we are limited to when we implement FIR filters ? With the onboard SHARC DSP running at 800 MMACS this can be quite limited especially at high sampling rates and many channels to deal with. The UPP is a fully scalable so can be upgraded as technology improves. We believe this is a first for any hi-end digital preamplifier of this caliber with functionality that is not being offered by any other Preamplifier vendor !

The prototype setup below shows a prototype UPP (modified UP) running a phase corrected 4-way phase corrected 4th order Linkwitz-Riley crossover and the resources required to do this are well within the scope of the hardware as can be seen by the resource meters. The source material playing is from an external CD player connected via Toslink connection and the DSP capability is completely transparent to any source connected to the Preamp making it a truly standalone high-performance preamplifier.
 

Attachments

  • Xover-4way_with_Phase_Correction.png
    Xover-4way_with_Phase_Correction.png
    156.8 KB · Views: 348
  • P1040702.jpg
    P1040702.jpg
    520.5 KB · Views: 316