[Rick Craig]

If this could be done for what you are suggesting(cocentric with a woofer), ill assume that it could be done with any of your current speakers?
I would also assume that this could work with a tube preamp, right?

Really any design depending on how many drivers are involved. I think the best performance gains are with more complex designs such as monopole / dipole-open back hybrids, arrays, etc.
As long as there's good impedance matching tube or solid state preamps can work fine.

[Bwanagreg]

One idea I have is a hybrid passive/DSP with a KEF  Q100 concentric driver and a 7" or 8" woofer. Similar to the Soundfield design but with no extra amplification needed, more refined mids, and better driver integration.

+1

The concentric/sub driver format intrigues me. I'm looking for an upgrade for LCR speakers behind a projection screen in my home theater - 50/50 music and movies. I've been noodling over getting a set of Soundfields but I love the idea of an active DSP corrected system.

I bought a pair of Q100's as surrounds and tried them in my stereo rig to see what they could do. I found them to be quite nice as-is so I expect a good active DSP implementation would make them sing.

[aevans]

Really any design depending on how many drivers are involved. I think the best performance gains are with more complex designs such as monopole / dipole-open back hybrids, arrays, etc.
As long as there's good impedance matching tube or solid state preamps can work fine.

BG RD50 planar ribbons open back could be pretty cool, does the DSP on an open back dictate placement based on how they were measured, distance to back wall, sidewall, etc?

[ricardojoa]

Really any design depending on how many drivers are involved. I think the best performance gains are with more complex designs such as monopole / dipole-open back hybrids, arrays, etc.
As long as there's good impedance matching tube or solid state preamps can work fine.

Do you have other suggestions other then the KEF cocentric?

[totoro]

How about one of these

http://www.usspeaker.com/beyma%20tpl150h-1.htm

crossed over to a 12-15" pro woofer of commensurate quality?

That with a built in plate amp and crossover would be pretty awesome .

[Rick Craig]

I think if you can provide a number of DSP settings which allow seemless integration with or without an external subwoofer for full range sound or use as stand alone monitor then this can be attractive.  Maybe a DSP/amp module with a subwoofer output to drive the amp of the external subwoofer allowing the subwoofer to integrate seamlessly with the bookshelf.

One of the toughest thing I found over time is to achieve seamless full range sound with sub/bookshelf combo.  Since I don't have any test equipment, I have to use my ear to blend the two together and it has not been that great. 

I have entertained the idea of using an external an active crossover but decided not to because of all the complication in wiring plus extra amplification.  The DSP/amp module idea/proposal would simplify this significantly.

I think integration tends to be more of a problem when trying to mix and match. If everything is planned upfront then I've found there to be very few problems.

[Rick Craig]

Any thoughts on the BG RD50 or BG RD75 big planar ribbons with DSP, and a passive xover to a peerless xxls sub.. From what I understand the BG ribbons can sound very good with driver correction, and having the dispersion pattern of a long ribbon at such a low price point is very enticing.

I'm thinking 20-22" tall enclosure for the sub, with the 50 inch ribbon on top of that, putting the center of the ribbon at ear height when sitting and still tall enough so that when you stand there is no tonal difference.

I don't have any experience with these drivers, have you had any run-ins with them over the years, what is your impression?

The large planars do have some nice attributes but still tend to beam vertically regardless of length. They also cannot move much air in the lower frequencies so the woofer really needs to have good bandwidth for a higher crossover point.

[Rick Craig]

BG RD50 planar ribbons open back could be pretty cool, does the DSP on an open back dictate placement based on how they were measured, distance to back wall, sidewall, etc?
[/quote

With a dipole the room in effect becomes the "box" so the DSP is used to adjust for placement. The important part is knowing what to look for in the measurements.

[Stuart]

How about one of these

http://www.usspeaker.com/beyma%20tpl150h-1.htm

crossed over to a 12-15" pro woofer of commensurate quality?

That with a built in plate amp and crossover would be pretty awesome .

This is one fantastic tweeter and can be crossed over quite low at 1.2k, if you use the TLP150H you can go as low as 1k with the right slope and a bit of work. Very few can beat this baby for truly lifelike and dynamic sound! do your self a favour and try them

[aevans]

What do you think of these mini dsp boards? Looks like they use parametric EQ for everything instead of impulse response FIR filters, but I can't quite confirm that.. I ordered one to play with as they are pretty dang cheap, and look like it will be a fun toy if nothing else.

http://www.minidsp.com/

I might try to make an active crossover for my old NHT super ones I have laying around.. those speakers are in dire need of a descent crossover, it's almost embarrassing to listen to them in there current form.

[Rick Craig]

What do you think of these mini dsp boards? Looks like they use parametric EQ for everything instead of impulse response FIR filters, but I can't quite confirm that.. I ordered one to play with as they are pretty dang cheap, and look like it will be a fun toy if nothing else.

http://www.minidsp.com/

I might try to make an active crossover for my old NHT super ones I have laying around.. those speakers are in dire need of a descent crossover, it's almost embarrassing to listen to them in there current form.

I know there are a few guys experimenting with the mini dsp that seem to like it. There was some discussion about the output being low and the lack of software support.

[wagnju]

maybe an alternative to minidsp ???

http://www.groundsound.com/dcn24.php

http://www.groundsound.com/items.php

btw . 3095DKK = 542USD

I heard one of their projects at the Highend in Munich 2011 and it sounded impressive to me .

[aevans]

Well, it's got lots of opamps on there for sure.

[studiotech]

Rick, I believe the current Hypex plate amps are all 48KHz if that makes a difference for you or not...

I just talked with Bruno(designer of Hypex) the other week asking about a custom 3 way solution and he said that they had a newer, much better DSP board coming out within weeks.  It would require you to make your own set-up, using their PSU, amp modules and the new DSP, but if might be worth it. 

I use the Digmpoda 3 way 552 on my open baffles and also for a studio monitor.  We've also tried the smallest of the 4 way Powersoft solutions and found its sound quality lacking quite a bit compared to the Digmoda.  Powersoft just sent us the up rated version with more powerful modules and bigger PSU, so we'll test that one out too and report back.  Unfortunately it seems to have the same 48KHZ DSP as the less powerful version, so it might be a good test ti know if the DSP or the modules make more of a difference.  I'm better on the convertors and DSP myself to be the week link. It's a shame, because their amps are very compact and look very nice and professional.  They even have a 4 position preset switch available to use on the back, so one could conceivably have a choice of tonality adjustable for the user without expecting them to use the software.   If you want any more detailed info, feel free to PM me or email me:

speakerguy at hotmail.com

Greg


http://www.digmoda.com/

http://www.powersoft-audio.com/en/products/amp-modules/digimodis.html

[jtwrace]

I just talked with Bruno(designer of Hypex) the other week asking about a custom 3 way solution and he said that they had a newer, much better DSP board coming out within weeks.  It would require you to make your own set-up, using their PSU, amp modules and the new DSP, but if might be worth it. 

http://www.audiocircle.com/index.php?topic=109416.0

[Rick Craig]

Rick, I believe the current Hypex plate amps are all 48KHz if that makes a difference for you or not...

I just talked with Bruno(designer of Hypex) the other week asking about a custom 3 way solution and he said that they had a newer, much better DSP board coming out within weeks.  It would require you to make your own set-up, using their PSU, amp modules and the new DSP, but if might be worth it. 

I use the Digmpoda 3 way 552 on my open baffles and also for a studio monitor.  We've also tried the smallest of the 4 way Powersoft solutions and found its sound quality lacking quite a bit compared to the Digmoda.  Powersoft just sent us the up rated version with more powerful modules and bigger PSU, so we'll test that one out too and report back.  Unfortunately it seems to have the same 48KHZ DSP as the less powerful version, so it might be a good test ti know if the DSP or the modules make more of a difference.  I'm better on the convertors and DSP myself to be the week link. It's a shame, because their amps are very compact and look very nice and professional.  They even have a 4 position preset switch available to use on the back, so one could conceivably have a choice of tonality adjustable for the user without expecting them to use the software.   If you want any more detailed info, feel free to PM me or email me:

speakerguy at hotmail.com

Greg


http://www.digmoda.com/

http://www.powersoft-audio.com/en/products/amp-modules/digimodis.html

Yes, I'm aware that Hypex has some new things going on and am looking forward to see what they come out with. I have used the Digmoda 3-way and subwoofer units with really good results. The smaller form factor of the Hypex is appealing though for a 2-way.

[studiotech]

Yes, I'm aware that Hypex has some new things going on and am looking forward to see what they come out with. I have used the Digmoda 3-way and subwoofer units with really good results. The smaller form factor of the Hypex is appealing though for a 2-way.

That's been our issue as well.  We have a small 3 way nearfield monitor and the Digmoda is just a little too big for the packaging we want.  That's why we steered towards the Powersoft stuff.  You can see that the Powersoft fits perfectly with our planned form factor.  If we do Digmoda, we will have to turn it sideways and it will fill the entire width of the back of the cab.   

Greg

[ricardojoa]

I have a few different ideas and think this is a great solution for truly high-end performance at a reasonable cost. As more audiophiles embrace the active / DSP approach we'll see true gains in performance. Much of "high-end" audio is going nowhere because of backward thinking.

Hi Rick,

just wanted to see how things are going with the DSP desing you have in mind. Reasonable price and high end sounds like good words that all of us like to hear.
Im seriously considering a new small three way monitor. Looking for a deep soundstage and a speaker with the abiltity to dissapear. My listening distance is around 8 feet so the dissapering act is harder to achieve. for reference, i have ascend sierra 1 and salk songtower. Both fantastic with their atrributes. The sierra1 are a little directional and draw too much attention the vocals. I didnt have that problem before and im noticing lately about this. Also, the highs with some recording has too much Ss sound. I think my ears are getting sensitive. The salk seems to dispers sound better, with more weight overall. The instrument sound more real to me.
I would like to step up and wanted something different. Deep sounsdtage and the abiltiy to listen music rather then my speakers.

[Rick Craig]

Hi Rick,

just wanted to see how things are going with the DSP desing you have in mind. Reasonable price and high end sounds like good words that all of us like to hear.
Im seriously considering a new small three way monitor. Looking for a deep soundstage and a speaker with the abiltity to dissapear. My listening distance is around 8 feet so the dissapering act is harder to achieve. for reference, i have ascend sierra 1 and salk songtower. Both fantastic with their atrributes. The sierra1 are a little directional and draw too much attention the vocals. I didnt have that problem before and im noticing lately about this. Also, the highs with some recording has too much Ss sound. I think my ears are getting sensitive. The salk seems to dispers sound better, with more weight overall. The instrument sound more real to me.
I would like to step up and wanted something different. Deep sounsdtage and the abiltiy to listen music rather then my speakers.

How about a 7" 3-way with a dipole mid and dipole tweeter? 

[ricardojoa]

How about a 7" 3-way with a dipole mid and dipole tweeter? 

Sounds good, i always wanted something crazy, but i can only pull my speaker out a feet, im not sure if that would be good for the room though.