[Housteau]

Soon I will be making phase adjustments to my 4 piece system as I tune it to both the new room and crossover selection.  Delays will be needed to allow proper timing between those pieces.  I have two ways to do this and I wanted to know the relative pros and cons of each.

First, I could delay the faster section by using a delay made by measurement in ms. The other option is to delay that faster section by selecting a delay in phase.  The idea would then be to bring up the formerly slow section up to meet the new delayed one by using it's phase control and measuring.

[JohnR]

Measurement in ms would be best I think. Otherwise you are introducing a non linear phase shift. (I assume that's what you mean by "delay by phase")

[Housteau]

(I assume that's what you mean by "delay by phase")

The digital crossover I will be using (a highly modded DCX 2496) has the ability to introduce a delay in ms as well as adjusting phase for each of its 6 output channels.  I have not used that phase option in the past and was just wondering if it was an option to consider.  My sub bass mono amps have their own phase controls that I will be using to bring them into line to meet the rest of the system after it had been delayed.

[JohnR]

Hi, sorry I don't know what that means for that device then. Perhaps it's just phase inversion.

[Davey]

The DCX2496 phase control introduces a phase shift associated with the type of filter selected at that filters LP cutoff frequency.  You can then fine-tune/modify it via the phase selection the "short delay" tab.  This is essentially the same thing as introducing an all-pass filter (frequency-dependent delay) function with an analog circuit.
The "delay" capability of the DCX obviously implements a pure delay (frequency-independent.)

Here's a little write-up I did many years ago that illustrates.  (I wasn't sure I still had this on my computer, but I found it.) 

http://home.comcast.net/~dreite/DCX/DCXphase.htm

Dave.

[Housteau]

Thank you.  That is a very good write up.

[Housteau]

I sent a PM with a few questions.