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@JoshNow that sounds pretty interesting. What available stuff I've read about the new JBL models is uniformly positive. Pro Sound awarded two models the Best of Show recently. I have always had faith in JBL, and once shoehorned a 2226 into my Leslie, transforming it and the Hammond into a monster.I will be returning later this summer for awhile, and will be in Toronto for upward of a month. I would trade a nice dinner out on St Clair W., for a listen to those babies..
I'd love to hear the JBL M2s as well. They would appear to be Greg Timbers' swan song project, unfortunately.I'd be particularly intrigued to hear them side by side with the Ocean Way HR4 system (at half the price), even though the latter is not one piece and meant for the console bridge with the subs out of sight below and behind:http://oceanwayaudio.com/hr4/ systemhttp://oceanwayaudio.com/ocean-way-audio-now-shipping-new-high-res-near-mid-field-monitors-pro2a-hr4-hr4s/
An "active" speaker system is one that utilizes a line-level crossover, rather than speaker-level crossover. Where you split the frequencies upstream is up to the architect of each system. Note that a fully active speaker system has a separate amplification channel connected to each individual driver, though a partially active system may have one amp channel for the woofer with a second amp channel driving the mid-range and tweeter through a passive crossover. Taking the woofer out of a passive speaker level crossover provides the biggest bang for the buck. (The woofer generates, by far, the largest back-EMF, etc.)In my case, I split the frequencies after my pre-amp, rather than after my source, as you describe. I have a 2-channel DAC feeding a 2-channel pre-amp, that then feeds my analog line-level crossover, which splits the frequencies between my tweeters and woofers. (If I can ever get my multiple subs built, I'll use the second output of my pre-amp to feed the modded DCX that I bought from you years ago to control them all.)That said, my line-level crossover is only handling frequency splitting duties, not driver correction. I handle driver correction in the digital domain using a convolution filter in HQPlayer. (Eventually I may implement a house curve digitally as well, but I have some room treatments to finalize yet, and so haven't played with it.)Also, even an active system may have a handful of passive parts between the amps and the drivers, usually for protective purposes or to improve the impedance response of a driver. (I'd definitely recommend DC block caps on tweeters, for example.) Those parts in no way connect the drivers to each other, however, so you still have a fully active speaker system.Just in case things weren't confusing enough, the use of a line-level crossover that distinguishes a speaker system as "active" may, itself, be either active or passive, meaning powered or unpowered. An unfortunate overuse of the term "active" in this case. My line-level crossover is active, and is capable of generating up to almost 18 dB of gain depending on the number of poles I set in my filters and how I adjust the woofer vs. tweeter levels. Because of this gain, my pre-amp is passive, as I already have more than enough total voltage gain in my system.The upside of an active speaker system is significant, but there is definitely a learning curve if you're planning on doing it yourself. Having the speaker designer implement it is definitely a huge savings of time and energy on the part of the customer. Of course, if one is already prone to tweaking cables and tubes, this is the ultimate tweaker's paradise... everything is endlessly adjustable.
A pro audio friend in LA says these new small compressors are: "to die for," sonically, having listened extensively at the Anaheim show, and that all four of these new models share a VERY similar overall gestalt. He basically described them as a game changer.
...Has anyone heard the passive UB5 in their home yet?
Thank you very much, brj. This is helpful.Although it sounds like you're still dealing with passive components even if before the amplification. Also, do amps really have the dsp processing power to do a good job? Like why even have a DAC if you're just going to convert that signal with some crappy ADC and then back again with (another crappy) DAC?
Actually I have the DCi 4|600n. n version has the necessary DSP and costs a bit more. However, it is basically the studio install version of their Itech series and thus are cheaper as they don't have to have things that make them bullet proof for touring duties. They still apparently have noisey fans so the amp will go in the closet in all likelihood. The dealer sent me the file to load into their DSP for the M2s. I haven't received the M2s yet but I have received the amp.
Russell -- I meant compression drivers, whose design apparently are very modern. Also, apparently my Jordan Eikonae have landed at the house in Canada. Part of the attraction, separate from all their obvious virtues, is that they are weather-proof and will not corrode or immediately grow mold like paper would, here in the Caribbean.I would not have expected the word congested being used to describe the 8 model. Interestingly, it was the 5 model that won the best of award in Anaheim. Not being at all current with the pro stuff, but did hear some high dog production of London Symphony/John Willliams stuff through the current Genelecs and it was really a trip. Wonderful. So...Im very much looking forward to hearing the JBL's at Josh's place in T.O.
I have a question that I hope is germane to the topic generally. Using the JBL setup recently purchased by JoshK, what is there that completes the system? Specifically, does this JBL setup need a pre-amp?
Active speaker:Passive Speaker:
A 3-way speaker has a tweeter covering high frequencies, a midrange driver covering the midrange only, and a bass driver covering the bass range only. Our crossover frequencies are 4.5kHz and 250Hz.Code SYSTEM-1 crossover (4th order 24dB per Octave L-R filters):The most sensitive part of our hearing is 1-5kHz, so you need to be VERY careful about what your crossover is doing in this range. So putting your crossover slap bang in the middle of this band as in a 2-way is far from ideal.However, the 2-way designer is forced to do this. The 6.5" mid / bass driver is not acting as a piston in this region, and has real problems with 'break up modes'. This means it's impossible for the designer to move the crossover up to the 4-5kHz range. The other solution is to push the crossover down to 1kHz, but this isn't an option either as this will put too much excursion through the tweeter. So 2.5kHz it is, even though this is far from ideal!Mid / Woofer breakup:In contrast, our mid-range driver is 4" diameter. This means it's 'break up nodes' are far higher up the frequency range than the 6.5" mid /bass, which is why we can comfortable shift our crossover point to 4.5kHz. Another advantage is our tweeter is working FAR less hard that the 2-way tweeter, partially because of the higher crossover point, and partially because of our crossover slopes:To keep costs down, passive 2-way's often use 2nd order crossover slopes, which drop at 12bB per octave. Our speakers use 4th order slopes, which drop at 24dB per octave (far steeper)...
JRiver DSP Studio was the best for adjustment and SQ, but finding a truly audiophile quality multichannel DAC on a budget was impossible. For all the flaws presented by passive XOs, it is still the best practical solution for me, using high quality passive xo parts was better than anything I could do at line level. . . . There is a new multichannel USB>I2S adapter from diyinhk.com with mating ES9016 8ch DAC kit which I think will finally enable active dsp crossovers to achieve audiophile sound quality at a very low cost.
