[modwright]

I have been receiving inquiries about the Emerald Physics speakers that we used at the Venetian in Las Vegas at CES 2008.  I want to preface this post by noting that until the show, I had not heard the speakers.  I had heard good things about them, but really knew little about them.

The room at the Venetian became available to us when Rick Schultz of Virtual Dynamics called to say that they would be unable to attend CES and that he had a room at the Venetian available.  I said "give me 30-minutes" and I will call you back.  I called everyone I knew and scrambled to put a room together, as we already had a room reserved at Alexis Park as part of THE Show.

The Emerald Physics speakers were recommended by one of our dealers, who is also an Emerald Physics dealer and had the Class D Wyred 4 Sound amplifier (4CH) all set for use with the speakers.  Clayton Shaw, owner of Emerald Physics was a real gentleman and agreed to provide us with the use of a special pair of his speakers that were already going to L.V. to be used as static display.  They were finished in an atypical Ruby Red finish which I found quite striking.  The 4CH Class D Wyred 4 Sound amp was also available and was an excellent fit for the bi-amped Emerald Physic speakers.  The amp provided 2 x 350W for the woofers and 2 x 150W for the tweeters.  A behringer digital EQ was used for both room EQ, active crossover and ultimately some degree of DSP.

Now I will admit, I was not initially crazy about the notion of an A-D/D-A stage (in the behringer) as part of the digital EQ/crossover.  We were using the modified Transporter as digital source and Redpoint TT paired with our SWP 9.0SE as phono stage.  The LS used was our LS 36.5 with external dual-mono tube rectified and tube regulated PS 36.5.

The beauty of the Emerald Physics speakers, in my opinion, is their ability to do away with room effects due to both their flexible electronic EQ as well as the very nature of dipole, open baffle speakers with the use of a compression driver tweeter with wave-guide.  It isn't a 'horn' speaker as such, but there is a decided sweet spot for ideal listening.  It is not a narrow sweet spot, but the best sound is achieved with the speakers directly towed in to the listener.  This allows for the listener receiving the first incidence of the soundwave, also alleviating room effects.  I am not a speaker designer, so will shut up here before I speak outside of the lines.

How do they sound?  Well, they are dynamic, lively, intimate, powerful, full-range and simply FUN to listen to.  Bass response is deep, tight and very controlled.  The highs are very extended, fast, controlled and dynamic.  The level of micro-dynamics and micro-detail allow for a very intimate and 'live' sound.

As with any speaker, they will only output what they are fed.  The better the upstream electronics, the better they will sound.  I do NOT feel however, that these $3K/pr. speakers were in ANY way a bottleneck in our show system.  I was VERY pleased with our entire system sound and we received much positive attention from press, other manufacturers and other attendees.

For the record, the Red speakers ARE mine now, thank you very much! .  I also have no business interests in Emerald Physics, except that I want to give credit where credit is due.  Clayton Shaw of Emerald Physics has broken new ground in terms of performance, value and engineering and these are all qualities that we at MWI strive to provide with our own electronic designs.

I DO plan to investigate mods for the Behringer crossover, at least on my personal unit and I will share my experiences.  If I am right, a cost-effective mod to the Behringer will wring even more sonic improvements from the speakers.  More on this later...stay tuned.

Net net, if you are considering the Emerald Physic speakers, I would recommend BUYING, not waiting, as I can think of nothing better for $3K/pr in the way of high-performance speakers.

Thanks,

Dan W.

[TomS]

Thanks for the pictures and comments Dan.  I concur whole heartedly. 

In terms of mods, it's ok to dream, right?  Maybe a 6-channel tube output stage right off the DACs with one of those lovely MW remotes?  A selected few linear power supplies for the analog section?  I really like the Didden output mod so far, but I suspect there may be  even more there.  Having spent a lot of time with the MW Sony 999ES Platinum myself, I can only imagine what magic can be wrought.  Hopefully between designing a MW amp, the success of the MW Transporter, and other new designs, you'll still have a little time to noodle this one around a bit.  There's a lot of potential in Clayton's first design and probably more good stuff to come.

Tom

[zybar]

Very cool Dan!

It is nice to have you as a "member" of the EP family.

I can only imagine what wonders you might coax out the DCX...

Pretty much all of the people who have purchased the CS2's I have decided to mod their DCX in order to try and wring out every last ounce of performance that these speakers can produce.  So far the popular mod is the Diden kit (www.linearaudio.nl ).

I agree with Tom that adding some of your tube magic would be incredible.

George

[Big Red Machine]

George, we may have to talk about these speakers!

[ted_b]

No offense to Clayton or company, but the Behringer is not know to be an audiophile or music lovers device.  I haven't "heard" one per se (a/b'd against other crossovers, dacs) so I am not one to cast dispersions.  I think I know why Clayton chose it; it's flexible, programmable and well-known/available.  However, since modding it seems to be step number one on everyone's list, is there a better platform for true hi-end modding than this piece?  Is there any logic in finding a better starting point, I guess I'm trying to say?  Maybe the Behringer gets bad press, and Clayton also chose it for its SQ, dunno.  If so I'll back off.  Just my $.02

[zybar]

No offense to Clayton or company, but the Behringer is not know to be an audiophile or music lovers device.  I haven't "heard" one per se (a/b'd against other crossovers, dacs) so I am not one to cast dispersions.  I think I know why Clayton chose it; it's flexible, programmable and well-known/available.  However, since modding it seems to be step number one on everyone's list, is there a better platform for true hi-end modding than this piece?  Is there any logic in finding a better starting point, I guess I'm trying to say?  Maybe the Behringer gets bad press, and Clayton also chose it for its SQ, dunno.  If so I'll back off.  Just my $.02

Ted,

While many of the AC members who purchased CS2's have gone the modified DCX route, the majority of CS2 owners are perfectly content and happy with the stock DCX. 

However, many of us here at AC are constantly striving to get the best possible performance out of our systems, so Clayton is absolutely looking at this area.  Let's just say there will be more choices available over the course of 2008 at various price points in regards to the digital crossover.  I hate to not provide details, but at this point it is just too early to say anything.

George

[ted_b]

George,
Great stuff.  Believe me, I was not questioning the ultimate sound quality of the EP setup, just the talk about modding a Behringer.  It is obvious from your ears, Dan's and others I also respect that Clayton has figured out how to squeeze beautiful music out of the setup, and that the scary thing is that it uses some off-the-shelf stuff so far.  Very kewl. 

[zybar]

George,
Great stuff.  Believe me, I was not questioning the ultimate sound quality of the EP setup, just the talk about modding a Behringer.  It is obvious from your ears, Dan's and others I also respect that Clayton has figured out how to squeeze beautiful music out of the setup, and that the scary thing is that it uses some off-the-shelf stuff so far.  Very kewl. 

No worries Ted, I didn't think you were doing anything but asking some good and logical questions.

George

[JoshK]

FWIW, I don't think the "issues" with the Behr are in its core functions/components, its primarily how the analog output is done, which is bog standard inexpensive opamp output stage.  I think the audiophile crowd has learned that things can be done better and have experienced that and so many mod their Behrs to that end. 

I would think getting Jan's boards and modding the Behr is a more cost effective than many other solutions, like the DEQX (which I own).  Maybe someone like George can offer a pre-modded Behr as an option to his clients, for those who are concerned about the Behr's AQ.

[TomS]

No offense to Clayton or company, but the Behringer is not know to be an audiophile or music lovers device.  I haven't "heard" one per se (a/b'd against other crossovers, dacs) so I am not one to cast dispersions.  I think I know why Clayton chose it; it's flexible, programmable and well-known/available.  However, since modding it seems to be step number one on everyone's list, is there a better platform for true hi-end modding than this piece?  Is there any logic in finding a better starting point, I guess I'm trying to say?  Maybe the Behringer gets bad press, and Clayton also chose it for its SQ, dunno.  If so I'll back off.  Just my $.02

Ted,

While many of the AC members who purchased CS2's have gone the modified DCX route, the majority of CS2 owners are perfectly content and happy with the stock DCX. 

Since many of us are constantly striving to get the best possible performance out of our systems, Clayton is absolutely looking at this area.  Let's just say there will be more choices available over the course of 2008 at various price points in regards to the digital crossover.  I hate to not provide details, but at this point it is just too early to say anything.

George

How many programmable active xo'd speaker systems can you get turn key for $3k list that sound this good stock?  Sure it's offered to a price point as a very first product, and the DCX is only about a $300 (list) piece of it.  The positive response to the stock product speaks for itself.    If it were, say, a stock DEQX (that does more too), the selling price would at least double and not be accessible to most of us.  Total available market shrinks a ton.  Steve Nugent has shown you can easily double that DEQX cost with modest mods to get it to sound decent too.  Dan's obviously done a great job with the TP enhancement.  I'm sure it's worth every penny at double the cost of the TP, but many will be satisfied with the stock TP and that's what they can afford.  Doesn't mean it sounds bad.  Myself, I love having the headroom to try some mods and explore the limits of how far it can go as a system, at my own pace and budget.  That's half the fun

[zybar]

How many programmable active xo'd speaker systems can you get turn key for $3k list that sound this good stock?  Sure it's offered to a price point as a very first product, and the DCX is only about a $300 (list) piece of it.  The positive response to the stock product speaks for itself.    If it were, say, a stock DEQX (that does more too), the selling price would at least double and not be accessible to most of us.  Total available market shrinks a ton.  Steve Nugent has shown you can easily double that DEQX cost with modest mods to get it to sound decent too.  Dan's obviously done a great job with the TP enhancement.  I'm sure it's worth every penny at double the cost of the TP, but many will be satisfied with the stock TP and that's what they can afford.  Doesn't mean it sounds bad.  Myself, I love having the headroom to try some mods and explore the limits of how far it can go as a system, at my own pace and budget.  That's half the fun

Great post Tom.

The fact that Clayton (Emerald Physics) is delivering all of this performance for $3k is exactly why I decided to become a dealer. For less than the cost of a stock DEQX, TacT, etc... you get a complete turnkey speaker system.  While the DEQX, TacT, etc... will have more functionality (which may or may not get used), IMHO they also need to have their analog outputs modified in order for them to sound their best.  This puts their entry point way up there and would certainly put things out of reach for most people out there.

That extra money saved allows you to buy more music, upgrade the DCX, or upgrade your front end or preamp with some of Dan's great offerings. 

I'll stop there as I don't want people to think I am giving a big sales pitch.

Dan, if you aren't ok with this post, feel free to remove it.

George

[nature boy]

Dan,

Thank you for sharing your observations and congratulations on all you great products.  I too am a value-oriented audio nut.  That's why your products and the CS2's are so appealing.

NB

[ted_b]

TomS,
I completely agree with the price point argument.  I was only addressing crossover modding cuz this is Dan's forum, not a review of the system per se.   

[richidoo]

FWIW, I don't think the "issues" with the Behr are in its core functions/components, its primarily how the analog output is done, which is bog standard inexpensive opamp output stage. 

Josh, you did me a big favor this morning without knowing. I was looking for the DCX manual to quote something from it after reading your post. Eventually found it in the trash with junk mail.    I hope that's not a subliminal message I'm sending myself? But that manual comes in handy for programming, I would have hated to lose it...

Anyway, I learned from the manual's section 5, "Audio Conections," more about the output stage and why it is not so great for high end home audio. Jan has mentioned more reasons on his website.

Quoting from Behringer DCX2496 manual:
"The Behringer Ultradrive Pro DCX2496 has standard electronically balanced inputs and outputs. The circuit design has an automatic hum suppression with balanced signals and is able to operate, without problem, even at highest levels. Externally-induced mains hum, etc. is thus efficiently suppressed. The servo function, also automatic, recognizes the connection of unbalanced pin assignments and changes the nominal level internally so that there is no difference in level between the input and output signals (6dB correction)."

I have come across other blurbs about the many "features" added to the output stage, but can't remember where I saw them. Not surprisingly the unit is designed for its target audience of musicians playing rock gigs with budget sound reinforcement, and has features that those customers find valuable, like hum suppression and self engaging balanced>SE conversion. When a guitar is deliberately distorted or singer using a SM57, played into plywood box speakers, there is no need to achieve .05% THD on the output of this crossover. The lower fidelity outputs allow $300 retail price and plenty of profit for everyone in line. Expecting it to sound like Modwright preamp is wishful thinking.

Like you said, Josh, it is the DSP and its programming that is the real value of "the Behr." Adapting it to high end home audio is possible, so the excitement about it is building among DIYers first, as usual. When Modwright gets involved, you know something special is going on. I hope it causes active crossovers start to gain more interest in home audio.

Congrats on your new speakers Dan, looking fwd to word from you on the DCX mods. More tubes sticking out the top, I hope?? haha
Rich

[TomS]

TomS,
I completely agree with the price point argument.  I was only addressing crossover modding cuz this is Dan's forum, not a review of the system per se.   

Gotcha.  Me too, as obviously I'm a big fan of his work as well.  If he moved into this space, that would be VERY exciting for those with the means 

[alan m. kafton]

To tedb and others....while not speaking for Clayton in any way, the Behringer unit *is* packaged for its price point and the fact that is it much easier to implement than other pro x-over solutions. Customers will have a much easier and hassle-free time setting up the Behringer.

We (VRS Audio Solutions, audio excellence az, Skywire, Red Dragon, and of course, Emerald Physics) were the third location for the CS2's at CES/T.H.E. SHOW. However, Clayton and Vincent (of VRS) wanted to show what is possible, utilizing studio-quality DAC's, EQ, and loudspeaker management. How about a $7500 Dolby Lake processor to perform the loudspeaker management duties? Well, that's what was initially used, until the Dolby developed a sonic glitch that Clayton and Vincent could not live with. The Dolby Lake was replaced by $5500 worth of software-based studio-quality EQ and loudspeaker management hardware, all of which performed admirably the rest of the show.

A $7500 or $5500 x-over solution for $3000 speakers? Heck, yeah. That was part of the point. The CS2's are the proverbial bargain, and those that wish to upgrade their x-over's, whether by modding the "Behr", or choosing a more sophisticated solution (through Clayton) will be ever-happy campers. It's still amazing to me that his "basic" package (that I flipped out over the last two RMAF's) is a great as it is.

[TomS]

Man, I'd love to hear that Dolby Lake on the CS2's, but at $7500 - ouch!  It's great to know he's looking at all the options though.

[zybar]

Man, I'd love to hear that Dolby Lake on the CS2's, but at $7500 - ouch!  It's great to know he's looking at all the options though.

Don't worry, there will be choices between the Dolby Lake and the DCX-2496.

George

[alan m. kafton]

Exactly, George....that means that a customer can enjoy the CS2's for years and years, without encountering obsolescence. No need to sell your pair or wait for Version 4....merely upgrade the x-over when desired, which will be a keeper as well.

[larbo53]

Dan PM sent.

Lloyd