SynPar Aukoa update
Quick update on the SynPar Aukoa which we had a fun thread about earlier.
Cross-posted, hope that's ok.
We all love active systems for their sound, but no serious audio person wants a stereo in a box. We want real options. This is why SO many home enthusiasts continue to use passive speakers, just to choose their preferred amp & so on.
SynPar is now pre-revealing a modular, semi-DIY active system system, with a few options at first. It will expand indefinitely, adding new designs on a regular basis that users can shuffle in and out, as they like.
The brain of the system is the processor. Advanced users will be able to access the “Discovery” mode. This is the only truly mandatory equipment. We won’t sell you anything else, generally speaking, unless you grab the processor first. It features 6 quasi-floating outputs, enough to drive the necessary 6 amplifier channels for a high-end system.
The multiple throbbing hearts of the system are the amplifiers. As it was requested, you absolutely can use different amps. We don’t guarantee the performance of your system if you don’t use our amps, though. Total wattage for the system is scalable from 3900w RMS to 11800w RMS.
Many of you are probably thinking, “Nearly 4000 watts? In my house? MINIMUM?”
I would agree that with old ways of thinking, where you actually use the full headroom of the amplifier, these specs would be obscene. You can think about our systems in a little bit different way. I haven’t done this calculation yet, but I would guess that a “VERY LOUD” listening level with our recommended program would be close to those figures with a zero knocked off. So think 390w to 1180w.
Much more reasonable, eh? Amplifiers must be able to work FAR beyond their needed capacity in order to have optimum performance. Makes sense, right? It’s usually your amp distorting when it sounds spitty. Cabinet distortion often sounds pretty good in comparison, believe that. People can blow tweeters because they have too little power in a passive system - that’s well known.
The muscles are the speakers. This is where the modular aspect comes into play, moreso. Right now, we have one initial design, the Auon. It includes a 12” woofer, 6” midrange, and planar tweeter. You can select the woofer impedance & amplifier capacity, depending on your preferred bass response.
As for voicing, I’m a mastering engineer who has always preferred accuracy. Bass response has 25hz at -3dB, 20hz at -7dB, if you use the 4 ohm woofer. The other options are 2 ohm and 8 ohm. The 8 ohm version is the best, in my opinion, with 20hz closer to flat. 8 ohm requires the most capable amplifier, of course. 2 ohm also has the deeper bass response, but is not recommended unless you are using your own amplifiers and don’t have enough on tap.
We have no issues with treble extension in this system. It is meant to be revealing of high-quality program material. Good source is the first step in good audio, and there is a LOT to choose from nowadays. Treble accuracy is a controversial issue & usually where inaccuracies are most obvious. This design uses the most accurate tweeter I have ever seen available. There is a lot more to a system’s overall accuracy than the tweeter, but treble accuracy basically boils down to this, as you aren’t dealing with reflections or crossovers as much at those frequencies.
I know that many people will inquire about DSP room correction. I will answer that question now, and I would prefer that you not argue with me about it, unless you can vouch from your personal experience. It doesn’t work. You can’t fix nulls with DSP. It’s a myth. A DSP-corrected room will NEVER sound like a purpose-built, fully treated room with placement given priority. At the same time, yes, of course you can try, with the Discovery feature.
If you are OK with audio delays (as in, you aren’t performing, just listening to music - this would be the case for most of us, most of the time), you can adjust for your room with a very powerful FIR-based system. Because I know that this is basically a myth (ok, it helps, yes - but you also need to set up your room!! It’s not a fix for a bad room, it’s the *final touch* on a perfect room), we aren’t providing a user-friendly front-end for any DSP correction. It will only be possible with Discovery Mode for advanced users.
Discovery Mode opens many possibilities, but it also voids any warranty coverage you have. With great power comes great responsibility - I think that’s from a movie, forget which one, but it has stuck with me. The system is acoustically perfect in the form that we sell it to you. Discovery Mode is only for users who are comfortable compiling DSP code.