Why Don’t You Post Your System on Your Profile?

@kota1

If I were advising someone to try this path I would advise them to get a MiniDSP UMIK-1 or 2 which is a simple but high quality USB microphone. Using a phantom powered mic can be more accurate but it is trickier to set up in Room EQ Wizard. Whereas there is a profile built in REW for this mic and the instructions are very clear how to set up and make accurate measurements quickly in the REW literature. I used a loop back timing reference before REW had the ability to use the high end of a main speaker as the timing reference. Once the sweeps are made with each speaker at the listening positions and named appropriately you can go to Multi Sun Optimizer and just follow their instructions on creating a project and use your data rather than the data included in the project and you’ll see how it all works and get a nice result quickly. After you understand how the filters work you can start to tweak them to get the best result.

I am of the mind buy it once buy it right so I waited to get what I wanted and bought a lot of things used. It took a lot of patience but I think it paid off and wouldn’t change that either. I like having two pairs of matched subs that support the system at different ranges. I think the affect is more dynamic and having four subs is critical to countering the room issues. I started with the Mini DSP platform and they make a good overall product. I prefer IIR rather than FIR filters due to the lower processing requirements of the IIR filters. If I were to make FIR filters with 12 coefficients the processing power needed would overwhelm the processor and would require less coefficients and be less effective overall.

It is scary to plug your amps directly into the speakers. Labeling is key and it is so important to start playing anything at -40dB so nothing gets damaged if wires are crossed. The power gain and immediacy of the amps plugged in directly is pretty awesome. They don’t have to push any power through passive components all of it is used just where it is called for. The dynamic range is increased and noise floor lowered when the only D/A conversion happens at the output to the amps. The main disadvantage to making an active set up in my opinion is that you need all components for it to work (amps for each channel/speakers with by-passable passive crossovers/DSP/computer). It’s hard to start with a few simple components and upgrade to more/better/all in one designs vs. separates etc. In spite of that you can start out with the basic set up and upgrade the mains, subs, and amps as money and opportunity presents themselves. I think the benefits to an active set up with room correction can far outweigh spending more on one pair of good speakers if compromises have to be made.

Thanks,

Steve

I spent a great deal of time on here before posting my system learning and planning what I wanted to buy. I literally had nothing but a Sansui receiver and some old Dynaco speakers. It sounded ok but I wanted to learn. I will say I checked the virtual system of almost anyone who posted advice to see where they leaned on the audio spectrum and to see if they practiced what they preached. It took many years of patience and planning to get where I’m at now.
 

I do think it is our responsibility to further this hobby by sharing all that we can once that valuable experience has been gained. There are many ways to set up systems and enjoy them. I’ve listened to many that sound great which are very different from mine. I also encourage everyone to develop and update their virtual systems so that others can see what decisions we make and that there is a path to what they are looking for. I welcome anyone to PM me and ask what my process is, that is what this site is about. I don’t want this hobby to disappear in the throws of self righteousness because people are arguing that there is only one path to audio nirvana. . . Everyone’s senses interpret the world differently. Sound is one of the few things that enters our brains with no filters or “cannons” that we compare. It is pure emotive joy which is similar to the emotional power of color field paintings. This is what makes this hobby so interesting in my opinion. So take a few minutes and show what you’ve got and let us know what you’d like to do. . .
 

I am very excited about my new dspNexus crossover. I just finished building my system in Audio Weaver, and am about to do surgery on all my cords to cut them to length and re-solder my balanced connectors back on. I can rid myself of the mini DSP terminal block. I’ll be re-measuring my room at 192K and will have twice the fidelity with measurable real time processing. It’s going to be a big weekend! I wish you all the best on your own journeys. 
 

- Steve

@kota1 Thanks! I really love this stuff. The results were awesome with the Mini DSP. The new dspNexus will be even better with much higher quality DACs dedicated to each channel and the newest SHARC audio processor; all measurements and processing done at 192K. I will post the results by the end of the day Monday with pics of the system built in Audio Weaver. I can’t wait to hear the difference. 

@nonoise his message was constructive in the quote you refer to, he’s speaking to the fact that I bought most of my stuff used and that going through the process correcting the room is smart before making any large purchases. It’s a “budget worthy” strategy. 
 

Thanks,

Steve

I finally got my system all updated and set up with the dspNexus. All I can say is wow, the experience is transcendental. It blows my MiniDSP out of the water. The Danville Signal Team worked with me personally a number of times to work through a few issues I had building and implementing the system in Audio Weaver. Profile is updated with pics and descriptions. 
 

Thanks,

Steve

Hi Kota,

Yes I wish I could describe how amazing the sound is. I’ve never seen DSP results like this before. I didn’t come close in my old room. It helped using the processing power of my computer I built. I let it run for 30 min at a time working on creating the filters. I played a lot with the settings in Multi Sub Optimizer to get this result. The secret to getting the system to fix these issues is using four subs + the main speakers when measuring and then the mains are running full range and the DSP is applied to the subs which are strategically placed (they are running full range as well). The only way to fix the room nodes is with multiple sub woofers, traps can help but only so much. The other key here is that the dspNexus is running at 192K which allows for a lot more flexibility than processing at 96K. The system has hair raising realism at this time. I haven’t heard better anywhere. The process is a pain but once complete you don’t have to mess with it until you move. I’m looking forward to having some friends over to listen. My dad is visiting now, he’s a trained concert pianist, and he can’t believe how perfect the system sounds. We’ve had a lot of fun pumping out classical, rock, alternative, dubstep, you name it and we have played it, everything is jaw dropping. I will say that this system is very unforgiving on poor recordings but even older recordings that are mastered well sound great.

Thanks,

Steve

@kota1 

Thank you for the compliment, it has taken a long time to get this where it is. I really wouldn’t change a thing except one day to get a pair of Clarisys Auditorium speakers. I heard the Minuets at AXPONA and was blown away. I do have a crossover on the main speakers on the highs/lows each has its own channel with the amps vertically bi-amping them. It is unusual that I don’t have a hard crossover on the subs but they attenuate themselves due to their limited range. Yes I wouldn’t change a thing really. I learned a lot in these forums and to piece meal information together to actually execute the idea of an active system was not easy. Hopefully my documentation can help others who want to try. It’s certainly a process and the results are incredible. There are some amazing people who make this all possible namely John Mulcahy who created Room EQ Wizard and Multi Sub Optimizer and keeps them updated and responds to people personally on AV Nirvana. He is a champion of our passion and should be lauded for his dedication to promote and encourage people in the audio world. 
 

Thanks,

Steve