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MDAC First Listen (Part 00101001)

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Thanks John, Great advice as usual. I'll stay clear of a digital crossover for now and do my DSP experiments with the FDAC and associated further software releases incorporating the miniDSP knowhow.

I wonder if anyone has tried a USB to SPDIF converter on their PC and whether this had any adverse affects on the SQ using the MDAC?
 
timola said:
Thanks John, Great advice as usual. I'll stay clear of a digital crossover for now and do my DSP experiments with the FDAC and associated further software releases incorporating the miniDSP knowhow.

I wonder if anyone has tried a USB to SPDIF converter on their PC and whether this had any adverse affects on the SQ using the MDAC?
Click to expand...

I have used an Audiophilleo 2 converter. Works just fine. Not sure I can distinguish between it and direct usb.
 
timola said:
Thanks John, Great advice as usual. I'll stay clear of a digital crossover for now and do my DSP experiments with the FDAC and associated further software releases incorporating the miniDSP knowhow.

I wonder if anyone has tried a USB to SPDIF converter on their PC and whether this had any adverse affects on the SQ using the MDAC?
Click to expand...

Tim have you looked at the MiniDSP site, look at their 'plugs-ins ' and check out the 'application' tab.
The plug- ins cost $10 ,they have software for every application , including creating DSP crossovers, once you have created the equalisation ,you downloadit to the MiniDSP hardware.
Keith.
 
fred sonnen said:
John

Am I right that the XLR and RCA analogue output can be use in parallel?
If you are redesigning the FDAC analogue pcb anyway and using the FWC is there enough space in the back for a second RCA analogue output?

regards
F.S.
Click to expand...

fusion5 said:
Wouldn't two XLR out be better?
Click to expand...
Why not. Than I have to build 2 XLR2RCA Cable because everything behind the FDAC is RCA equipped. I am fine with that if we get the 3.rd output ;-)
 
Ian
I think that is depending on the output. Two channels when using analogue outputs (and the internal 9018s). You can add two more channels with each slave unit. 1 master + 3 slaves has been confirmed, which gives you a total of 8 channels. Maybe this would require miniDSP licenses for each unit.

Don't know about the digital outputs.
 
BE718 said:
I have used an Audiophilleo 2 converter. Works just fine. Not sure I can distinguish between it and direct usb.
Click to expand...

Thanks BE718, I'll check that out.:)

Purite Audio said:
Tim have you looked at the MiniDSP site, look at their 'plugs-ins ' and check out the 'application' tab.
The plug- ins cost $10 ,they have software for every application , including creating DSP crossovers, once you have created the equalisation ,you downloadit to the MiniDSP hardware.
Keith.
Click to expand...

Hmmmm....Thanks Keith, I have been on the miniDSp site, but not looked at the 'plug-ins' tab...I will do now and I guess there will be plenty there for me to investigate....you're an old hand at this DSP equalisation (an early adopter) I've noted and a respected proponent. I'm slowly becoming an acolyte of yours...but I worry about the powers of the Dark Side...it does seem fairly complicated/forbidding at the moment....my current thinking (after John's post) is to wait for the FDAC and go from there...investing nigh on $900 as this stage may be premature. Although the possibility of damaging my vintage speakers is real, I guess if you go carefully and keep the volumes low the risks could be managed. DSP crossovers seem to be the future direction in speaker design.
 
fusion5 said:
Ian
I think that is depending on the output. Two channels when using analogue outputs (and the internal 9018s). You can add two more channels with each slave unit. 1 master + 3 slaves has been confirmed, which gives you a total of 8 channels. Maybe this would require miniDSP licenses for each unit.

Don't know about the digital outputs.
Click to expand...

Yeah it was the DSP'd channels I was wondering about. 8 is good, 10 would be all that anyone would ever need I think.

Sent you a PM about ESLs BTW
 
fusion5 said:
I know there are some MDAC (or future FDAC) owners with electrostatic speakers around here. Is the SQ really that good? I've spoken with the designer of ESL components today and I'm almost convinced to start another DIY project :rolleyes:
Click to expand...

Yes, the Quad 57s and 2805s I've had give really excellent quality, natural and un-coloured.

- Richard
 
timola said:
Thanks BE718, I'll check that out.:)



Hmmmm....Thanks Keith, I have been on the miniDSp site, but not looked at the 'plug-ins' tab...I will do now and I guess there will be plenty there for me to investigate....you're an old hand at this DSP equalisation (an early adopter) I've noted and a respected proponent. I'm slowly becoming an acolyte of yours...but I worry about the powers of the Dark Side...it does seem fairly complicated/forbidding at the moment....my current thinking (after John's post) is to wait for the FDAC and go from there...investing nigh on $900 as this stage may be premature. Although the possibility of damaging my vintage speakers is real, I guess if you go carefully and keep the volumes low the risks could be managed. DSP crossovers seem to be the future direction in speaker design.
Click to expand...

Once you have chosen the appropriate plug in, creating the crossovers is relatively simple, you choose the type of filter , Butterworth,Linkwitz etc ,the order and the crossover frequency ,you and hear the result as you adjust .
It is usual to start with the equivalent of the existing passive crossover.
Most of the plug ins also have an EQ section so you can also attenuate any room problems.
Keith.
 
fusion5 said:
I know there are some MDAC (or future FDAC) owners with electrostatic speakers around here. Is the SQ really that good? I've spoken with the designer of ESL components today and I'm almost convinced to start another DIY project :rolleyes:
Click to expand...

Worth checking out Roger Sanders's book on DIY ESLs.

Also have a listen to some Martin Logans, which is what JW will be testing the V-FET amp with.
 
This site contains affiliate links for which pink fish media may be compensated.
Achim said:
I don't know if we're talking about the same vendor - Silberstatic offers their modules for DIY as a side project - all you need to setup is the frame, all speaker parts and transformers are part of the kits.

Prices are very low IME:
http://elektrostaten-selbstbau.de/preise

Cheers,
Achim
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At the time of the comment, there was no "DIY" implied, I simply remembered getting excited about them, looking up some martin logans, my jaw being dropped (seeing the price), followed by me closing the browser tab (and the notion of me getting electrostatics). :)
(Doing it DIY is an interesting idea, but I don't know anyone nearby with the equipment to make the frame and the woofer box.)
 
(on another note)

JohnW,
I remember you mentioned the possibility of some once-dismissed features having a comeback given the new MDAC2 chassis and "kelvin sensing" was one of those - is it still planned? Will the new chassis have 5W XLRs?

Just curious, no need for commitments.

Thanks.
 
jirij said:
(on another note)

JohnW,
I remember you mentioned the possibility of some once-dismissed features having a comeback given the new MDAC2 chassis and "kelvin sensing" was one of those - is it still planned? Will the new chassis have 5W XLRs?

Just curious, no need for commitments.

Thanks.
Click to expand...

Jiri,

There will be both 3W and 5W XLR outputs on the FDAC, so you will have a choice of Standard or Kelvin sensed Feedback.
 
I've been "getting to grips" with the USB interface and Regen - as the Regen will be a competitors product I'll have to be careful so as not to appear critical - I'll have to claim the 5th amendment if some question might force me into being too harsh about its design.

As a USB source I'm using a small Sony Pocket PC (VGN-UX380) and the USB connected via its docking station - running WinXP SP3.

Early days, so I'm just performing simple tests - but I can already see on a fast Analogue scope that the USB Packet it jitter visually effected by what the PC is processing - with eye pattern Jitter increasing from 320pS to 400ps simply by running a Youtube video.

The Screen is a mess and I'm just getting the feel of whats going on - while its easy to see the jitter modulation on the Analogue scope screen, I'm not sure how to post it here.... the screen is a mess....

You can see via the jitter modulation on the scope when the PC is performing other tasks - with big "apparently" random jumps in jitter, I suspect that these jumps are caused by other "hidden" operations being performed by the Windows OS.

I'm not in anyway endorsing the idea behind "optimized" media players (as the are trying to resolve an issue that should not effect the analogue domain in the first instance - IMO they are an indirect poor and dubious bodge fix) - but seeing the OS / CPU "Process" modulation comes as no surprise and opens a whole bag of hurt...

This observations are with the Upstream USB input to the Regen, it will be interesting to see if the USB hub is able to reformat the data packets and thus attenuate the OS / CPU process related jitter modulation.
 
JohnW said:
Jiri,

There will be both 3W and 5W XLR outputs on the FDAC, so you will have a choice of Standard or Kelvin sensed Feedback.
Click to expand...

Will the Kelvin sense work in single ended mode via the 5 pin XLR as well.
 
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