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Dutch & Dutch 8C - Where are they?

The Kii's can be placed anywhere, on a shelf if you like, in fact you can have one on a shelf and one on a stand and adjust each individually , their versatility and adaptability is just one the factors that makes them so desireable.
Keith

No, it's your versatility that makes YOU so desireable Keith.

Right now I can't decide between Adele, and Keith from Purite.
 
what, you got a problem with Jewish Orthodox Polyamorous?? HUH?

It's okay I'm from Canada. We only given human rights compensations to terrorists.

But watch it.

Next thing you know you'll be angry against Gay Nazis for Christ. Then all Hell breaks loose.
 
what, you got a problem with Jewish Orthodox Polyamorous?? HUH?

It's okay I'm from Canada. We only given human rights compensations to terrorists.

But watch it.

Next thing you know you'll be angry against Gay Nazis for Christ. Then all Hell breaks loose.

Canada, eh?
 
Joe,

You can claim as you'd like, but we both know you'd probably do Uhura in a heartbeat.

And I don't mean Michelle Nichols then. I mean her now.

Don't deny it.

Love,

Glickman
 
Jeff,

Her name is Nichelle, not Michelle. Years of Trekking this place for nothing apparently. :-/

Joe
 
Where are they? They're here. I'm currently running in my pair, but early signs are good. Very, very good.

Their first review just published by 6 Moons!
Keith

It looks as if the 8c have a single input that can be set as either analogue or digital (AES). I'm interested in using digital as my all my sources are digital (both AES and HDMI/SPDIF) but don't know of a tool to manage switching nor understand how volume control will work. Has anyone set-up with multiple digital inputs and, if so, then how?
 
It looks as if the 8c have a single input that can be set as either analogue or digital (AES). I'm interested in using digital as my all my sources are digital (both AES and HDMI/SPDIF) but don't know of a tool to manage switching nor understand how volume control will work. Has anyone set-up with multiple digital inputs and, if so, then how?

Yes. I sometimes use an Exposure 2010S2 DSD DAC for this purpose. It has multiple inputs including optical, coax and USB plus a coax output. No doubt there are other options out there which do not include a (redundant) DAC section. Given a better understanding of your requirements, I could probably point you to something suitable.

The 8c has a built-in volume control which is accessed, along with all of the other configuration options, via a web app. You can of course use an external analogue or digital volume control instead, if you prefer.
 
As Lee has explained the 8C’s XLR input can be either digital or analogue, you can configure either from the rear of the speaker or from the app.
If you are looking for cutting edge active monitors then you must include Dutch&Dutch in your comparisons, here they are proving a favourite especially at their price point.
Keith
 
Yes. I sometimes use an Exposure 2010S2 DSD DAC for this purpose. It has multiple inputs including optical, coax and USB plus a coax output. No doubt there are other options out there which do not include a (redundant) DAC section. Given a better understanding of your requirements, I could probably point you to something suitable.

The 8c has a built-in volume control which is accessed, along with all of the other configuration options, via a web app. You can of course use an external analogue or digital volume control instead, if you prefer.

Thanks. The plan is to use the 8c monitors as left / right speakers in a stereo set-up used for both music and TV / movies – with the latter being a multi-channel to stereo downmix. Our main source is an Aries streamer that outputs AES, Coax and Optical but we’ve also got a few A/V sources that have HDMI outputs; e.g., Apple TV, Wii U etc. All of the A/V sources allow down-mixing to stereo output (over HDMI) but volume control isn’t possible. The requirements then are:

1. Extract digital stereo output from the A/V sources

2. Allow input switching between the digital sources

3. Remote volume control (ideally via Harmony Remote)

4. Single box and simple to use​

(The reason for item 3 is that I don’t believe that the web-based app will be a solution that is usable by all family members). So, thinking this through, I’ve come up with a few different solution options and am open to any and all advice.

1. Add A/V Pre-Pro to aggregate all sources and provide (volume controlled) analogue output to the monitors. (This option seems the simplest in terms of usability etc. but adds cost and I’m not sure of the impact of the A/D).

2. Set A/V sources to stereo downmix and then extract digital audio (e.g., routing HDMI direct to TV and using TV optical output.) This would give me two digital sources (AES from Aries and Optical from TV / AV) so then I’d need to a)

a. Use a digital solution for switching and volume control; e.g., Mini-DSP DDRC-2DD

b. Use a stereo DAC / pre and send volume control analogue signal to the monitors​

3. Find the magic bullet that is an A/V Pre-Pro that has high-quality, volume control, digital out

4. Figure out how to control 8c volume control via Logitech Harmony remote
It’d be great to get input on these and other options. Note, something like the Kii Controller would be fabulous but my wife much prefers the aesthetic of the Dutch & Dutch so it’s about making these work in our family used set-up. Thanks in advance
 
Something like this https://www.kramerav.com/uk/Product/VS-4X
This is an entirely passive mechanical switcher so will work equally well for analogue audio or AES-EBU digital. It is nominally 4 in 2 out, but as it’s entirely passive, you can use it as a 2 in 4 out.
Kramer also make a whole host of A/V HDMI switchers and they are inexpensive.
Follow this with a TC electronic level pilot and you have a totally passive router with volume control.
I am meeting Martijn this week and we will discuss break out box/preamp options.
Keith
 
Thanks. The plan is to use the 8c monitors as left / right speakers in a stereo set-up used for both music and TV / movies – with the latter being a multi-channel to stereo downmix. Our main source is an Aries streamer that outputs AES, Coax and Optical but we’ve also got a few A/V sources that have HDMI outputs; e.g., Apple TV, Wii U etc. All of the A/V sources allow down-mixing to stereo output (over HDMI) but volume control isn’t possible. The requirements then are:

1. Extract digital stereo output from the A/V sources

2. Allow input switching between the digital sources

3. Remote volume control (ideally via Harmony Remote)

4. Single box and simple to use​

(The reason for item 3 is that I don’t believe that the web-based app will be a solution that is usable by all family members). So, thinking this through, I’ve come up with a few different solution options and am open to any and all advice.

1. Add A/V Pre-Pro to aggregate all sources and provide (volume controlled) analogue output to the monitors. (This option seems the simplest in terms of usability etc. but adds cost and I’m not sure of the impact of the A/D).

2. Set A/V sources to stereo downmix and then extract digital audio (e.g., routing HDMI direct to TV and using TV optical output.) This would give me two digital sources (AES from Aries and Optical from TV / AV) so then I’d need to a)

a. Use a digital solution for switching and volume control; e.g., Mini-DSP DDRC-2DD

b. Use a stereo DAC / pre and send volume control analogue signal to the monitors​

3. Find the magic bullet that is an A/V Pre-Pro that has high-quality, volume control, digital out

4. Figure out how to control 8c volume control via Logitech Harmony remote
It’d be great to get input on these and other options. Note, something like the Kii Controller would be fabulous but my wife much prefers the aesthetic of the Dutch & Dutch so it’s about making these work in our family used set-up. Thanks in advance

I connect my video components to my TV then take a stereo output via optical into the Exposure DAC. With most of these components I have the choice of downmixing in the source or in the TV. I connect my Aries streamer directly to the Exposure DAC. Then I run coax out to one of the 8c speakers via a passive Neutrik impedance transformer.

If you want to do your downmixing and volume control in a single separate box then you will almost certainly need support for Dolby and/or DTS decoding. These technologies are only licensed to manufacturers who sell large volumes, so this means using an AV processor and that probably means an analogue preamp output and an extra analogue to digital conversion step inside the speakers. Theoretically, this will compromise sound quality to some degree, but in practice it should still sound excellent.
 
Something like this https://www.kramerav.com/uk/Product/VS-4X
This is an entirely passive mechanical switcher so will work equally well for analogue audio or AES-EBU digital. It is nominally 4 in 2 out, but as it’s entirely passive, you can use it as a 2 in 4 out.
Kramer also make a whole host of A/V HDMI switchers and they are inexpensive.
Follow this with a TC electronic level pilot and you have a totally passive router with volume control.
I am meeting Martijn this week and we will discuss break out box/preamp options.
Keith

Thanks, Keith, but I’m really after a one-box solution and remote volume control. I’ll keep an eye out for your report after talking to Martjen. One option that I’m wondering about is whether it’s possible to use a Logitech Harmony Elite remote – which does WiFi as well as IR – to control the speaker volume.

I connect my video components to my TV then take a stereo output via optical into the Exposure DAC. With most of these components I have the choice of downmixing in the source or in the TV. I connect my Aries streamer directly to the Exposure DAC. Then I run coax out to one of the 8c speakers via a passive Neutrik impedance transformer.
.

Yes, using the TV to strip out audio from video sources makes a heap of sense and is how my current set-up works. How, though, do you do volume control? Is it via the web-app? If so, then that won't really work for me in that I don't see my 7 year old reliably getting it right.

If you want to do your downmixing and volume control in a single separate box then you will almost certainly need support for Dolby and/or DTS decoding. These technologies are only licensed to manufacturers who sell large volumes, so this means using an AV processor and that probably means an analogue preamp output and an extra analogue to digital conversion step inside the speakers. Theoretically, this will compromise sound quality to some degree, but in practice it should still sound excellent.
Understood

Alternatively, if you can do Dolby/DTS decoding and downmixing at source or in your TV, then I suspect that one of the MiniDSP boxes will do the job.

https://www.minidsp.com/dirac-series/ddrc-22d
Yes, all my video sources down-mix audio so the idea of using optical out of the TV (albeit down-mixed to 48kHz) into DDRC-22d should all work. I guess that I'd use the web-app to set the max volume to a reasonable figure and then digital volume control would, for the most part, still be in the range over which there isn't any bit loss.

Edit: What bit depth & sample rates are accepted via digital input? The Ddrc -22d does 24/96kHz but the 6moons review mentions the speakers don’t do hi-Rez?

Edit: And how will Roon ready work? Presumably the speakers will be an output from Roon so my Aries will be obsolete. How will this relate to the input used on the speaker; ie how will one switch between Roon and the analogue / digital input?
 
Roon will be integrated directly into the speakers. You might still find that the AES output on your Aries sounds better. Too soon to say. You switch inputs using the web app.
 


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