Delicious2

Thanks Ron! Those pics are helpful. I can see how the silicon around the horn cutouts would damp vibration. What silicon compound are you using? I still don't see how the driver is mounted to the horn. Is it direct to the flange or to some intermediary support?

Any testing done here in OB mode?

Yes, fascinating project! Got any more pictures of the initial setup/evolution? Still plan on testing as "open baffle" (not sure how that would work when only the woofers fire to the rear) and if so wouldn't the baffle have to be much larger than what your pictures show so far? If already going to a sealed cabinet without OB testing, why have the horn protrude from out front? Won't that be difficult to seal off? Why not have the horn lip seal to the cabinet front much as it does with the KPT-305 which cabinet Chris used for his MEH? Speaking of the KPT-305, Klipsch went to the trouble of enclosing the back of the 8 inch driver in that mid bass module in a metal can - really sealing it off inside the 305 box. Maybe our evolving MEH designs should go in that direction?

Interesting. Are these ripped as DSD/DSF?

It might not, since I've found that the Oppo 103D is converting the DSD/DSF to PCM. Then again it might since it's a simpler way of playing the files - no computer software involved. For me who has become aware of noise in my system even when a computer is working on the same household power circuit (not connected to the audio system directly analog or digital) this point seems important currently (no pun intended). Maybe I'll find software playback superior if nothing else for the GUI and cataloging/tagging features and this noise issue to be "in the weeds". :0)

My confusion stemmed from thinking you were referencing his review as an illustration of the superior performance of the XMC-1's dacs. Now I understand your greater context. Thank-you and well put. Actually, as I've stated before, following you over the past year or so has awakened me to the "macro" issues in home audio and what is "in the weeds".

Confused here. I didn't read through all 11 pages of that thread but the review conclusion makes clear: "Even without that problem, we still can't match performance of a $99 desktop DAC even though we paid $2,500. Yes, we got more channels than 2 and have room EQ but still, I want my good performance damn it!"

Actually, I meant the Oppo directly playing the ripped DSD/DSF files from a usb drive connected to it or over a network share/ethernet not HDMI in, but, after some experimentation that might not be a very attractive way given it seems to convert DSD to PCM:

Glad you're home and on the mend Rudy.

Interesting, I may need to check out the foobar2000 interface for myself. Have you tried them directly on the Oppo? If the Emotiva has analog inputs you could also play around with which DAC sounds better (although those differences may be swamped/moot by the DSP you're doing) Any noise penalty for having a computer directly hooked to the system?

Yes, it's great to have immediate browse-ability of most of my collection. (I still have some bluray-audio disks to rip.) I'm getting addicted to the presentation/GUI of Tidal in Roon but only for 2 channel (the Oppo 203 can't be a multichannel Roon endpoint). Do tell though Chris, I saw you post about software player options, but, how are you getting those new ripped DSD/DSF files to your Emotiva? Just playing them on the Oppo 103 which ripped them with your 2TB usb drive connected?

More on topic here’s what DSD/DSF looks like on the iPad controlling the oppo 203 first in Roon (which I believe transcodes the files into its own format) and the Oppo Media Control app (which I think doesn’t)

https://www.makemkv.com/forum/viewforum.php?f=20

Chris, thanks for that Tag&Rename info. I'll be investigating that. If like me you're also interested in ripping UHD Blurays I found lots of helpful info on the MakeMKV forum including a guy named Alex who set me up with a drive and case with UHD compatible firmware. I got: 5.25” Bare Drive ASUS BW-16D1HT with Libre Drive mod and -OWC Mercury Pro USB 3.0 enclosure for full sized drive. This setup works on my Win10 usb 3.0 laptop and older Vista usb 2.0 desktop with MakeMKV and RedFox AnyDVD.

Here's a look at the MiniDSP software settings that give output from my laptop usb connection. Note on the input tab that "usb" is selected and in addition to showinig "connected" that it's not "muted". It has an unconventional mute switch. Both have an "x" but the muted state is red.

Not really on topic but here's the Oppo 103D firmware on which I'm ripping my SACDs to DSF

Playback from the NAS of the ripped DSF files btw is over ethernet to an Oppo 203 controlled with an iPad using the Oppo Control Media app.

I've been ripping my MCH SACDs to a NAS share with an Oppo 103D for the last couple months. I'll check my firmware version on the off chance that I can help Chris. Totally agree about the one Yellowjackets SACD I own - Altered State - now I'll have to get the other 2!

What are we thinking is a fair range for these? They do have the Crites xovers.

PM sent.

No experience with Ashly but the 2 Xilica XP-4080s I have are very quiet and good sounding. There's just no substitute for the control and resultant sound you can get with active.

Probably won't have much to say about soundstage and depth given this mono setup or is that a misconception on my part that soundstage and depth are mostly qualities inherent to stereo playback? Not much time to listen to this last week. I set the bare AMT-1 stack to burning in using some moderately loud pink noise for 12 hours at a stretch while I was away at work, so, over 3 days maybe 30 hours of pink noise. Just running Chris' settings for the Belle bass/AMT-1 at the moment so I must break out the UMIK-1 and REW to even begin to dial it in. Just on the gross level of balance between the Khorn bass bin and the stack I am once again amazed at how much increased bass tames the perceived brightness and how much decreased bass emphasizes it. A small twist of the Nobsound bass amp volume knob radically changes the character of this blend. Our hearing is incredibly relative!

Initial listen promising 😺