egoquaero

@Chris A Hi Chris! How would you comment this video?

Yeah, right now I'm choosing between Minidsp SHD Studio (899 USD, only digital domain) and Minidsp SHD (1199 USD, digital+analog). https://www.minidsp.com/products/streaming-hd-series/shd-studio https://www.minidsp.com/products/streaming-hd-series/shd Apparently I should be able to do everything I need with the SHD Studio version. The chain should be the following: - Main speakers Macbook —> SHD Studio (SPDIF1 out) —> Hugo 2 DAC for L&R —> Amplifier —> Main Speakers (Minidsp SHD Studio OUT1 and OUT2) Since SHD SPDIF1 out carries OUT1 (left) and OUT2 (right), it means that I will able to equalize left and right separately. - Subwoofers Macbook --> SHD Studio (SPDIF2 out) —> Mojo DAC —> Two subwoofers (Minidsp SHD Studio OUT3 and OUT4) From my understanding, each SPDIF will allow me to equalize two channels separately. So SPDIF1 for left main and right main speakers. And SPDIF2 for the two subwoofers. https://www.amazon.com/AmazonBasics-3-5mm-2-Male-Adapter-Cable/dp/B01D5H8LDM?th=1 1) Using this cable I should be able to connect the Mojo to the two subs and equalize them separately, right? 2) Which device do you suggest to get, SHD or SHD Studio? 3) Anyone knows the right cable to connect the SHD Studio to the Chord Hugo 2?

I know what you mean and I thank you for the suggestion. However I really can't let the subwoofer go... There's something magical about them. Audiophiles tend to snob them a lot: less transparent sound, muddy bass, less clear stereo image, less coherency, etc. All true. But I feel like that people claiming this haven't really spent enough time (positioning, tweaking, EQ, etc.) and haven't set up proper acoustic treatments. I listen mostly to jazz and electronic music. Electronic music often hits the area 20-40Hz and if you don't have a sub.. well, you enjoy half of it. Even with jazz, the sub just gives more soundstage and body impact. And I'm willing to sacrifice a little bit of transparency, coherency for those sub frequencies. It's a choice. Everything in audio is a trade off as it is in life.

Hi glens, well, there's something really sexy about the Hugo 2 Its transparency, the hyper details, its take on dynamics ... things I doubt the internal dacs of the Minidsp can keep up. https://www.head-fi.org/threads/chord-electronics-hugo-2-the-official-thread.831345/page-809#post-14179639 Here, Rob Watts, the engineer behind Chord Hugo 2 states: "Yes its about 31 mS for 48 kHz input, and it's down to the WTA tap length and 16FS oversampling on the first filter WTA1." I actually don't know about the latency at higher rates and honestly I don't care as I'll only listen to CD quality.

Chord Electronics just got back to me and: "According to engineering, Hugo2 has a 31ms delay at 44.1 Khz. If you wish to split the signal like that, it's a possibility that you will need to add a 31ms delay to the subs using the DSP" Phew... 31ms should be manageable right? Now back to the connection conundrum. What’s the best way to connect the SHD Studio to the Chord Hugo 2? https://www.minidsp.com/products/streaming-hd-series/shd-studio I know that the SHD Studio’s got 4 digital outputs: FIRST output: SPDIF on RCA connector / Isolated with digital audio transformer SECOND output: SPDIF on RCA connector / Isolated with digital audio transformer THIRD output: AES-EBU on XLR connector FORTH output: AES-EBU on XLR connector Chord Hugo 2 digital inputs are: - Micro USB Input 768kHz (Probably wouldn't work with SHD) - 3.5mm jack coaxial 768KHz/32-bit capable - Optical Input 192kHz Am I able to use both SPDIF output and AES-EBU output to connect to Hugo 2? Which cable should I use?

half a second?! Nasty, very nasty...

Thank you for your help. I wrote an email to Chord to see if they have a precise answer about this latency to know whether it'd be audible or not. If it's less than 30 ms, it should be correctable by the SHD Studio itself. Someone told me that the SHD Studio can adjust up to 30 ms. All my connection concerns still remain... Why is it so complicated? So far, I haven't even figured out how to connect the SHD Studio to the Chord Hugo 2.. which digital output to which digital input? Which cable? We need a Steve Jobs to simplify the audiophile world... And then we wonder why young people are not joining... I'm 29 and definitely an exception

Another way to make things less complicated would be that of getting the Minidsp SHD with analog outputs as well. And so it would be: - Minidsp SHD digital out --> Hugo 2 --> Hegel Amp --> Klipsch Forte III - Minidsp SHD analog out 1 --> Subwoofer 1 - MInidsp SHD analog out 2 --> Subwoofer 2 But then again... someone pointed out that Hugo 2's latency is pretty high and so the subs' sound might hit earlier than the main speakers' sound in an audible way... Does this make sense?

Cool thanks again! With this structure is there a way to add a second subwoofer? From the specs of the SHD Studio I see the following digital outputs: Four channels of digital output 2 x SPDIF on RCA connector / Isolated with digital audio transformer. 2 x AES-EBU on XLR connector Headphone amplifier output - CS43130 Headphone amplifier So I wonder how I should connect the second subwoofer: - First SPDIF of the SHD Studio to Hugo 2 --> Hegel H190 --> Klipsch Forte III - Second SPDIF of the SHD Studio to Mojo --> Subwoofer How should I do with the second subwoofer? One solution would be the Mojo giving analog signals to both the subwoofers. However I won't be able to equalize the subwoofers separately... Any suggestions?

So right now I have rca male-rca male cable for connecting the sub and the amplifier. I would need a jack 3.5 male-rca male to connect the sub to the Mojo. Do these items work? https://www.amazon.it/metallo-masch...+maschio+mono&qid=1561456687&s=gateway&sr=8-8 https://www.amazon.it/Igreely®-pres...maschio+mono&qid=1561456736&s=gateway&sr=8-10 Not sure about the quality though...

I'm realizing now that... I have a spare Chord Mojo! I can use it as the second DAC to give that analog signal needed by the subwoofer. Does it make sense? The Mojo's got two 3.5mm Headphone Jack outputs. Is there a way to make this happen? Something that connects the Mojo to the subwoofer?

Hi Chris, thank you so much for your help as always! So I took a look at Minidsp offerings with Dirac software and I found that the SHD studio might be the missing piece: https://www.minidsp.com/products/streaming-hd-series/shd-studio AUDIO CHAIN MAP (see attached image) As you can see with this structure: I keep Hugo 2 into the equation There's only one digital-analog conversion performed by DACs, since the SHD Studio dsp device is digital in and digital out New questions: It seems that I need two DACs? One for the main speakers and the other for the subwoofer? Is there a way to make the Hugo 2 be the only DAC. So that the Hugo 2 receives two digital signals from the Shd studio and then produces two analog signals. One for the main speakers and one for the sub. This would be ideal, but I doubt it'd be possible. If point two is not possible, what would be a nice alternative?

Hey guys! I'm in the process of upgrading/tweaking my system and there's one "final" piece of the puzzle I need to find. Current setup: Speakers: Klipsch Forte III Subwoofer: Klipsch R-115SW Amplifier: Hegel H190 DAC: Chord Hugo 2 Room size: 4*5 meters (roughly 13*16 ft) Four wall-wall corners treated with GIK Tri-Trap Corner Bass Trap Two front wall-wall-ceiling corners treated with GIK Soffit Bass trap Side walls, rear wall and ceiling early reflection points treated with Monster bass traps Considering the small size of the room and the big size of the speakers, I reached the conclusion that a quite heavy acoustic treatment was needed for both bass and mid high early reflections (as you can see from all the acoustic treatments in my setup). I'm still waiting for the panels to be delivered though (looking forward to!!). My next move would be that of using digital correction as the final tweak to reach a flatter frequency response curve in my room (or at least in my listening spot). But how? Few considerations: 1) I'd like to use my Chord Hugo 2 dac somewhere in the chain. I suppose the audio chain will be something like: Macbook --> DSP device --> Hugo 2 DAC --> Amplifier --> Speakers 2) I'd like to have only one digital-analog conversion (carried by Hugo 2) 3) I don't have a clear budget. I'm willing to spend money if the solution proposed solves my pain in a elegant way. Say 2000 usd max? Questions: What DSP device/software would you suggest me to get? The Klipsch Forte III frequency response: 38Hz – 20kHz (+/- 3 dB) How should I cross over to the subwoofer? At which frequency? At around 40Hz, 60Hz or 80Hz? And why? Where should the subwoofer fit in the chain in a way that it gets its input signal converted by Hugo 2? But then, if I place my subwoofer after the DAC in the audio chain, will the DSP device still be able to control the sub's input signal separately from the Forte speakers? (so that I'm able to have control on crossover points between speakers and sub) BONUS: It might be nice to have a system where I'm able to stream wirelessly from iPhone/Macbook (Airplay, Aptx) to the whole chain. Maybe a DSP device with integrated streamer? (furthermore consider that the Hugo 2 is able to do that via bluetooth aptx and the amplifier Hegel H190 is able to receive through Airplay and bluetooth aptx) Thank you so much guys for your help!!

Thank you guys for your help! mmm... those are not exactly the solid boxes Chris A referred to, right? I'm waiting for my acoustic panels to arrive to really start tweaking with my setup. I'll most probably play with digital correction once I place all the acoustic treatments. And so, I might decide to cross over to the Klipsch R-115SW at a certain frequency level. Current setup: Speakers: Klipsch Forte III Amplifier: Hegel H190 Subwoofer: Klipsch R-115SW DAC: Hugo 2 Room size: 4*5 meters (roughly 13*16 ft) Four wall-wall corners treated with GIK Tri-Trap Corner Bass Trap Two front wall-wall-ceiling corners treated with GIK Soffit Bass trap Side walls, rear wall and ceiling reflection points are treated with Monster bass traps Actually I haven't started gathering information on what would be best to do for my setup DSP wise. Which software? How should I set the subwoofer crossover? Black magic vibes…

Hey guys!! I've been wondering whether the Klipsch Forte III should be raised to ear level or not. I mean, tweeters are supposed to be ear level or slightly above, but the Forte III's tweeters are definitely below ear level if one sits on a normal sofa. On the other hand the engineers who designed the Fortes must have kept this into account and calibrated the Fortes accordingly to sound in a certain way? And so it might be somehow stupid for us to mess with their height by putting them on something to raise them... I don't know... let me know what you think or what you've done! Cheers!!

Guys, thank you so much again for your help!!! The audiophile community is really something.... you guys are so supportive and helpful! Well yesterday afternoon I managed to cruise on ebay for a while and there was a new Hegel H190 at 2600 Eur which is quite a steal here in Italy. (in Italy, hifi prices are absurdly high compared to the ones in the US for instance..) And so… I bought it! It was a rushed decision (last piece), but I think it'll keep my upgradetis under check for a while. It's one of the few integrated amps with Airplay and that comes really handy to me. And it should be able to drive with authority most speakers I might buy in the "near" future. Is anyone familiar with this Hegel H190?

Thanks to everybody for your insights!! One clarification: I'm not claiming that all the amps sound the same. From my understanding, amps do sound different. However different doesn't mean better. Given certain circumstances (for instance, a sufficient wattage, no distortion, flat response, etc.) many many amps sound RIGHT/CORRECT for a certain set of speakers. And furthermore we need to consider my intention of using digital EQ room correction which will probably reduce the difference between amps even more. So here's the heart of my concern: Does it make sense to spend 2500 USD for a sound that's slightly different (and not necessarily better) switching from a "right/correct" Cambridge CXA60 sound to another "right/correct" Rotel RA 1592 or Hegel H160 sound? I honestly think that might not be totally worth it. And hence my decisional process of getting an overkill amplifier for my current Forte III, so that this amp will be futureproof as well. Does this thinking make sense to you? I noticed that many of you suggested me to get a tube amplifier. I'm not sure if this would be what I need most. I don't doubt that tube amplifiers might be more ear pleasing. But… Me and my brother produce music. He's got a set of studio monitors but often we need to check our work on this Klipsch Forte III hifi system. So it'd be good for us to have a system with the lowest distortion and flattest response possible. So considering this, should I still keep tube amplifiers in my evaluation? Ethan Wiener claims tube amplifiers have higher distortions: "Myth: Amplifiers based on vacuum tubes sound better than solid state designs, and a good tube preamp can even restore clarity and warmth that has been lost in the digital recording process. Fact: Both types of amplifiers can have a frequency response flat enough for audio reproduction. But modern solid state amplifiers have measurably lower distortion than any tube-based design. Most tube-based power amplifiers also require an output transformer, which increases distortion - especially at the frequency extremes. Further, solid state power amps always have a better damping factor"

Hey guys! My first post here! Great community here! I recently bought a pair of Klipsch Forte III and I’m thinking about upgrading my current budget amplifier Cambridge CXA60. My budget is around 2500 USD. I hope you guys can give me a few insights. Cheers! Current setup: Macbook Pro Network streamer + DAC: Chord Mojo + Poly Amplifier: Cambridge CXA60 (60 watt) Speakers: Klipsch Forte III, 99db sensitivity Subwoofer: Klipsch R-115SW The room is pretty small: 4*6 meters (roughly 13*19 ft) but very well acoustically treated (I covered all the power corners with GIK acoustics bass Tritraps and Soffit + complete acoustic treatment on early reflection points The Cambridge amp sounds nice with the Fortes but I feel like I’m missing out on something. I don’t know what "something" actually, since I haven’t paired the Fortes with anything yet but the Cambridge. So the crucial question is: should I upgrade? I’ve been considering integrated amps like the Rotel RA 1592 and the Peachtree nova300. I know that it’s kind of an overkill to drive the Forte III with respectively 200 watts (Rotel) and 300 watts (Peachtree). However knowing myself, I might upgrade the whole system (speakers included) in like 4-5 years or so. And it might be nice to have a capable high powered amp around (with lots of power headroom) so I won’t need to spend further capital again on a new amplifier in a few years. On the other hand, I feel like I’m wasting quite a bit of money buying a powerful integrated amplifier right now. At the end of the day the Cambridge CXA60’s got 60 watt and it is more than sufficient to drive the Forte III. This leads to another thing that’s bugging me… The sound quality of an amplifier! People like Ethan Wiener argue in a very convincing way that when compared evenly, the sonic differences between amplifiers operated below clipping are below the audible threshold of human hearing. This guy summarized this view here: https://jakekuyser.wordpress.com/2016/05/23/do-hi-fi-amplifiers-sound-alike/ Furthermore I’ll most probably have Sonarworks room digital EQ correction toggled on all the time to remove all the equipment unwanted colorations. These colorations might sound nice, but I’m more of a "I want to hear what the artist intended" type of a listener. (((To me Sonarworks was an eye opener when I first used it to calibrate my Sennheiser HD800. https://www.pro-tools-expert.com/home-page/2017/8/24/headphone-shootout-sennheiser-hd800-vs-hd800s It made me think about the extreme amount of the self delusion nature in the audiophile community. Many audiophiles rave about the alleged flat response of the HD800 when there are indisputable peaks at 5,5kHz and 11kHz, plus very very weak bass. Without correction they’re almost annoying to me and they definitely do not deliver what the artist/sound engineers intended. However, these cans are very often just described as extremely revealing, clinical, unforgiving… which eventually led to the claim that the HD800 is picky regarding the amp…))) Questions: So considering that I’ll most probably have Sonarworks room digital EQ correction toggled on all the time to remove all the equipment unwanted colorations, do you guys still think that I might be able to get a "better" sound by upgrading the Cambridge to a more powerful amp, like the the Rotel RA 1592 and the Peachtree nova300? Which integrated amplifier would you suggest me to evaluate? Is it worth to spend 2000-2500 USD more for this? Or should I use this money for a better DAC or a network streamer? Sorry guys for this long post! Cheers, Egoq