Jump to content

*~Gone Active~*


TNRabbit

Recommended Posts

I pulled out the solder iron & bypassed the passive crossovers in my AL-IIIs today; it took about 2 hours all told to get the Ashley crossover installed (what a snakes nest behind the unit now with 5.1 setup!!) and unsolder the x-over and solder the speakers back inline with the fuses. :D

About 15 seconds after I finished & was connecting the last speaker to the amp, a major storm blew through and knocked out our power for about 2 hours!!

The power came back on about the time & had decided to just go to bed, so I ran upstairs & got everything prepped, turned it on, adjusted the crossover and discovered....

....
....
...
...
...
...

I HATED the sound coming out of the ribbons (nasal-ish sounding), and the bass was weak! #-o

SO, I did some playing around with the levels, gave a little bit of treble boost via the TG-IV, and it's now sounding MUCH better, although I realize I'm not going to be happy until I get the Rane parametric equalizers in place (20 minutes left on the auction as I type this!) & shape the sound a little. First impression is the upper midrange is boosted a LOT with this direct connection, but I can also tell a lot of power has been freed up from the amp. The AL-III x-overs are real power hogs~

So far, things are sound pretty darned good--I also have to say the Ashley crossover is DEAD SILENT....even better than I was expecting!

More to come......................

Auction just ended on the Rane crossovers; got two of 'em, consecutive serial numbers, in really good shape for $122.00~ WOO HOO!

Posted Image

Posted Image

Posted Image

Posted Image


Posted Image
Posted Image
Posted Image
Posted Image
Posted Image
Posted Image

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Replies 72
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Top Posters In This Topic

I think I've discovered why it sounds tighter/faster:



"with an active crossover, the power amplifiers
are directly connected to the speaker drivers, thereby maximizing
amplifier damping control of the speaker voice coil, reducing
consequences of dynamic changes in driver electrical characteristics,
all of which are likely to improve the transient response of the system"




(from Wikipedia)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Welcome to the dark side!!!

Are you going to be able (or even want?) to try to put some tube power up high and solid state down low? Now you'll be able to mix/match amps all you want and might have some fun trying different things there as well.

I suppose going active isn't without it's challanges. One of the nice things with the Jubilees, JubeScala and other configuations that Roy has come up with is if anyone makes those choices, the recipe has already been tried & tested. Simply plug in, dial in his recipe and play.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I think I've discovered why it sounds tighter/faster:

"with an active crossover, the power amplifiers are directly connected to the speaker drivers, thereby maximizing amplifier damping control of the speaker voice coil, reducing consequences of dynamic changes in driver electrical characteristics, all of which are likely to improve the transient response of the system"

From http://sound.westhost.com/biamp-vs-passive.htm:

"The loudspeaker driver now has the maximum control that the amplifier can provide, across the entire frequency range - not just the crossover network's pass band. The difference in damping is quite obvious, and although some (very well behaved) drivers will show little improvement, the vast majority will be much better controlled...Well apart from the other advantages of an active system, this is perhaps one of the most compelling reasons to use an active system rather than passive. Not only is it possible to achieve the maximum damping, ...[it] will be stable across the frequency range..."

"In short, there is simply no comparison between the two systems...The potential for uncontrolled cone movement, intermodulation distortion and loss of performance...is all negated in one fell swoop by using a fully active system."

Active Bi-Amping FAQ

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Welcome to the dark side!!!

Are you going to be able (or even want?) to try to put some tube power up high and solid state down low? Now you'll be able to mix/match amps all you want and might have some fun trying different things there as well.

I suppose going active isn't without it's challanges. One of the nice things with the Jubilees, JubeScala and other configuations that Roy has come up with is if anyone makes those choices, the recipe has already been tried & tested. Simply plug in, dial in his recipe and play.

No, no tubes for me. I've used the "Current" source taps on my Sunfire amp, which mimics tube sound (I know, no lectures please!) & I prefer the clean, clear sound of a well-designed solid state amp, they are so much simpler to deal with~

I'm using 4 of the 7 channels in my Sunfire Cinema Seven Signature to drive these puppies.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

How much of the 5.1 is active now?

Only the mains. The center is a pair of Realistic Minimus 77s, and the surrounds are two pair of Realistic Minimus 7s, all wired in parallel for each channel. Sounds pretty darned good. It would just be silly to try to bi-amp Minimus 7s! I have them crossover to the sub @ 120 Hz.

The 5.1 is a temporary setup for now; I need to figure out a way to run miles of wiring out of sight--- a mandate set by my fiance`....

Link to comment
Share on other sites

After living with an active crossover for about six months, I'm thrilled I took the leap. I have incredible flexibility and can swap out components at will. It was and still a steep learning curve for me, but well worth the effort.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I had been passively bi-amping for about 2 years, but I wish I'd gone full active from the get-go. What a difference! All the more important as the Carver Amazings are power hogs of the first order~I'm guessing I was probably losng 40% of my available power to the passive crossovers.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I have Ashly's XR-1001 and XR-2001. Thinking about getting another one. I have their last analog parametric EQ too....too bad those are no longer in production.

Yes....I get no hiss. Sounds good to me. Using them with tubes and SS amps.

jc

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I have Ashly's XR-1001 and XR-2001. Thinking about getting another one. I have their last analog parametric EQ too....too bad those are no longer in production.

Yes....I get no hiss. Sounds good to me. Using them with tubes and SS amps.

jc

I'm very impressed with the Ashely; just wish it had a phase delay adjustment as well. They could sell a bazillion of them if it did!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I am running an Ashly Protea 4.8SP digital processor to control my MCM speakers you see in my avatar. My avatar is old and the setup is actually 4-way with the Klipsch XII mid-bass modules added and 2 subs as well. That little Ashly does every single bit of it (X-over, delay, gain matching, speaker channel EQ, room EQ), sounds very analog and has simplified my life tremendously. I turn it all on, and listen. I barely adjust anything at all anymore. I love it.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Have any of you been able to compare the Behringer DCX2496 with the Ashly crossovers with similar features? I have been looking at some of the Protea crossovers. I am pretty sure Ashly has a better reputation as far as crossovers are concerned.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Behringer stuff is made like crap; you couldn't GIVE me a Behringer unit.

Now that we know how you feel, have you ever compared one to an Ashly?

No--I've not had a Behringer unit in my home rig, but I've dealt with them in professional settings & they break at the slightest provocation & are quite noisy.

I can say unequivicably though, that the Ashly is very impressive. Quality feel of the pots & switches & the sound quality is sublime....I can't detect ANY added noise to the line.

Had a scare tonight; thought I had toasted one of my ribbons, but it turned out to just be a loose connection from the PS Audio speaker cables to the banana connector (unscrewed almost all the way).....whew!

I'll be buying lower value fuses tomorrow~

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I did encounter a very noisy "C" input from my Behringer recently. I started using the C channel for a third speaker in a 3*2 configuration. The problem turned out to be the microphone section that is always hot along with C channel. I was able to sever the connection between the mic input and C channel and not everything works as it should. System is rather quiet unless I stick my head in the HF horn. Othewise it is no noisier than my previous passive setup.

I would, however, like to have a listen to the new Protea units. I did find that Behringer tech support was less than helpful considering the unit was manufactured less than a year ago. No big deal, the price was right for this unit.

I do know the newer Protea units have a greater sampling rate than the Behringer, although they both use the same A/D chips.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I was using a Behringer 2496dcx before I replaced it with the Ashly and did compare the two side by side........channel vs channel. It was an interesting comparison. The Behringer cost $269 and the Ashly $1260. When you look at the two units side by side the Behringer has a nicer fit and finish. Actually looks more expensive than the Ashly. However, I had one unit on each channel and the sound is the big difference. The Behringer makes my system sound more like a clock radio and the Ashly makes it sound like a large concert sound reinforcement system. The Ashly is VERY impressive and it has a very analog sound to it. I had tried in the past to "go digital" and failed based on poor choices of equipment and component matching. My advice if you truly want audiophile sound is to forget about trying to do an active system on the cheap. Just forget about it until you have the $$$. Forget about Behringer. It gets you in the game and gets you running, but it does not have an audiophile sound (2496DCX). If you are as picky as me you will be disappointed. I also replaced my equipment and now run a pure McIntosh system with C220 preamp and mac amps for all channels............no buzz, no hum.......no headaches with equipment matching which is another HUGE concern. But the Ashly is the heart of it all and got me there in a very comfortable and satisfying way. The Protea 4.8SP is also a 4-way unit and so since I am operating an MCM-3-Grand I have the extra channels for my two subs. When you look at my system it looks simple...........it is all dialed in via a combination of Roy Delgado's settings and some minor tweaks via RTA and ear.........and like I said I just turn it all on and listen to it now.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.


×
×
  • Create New...