Most of my system is fairly bedded in now, and genuine hardware updates are very much in the prohibitively expensive.
So in the last few months, I've been focusing on the the bits around the edges, thought you guys might be interested in an update.
For background:
- Source is a Meridian sooloos server, which links via Ethernet into a Meridian 861v4 AV processor with a variety of cards fitted. The implications being that the server is physically separated from the DACs and use of ethernet avoids jitter from SPDIF connections. Being an AV processor, the 861 acts as DAC (both stereo and surround) and pre-amp, outputting upto 7.1 audio, in my case via balanced connections (better for lower noise floors). I've got a Meridian HD621 fronting the 861, which allows the use of digital connection via HDMI from BD players and similar. That's how I've also connected in my PS3, Xbox360, Amazon Firestick and laptop
- Power amps as a Bel Canto Evo2 on the front, Cyrus Power on the rear, both connected by balanced XLR cables
- Speakers are a pair of 3 way horn loaded Impulse Ta'us on the front, Quad 12s on the rear. I've yet to come across a centre that could genuinely integrate with my fronts, so I use phantom mode.
The 861 also includes Meridian's take on room correction, which is applied only below 250hz and only to reduce signals. That's their view on the method to be least impacting upon sound quality.
Linked to that, I've got a couple of GIK tri-traps in the corners of my room behind my main speakers. Being fair, they don't do much for reducing a bass resonance, though they do seem to help with reflections and diffraction of the sound.
Excluding the centre, the most obvious point that some of you will notice is the lack of a sub. My speakers already get down to under 30hz, but out of curiosity, I thought I'd have another go (tried a Rel q100 years ago and simply never got it genuinely integrated).
As an experiment, I bought a REL Storm3, which whilst getting on a bit, is apparently still considered to be pretty good and was a sensible price. I found comments by an owner who also had a Monolith and thought they were fairly comparable. The good news was that it was actually fairly easy to integrate, using a low crossover at under 30hz to avoid my primary room bass node. Couple of days of fiddling and we were in business, resulting in an enhanced low end that was acceptably tight and happily enhanced the experience.
Note that my interest is 95% on getting music sounding right. If my system happens to also be capable of doing movies well (which it certainly does), then that's great, but my tuning is always conducted using music only. No trouser flapping stuff here.
It was then time to get over my room correction again for a sanity check. Something still didn't sound right. Whilst the Meridian MRC system does work, it's frankly just "slow" to use, taking anywhere upto 6-8 mins to run a sweep and suggest a set of correction filters, which makes the process a bit of pain.
As such, I grabber myself a Umik-1 mic and installed REW onto my laptop, which proved to be a godsend, as the process for measurement was probably under 20 seconds.
The implications being that it was VERY easy to measure using REW and correct by playing around with Meridian MRC filters manually.
Turned out that I had a 15db hump at 40hz, with secondary at 80hz. 30 mins later and several iterations on of measure/correct/measure and I'd dialed all of them out. Also allow an increase in the gain on the sub without resulting in "boom", further improving low end. I deliberately tried to use as few a number of filters as possible, to minimise potential impact upon SQ.
The results were pretty startling. Much better room integration and a far more overall listenable experience. For example I have some nastily recorded tracks that can sound truly awful in the wrong room, with bass notes right at the worst frequencies for most UK rooms. The above solved all of that.
Next up, I'm going to try DIRAC, which I'll install on my laptop and then connect to my system to sanity check the benefits.
DIRAC can be used "full range" across the whole 20-20k frequency range and I'm curious about the result. Comments elsewhere are generally very positive, though I have found some from people who preferred a more benign and simple implimentation. I'll keep you guys posted on that.
So in the last few months, I've been focusing on the the bits around the edges, thought you guys might be interested in an update.
For background:
- Source is a Meridian sooloos server, which links via Ethernet into a Meridian 861v4 AV processor with a variety of cards fitted. The implications being that the server is physically separated from the DACs and use of ethernet avoids jitter from SPDIF connections. Being an AV processor, the 861 acts as DAC (both stereo and surround) and pre-amp, outputting upto 7.1 audio, in my case via balanced connections (better for lower noise floors). I've got a Meridian HD621 fronting the 861, which allows the use of digital connection via HDMI from BD players and similar. That's how I've also connected in my PS3, Xbox360, Amazon Firestick and laptop
- Power amps as a Bel Canto Evo2 on the front, Cyrus Power on the rear, both connected by balanced XLR cables
- Speakers are a pair of 3 way horn loaded Impulse Ta'us on the front, Quad 12s on the rear. I've yet to come across a centre that could genuinely integrate with my fronts, so I use phantom mode.
The 861 also includes Meridian's take on room correction, which is applied only below 250hz and only to reduce signals. That's their view on the method to be least impacting upon sound quality.
Linked to that, I've got a couple of GIK tri-traps in the corners of my room behind my main speakers. Being fair, they don't do much for reducing a bass resonance, though they do seem to help with reflections and diffraction of the sound.
Excluding the centre, the most obvious point that some of you will notice is the lack of a sub. My speakers already get down to under 30hz, but out of curiosity, I thought I'd have another go (tried a Rel q100 years ago and simply never got it genuinely integrated).
As an experiment, I bought a REL Storm3, which whilst getting on a bit, is apparently still considered to be pretty good and was a sensible price. I found comments by an owner who also had a Monolith and thought they were fairly comparable. The good news was that it was actually fairly easy to integrate, using a low crossover at under 30hz to avoid my primary room bass node. Couple of days of fiddling and we were in business, resulting in an enhanced low end that was acceptably tight and happily enhanced the experience.
Note that my interest is 95% on getting music sounding right. If my system happens to also be capable of doing movies well (which it certainly does), then that's great, but my tuning is always conducted using music only. No trouser flapping stuff here.
It was then time to get over my room correction again for a sanity check. Something still didn't sound right. Whilst the Meridian MRC system does work, it's frankly just "slow" to use, taking anywhere upto 6-8 mins to run a sweep and suggest a set of correction filters, which makes the process a bit of pain.
As such, I grabber myself a Umik-1 mic and installed REW onto my laptop, which proved to be a godsend, as the process for measurement was probably under 20 seconds.
The implications being that it was VERY easy to measure using REW and correct by playing around with Meridian MRC filters manually.
Turned out that I had a 15db hump at 40hz, with secondary at 80hz. 30 mins later and several iterations on of measure/correct/measure and I'd dialed all of them out. Also allow an increase in the gain on the sub without resulting in "boom", further improving low end. I deliberately tried to use as few a number of filters as possible, to minimise potential impact upon SQ.
The results were pretty startling. Much better room integration and a far more overall listenable experience. For example I have some nastily recorded tracks that can sound truly awful in the wrong room, with bass notes right at the worst frequencies for most UK rooms. The above solved all of that.
Next up, I'm going to try DIRAC, which I'll install on my laptop and then connect to my system to sanity check the benefits.
DIRAC can be used "full range" across the whole 20-20k frequency range and I'm curious about the result. Comments elsewhere are generally very positive, though I have found some from people who preferred a more benign and simple implimentation. I'll keep you guys posted on that.
....
.... You would need a few more GIK panels to make significant difference, what they do, which in my view is more important is shorten the RT60 (decay time) so even with a few bass humps the sounds stops and stats so much quicker... the effect is huge. 
)