SUBLIMEACOUSTIC K231 is a 3 way active crossover suggested to me by member @roger2 that resides upstream from the amplifiers. It is strictly analog, but it has very good specs, and fills a void between the $99 models, and the very expensive brands which are out of bounds for most of our wallets. This unit is what I am now using for my triamped system for my significantly modified JBL L200's. I say modified in that I changed out the original woofers for the JBL 2216Nd1 which comes in the 4367. I also have added 077/2405 tweeters. All traces of crossovers downstream from the amps are gone, all that functionality is now taken up with the K231.
Not being new to the benefits of active crossovers, as for triamping, I have been running a MiniDSP 4x10HD for a couple years now, and while that gain was a big upward shift in my SQ level, it came at a bit of a price. For one thing, the 4x10HD is a digital crossover unit with DSP PEQ capabilities which came in very handy for integrating the 2216Nd1's into the near 50 year old L200's. It was a virtual must for making this a reality, even though the Nd1 was actually a good match for the 200 cabs. The 'price' I'm talking about with the MiniDSP is more about it being a little dated, and being locked into its own multi ch AD/DA system, which I always suspected could be improved on with the better performing DACS. So with the K231, I was looking at the advantage of using a single 2 ch DAC of my own choosing as well as using my Kenwood 700C preamp again. The reason I wasn't using it was that the ADC's in the MiniDSP did degrade the sound further, so I fed it digital direct from my PC. Now, since the analog audio out to the crossover is 2 ch, I can use my preamp again.
In order to keep the room correction DSP PEQ's that I have worked for over the past couple years, I am still using the 4x10HD for its PEQ implementation, but bypassing its multi ch DAC's and now feeding the DAC downstream with a digital signal from the Mini. The DAC in my case is pretty minimal in cost, but a good performer, the Schiit Modi 3 which I had already. Later I may upgrade this DAC, which is one big advantage of the K231.. Here is a little diagram showing the RCA cables and the toslink from the Mini to the 2 ch DAC.
My impressions from last night were very good! Now this is going to get subjective, so before anyone gets offended, I am perfectly aware of expectation bias, particularly when one relies on memory of something heard from days ago, or even 15 minutes ago. Fortunately I was able to keep the crossovers from the MiniDSP active as well as the digital out bypass (toslink) to the new DAC and analog xover, and just keep their outputs on different inputs on the amplifiers. The Mini keeps both analog and digital outputs "hot" all the time. So all I need to do is switch from line 1 to line 2 on the three amplifiers (2) Yamaha AS 301's and a AS 701 and I can listen to what I had before and after.. Not exactly A/B, but better than even short term memory.
The sound felt like a new clarity was there. I heard faint instruments and vocals on familiar tracks that I hadn't really noticed before. Also the sense that a slight fog or veil was lifted as well. Expectation bias? Sure I am willing to entertain that notion, but what in life doesn't have a bit of that? All I know is that I usually listen to music rather intently from about 4 or 5pm to 8pm at such time I switch off and turn on the TV. Last night, I kept listening as I was just enjoying the music too damn much to watch the tube!
I drug out the mic at some point, and set up REW and did some sweeps at my listening chair just to see if my levels were okay from driver to driver. The top green line is with the new K231, and the bottom is from the MiniDSP crossover. Both are utilizing room PEQ's from the MiniDSP. BTW, eventually I am going to upgrade the 4x10 to something, perhaps Dirac, as in the MiniDSP SHD series, or go for a PC based system.. But I need to save up for all that!
Not being new to the benefits of active crossovers, as for triamping, I have been running a MiniDSP 4x10HD for a couple years now, and while that gain was a big upward shift in my SQ level, it came at a bit of a price. For one thing, the 4x10HD is a digital crossover unit with DSP PEQ capabilities which came in very handy for integrating the 2216Nd1's into the near 50 year old L200's. It was a virtual must for making this a reality, even though the Nd1 was actually a good match for the 200 cabs. The 'price' I'm talking about with the MiniDSP is more about it being a little dated, and being locked into its own multi ch AD/DA system, which I always suspected could be improved on with the better performing DACS. So with the K231, I was looking at the advantage of using a single 2 ch DAC of my own choosing as well as using my Kenwood 700C preamp again. The reason I wasn't using it was that the ADC's in the MiniDSP did degrade the sound further, so I fed it digital direct from my PC. Now, since the analog audio out to the crossover is 2 ch, I can use my preamp again.
In order to keep the room correction DSP PEQ's that I have worked for over the past couple years, I am still using the 4x10HD for its PEQ implementation, but bypassing its multi ch DAC's and now feeding the DAC downstream with a digital signal from the Mini. The DAC in my case is pretty minimal in cost, but a good performer, the Schiit Modi 3 which I had already. Later I may upgrade this DAC, which is one big advantage of the K231.. Here is a little diagram showing the RCA cables and the toslink from the Mini to the 2 ch DAC.
My impressions from last night were very good! Now this is going to get subjective, so before anyone gets offended, I am perfectly aware of expectation bias, particularly when one relies on memory of something heard from days ago, or even 15 minutes ago. Fortunately I was able to keep the crossovers from the MiniDSP active as well as the digital out bypass (toslink) to the new DAC and analog xover, and just keep their outputs on different inputs on the amplifiers. The Mini keeps both analog and digital outputs "hot" all the time. So all I need to do is switch from line 1 to line 2 on the three amplifiers (2) Yamaha AS 301's and a AS 701 and I can listen to what I had before and after.. Not exactly A/B, but better than even short term memory.
The sound felt like a new clarity was there. I heard faint instruments and vocals on familiar tracks that I hadn't really noticed before. Also the sense that a slight fog or veil was lifted as well. Expectation bias? Sure I am willing to entertain that notion, but what in life doesn't have a bit of that? All I know is that I usually listen to music rather intently from about 4 or 5pm to 8pm at such time I switch off and turn on the TV. Last night, I kept listening as I was just enjoying the music too damn much to watch the tube!
I drug out the mic at some point, and set up REW and did some sweeps at my listening chair just to see if my levels were okay from driver to driver. The top green line is with the new K231, and the bottom is from the MiniDSP crossover. Both are utilizing room PEQ's from the MiniDSP. BTW, eventually I am going to upgrade the 4x10 to something, perhaps Dirac, as in the MiniDSP SHD series, or go for a PC based system.. But I need to save up for all that!
