|
|
Post by chipless on Jul 23, 2017 22:18:44 GMT -5
Hopefully, this is an easy question to answer. I currently have an XMC-1 paired with three XPA-1 amps (left, center, and right). I know the center channel is not "fully differential" (using Emotiva's language), so I am not taking full advantage of the amp's topology as the signal is not fully differential from start to finish. However, am I taking full advantage on the left and right channels automatically given the pairing of XMC-1 and XPA-1? Does it depend on the source? If it depends, would I be taking full advantage of the XPA-1 on left and right if I'm using Dirac while listening to music from a computer via USB for instance? What about while watching a bluray over HDMI?
|
|
|
|
Post by Gary Cook on Jul 24, 2017 1:01:37 GMT -5
Since you are using the DAC in the XMC-1 (both for USB and HDMI) then you are utilising all of the differential circuitry available in the XMC-1.
Cheers
Gary
|
|
|
|
Post by garbulky on Jul 24, 2017 7:37:44 GMT -5
Yes you are taking advantage of it correctly.
|
|
|
|
Post by chipless on Jul 24, 2017 9:05:07 GMT -5
Thank you both for the responses. It's great to have this cleared up!
|
|
|
|
Post by garbulky on Jul 24, 2017 9:41:52 GMT -5
Thank you both for the responses. It's great to have this cleared up! Oh just an addition. if you are using BASS MANAGEMENT then it's not fully balanced. It's only fully balanced when the direct/reference mode is engaged. |
|
|
|
Post by foggy1956 on Jul 24, 2017 10:40:56 GMT -5
Hopefully, this is an easy question to answer. I currently have an XMC-1 paired with three XPA-1 amps (left, center, and right). I know the center channel is not "fully differential" (using Emotiva's language), so I am not taking full advantage of the amp's topology as the signal is not fully differential from start to finish. However, am I taking full advantage on the left and right channels automatically given the pairing of XMC-1 and XPA-1? Does it depend on the source? If it depends, would I be taking full advantage of the XPA-1 on left and right if I'm using Dirac while listening to music from a computer via USB for instance? What about while watching a bluray over HDMI? Reference stereo and dirac do not mix |
|
|
|
Post by wizardofoz on Jul 24, 2017 11:39:49 GMT -5
The other thing Dirac is doing is taking things through another layer of A-D-A again for analogue signals and Dirac processing is being done at 24/96 if my memory serves me well.
|
|
|
|
Post by markc on Jul 24, 2017 14:06:18 GMT -5
The other thing Dirac is doing is taking things through another layer of A-D-A again for analogue signals and Dirac processing is being done at 24/96 if my memory serves me well. Dirac on the XMC-1 is always and only at 24 bit 48 kHz - every other rate is resampled... |
|
|
|
Post by wizardofoz on Jul 24, 2017 22:48:29 GMT -5
|
|
|
|
Post by leonski on Jul 25, 2017 1:19:59 GMT -5
One major 'philosophy' of system building is SOURCE FIRST.
After that? Let your ears, not specs or whatever, be your guide.
|
|
|
|
Post by chipless on Aug 13, 2017 14:37:32 GMT -5
Wondering if there is any way to use subs and keep things fully balanced....
|
|
|
|
Post by chipless on Aug 13, 2017 16:55:43 GMT -5
Thank you both for the responses. It's great to have this cleared up! Oh just an addition. if you are using BASS MANAGEMENT then it's not fully balanced. It's only fully balanced when the direct/reference mode is engaged. So, to clarify things even further, if you select Direct Mode, and have bass management on (e.g. crossover to subs), this is no longer fully balanced on the left and right channels? I know this is all a bit academic, but I'm curious. |
|
|
|
Post by garbulky on Aug 13, 2017 16:59:33 GMT -5
Oh just an addition. if you are using BASS MANAGEMENT then it's not fully balanced. It's only fully balanced when the direct/reference mode is engaged. So, to clarify things even further, if you select Direct Mode, and have bass management on (e.g. crossover to subs), this is no longer fully balanced? I know this is all a bit academic, but I'm curious. I'm not sure of the exact settings or details but I think if you set the sub out to full range and integrate the subwoofers using the actual subwoofer dials on the subwoofer rather than using the XMC-1 it should work. This would mean your speakers will also get a full range signal and so would your subwoofer. |
|
|
|
Post by chipless on Aug 13, 2017 17:15:48 GMT -5
So, to clarify things even further, if you select Direct Mode, and have bass management on (e.g. crossover to subs), this is no longer fully balanced? I know this is all a bit academic, but I'm curious. I'm not sure of the exact settings or details but I think if you set the sub out to full range and integrate the subwoofers using the actual subwoofer dials on the subwoofer rather than using the XMC-1 it should work. This would mean your speakers will also get a full range signal and so would your subwoofer. Interesting. Seems like having a signal sent to the subs regardless of whether it was full range or not wouldn't be much different than applying a crossover and then sending the signal to the subs, but then again, I know nothing about this. I will try to verify directly with Emotiva if no one responds definitively here. |
|
|
|
Post by Axis on Aug 13, 2017 17:55:46 GMT -5
Balanced done right can give you a lower noise floor but chances are better that you can not tell any difference between balanced and single end.
If your running audio cables for a concert in Madison Square Gardens right next to power lines and have hum, then go balanced.
It is fun to have balanced audio gear and if I had a couple XPA-1's I would get a XSP-1 or XMC-1 to go with them just so I could say fully balanced. A good balanced source would be a ERC-2 or ERC-3 but like said the Emotiva gear like the XSP-1, XMC-1 and DC-1 take single ended and turn it balanced.
Maybe the XSP-1 does not, not sure.
|
|
|
|
Post by Gary Cook on Aug 13, 2017 18:40:44 GMT -5
My case, so may not apply to anyone else anywhere in the world. After installing the XPA-1L's I changed from short RCA interconnects (and long speaker cables) to long RCA interconnects (`5 metres) and short speaker cables and I had a very faint and very intermittent buzz. Which was caused by the ice maker in the fridge, faint because the fridge is in the kitchen and intermittent because it was only when it was actually making ice. On installing the XSP-1 I swapped the RCA interconnects to Emotiva XLR's and bingo no more buzz. As a result the 2.1 stereo music system is fully balanced, differential, discrete all the way from the ERC-3 to the output of XPA-1L's which being monoblocks are located right next to their respective speaker.
As usual with all things audio it's horses for courses, some things work for some people and not for others. Does it sound any better, hell I don't know, a little bit maybe, but it is for sure quieter. So in my case the swap to XLR's was well worth it.
Cheers
Gary
|
|
|
|
Post by leonski on Aug 13, 2017 19:55:06 GMT -5
5 Meter single ended? That's awful long, and with a Pair of 'em? That's like about 33 feet of Antenna. Of course balanced will help in that sort of situation.
Ice Maker, eh? Figures. Nasty noisy motor puttin' out all sorts of hash.
I'm at my 'comfort limit' with about 1/2 what you were running single ended.
I use OPTICAL when I can, too. No possiblity of picking up any interference and zero ground loop potential.
|
|
|
|
Post by Gary Cook on Aug 13, 2017 20:56:30 GMT -5
5 Meter single ended? That's awful long, and with a Pair of 'em? That's like about 33 feet of Antenna. Of course balanced will help in that sort of situation. Ice Maker, eh? Figures. Nasty noisy motor puttin' out all sorts of hash. I'm at my 'comfort limit' with about 1/2 what you were running single ended. I use OPTICAL when I can, too. No possiblity of picking up any interference and zero ground loop potential. I think my MIG welder probably puts out even more hash, but I don't generally listen to music in the lounge room and weld in the garage at the same time.  Having monoblocks and not locating them next to their respective speakers always seems silly to me, a waste of one of the advantages of buying a monoblock in the first place. The choice for me was ~5 metre speaker cables or ~5 metre interconnects, a no brainer really. Especially with the XLR solution at hand. Cheers Gary |
|
|
|
Post by leonski on Aug 13, 2017 21:32:02 GMT -5
My 50" Panasonic Plasma would completely Scramble an AM radio from 50khz to 30mhz. IOW? Across the entire broadcast band from LongWave to 10 meters (30mhz)
The effect was good to maybe 25 feet. My current 65" OLED emits a FRACTION of the RFI of the Plasma.
When working at a company back in the late 70s / early 80s, I could NOT run the MIG Welder until after the Tuners had shut down. Not radio receivers, but rather equipment used to
'tune' quartz crystal oscillators. Extreme sensitivity of equipment.
Such interference comes at you 2 major ways.
1. Thru power and interconnect wiring
2. As RFI, thru the air.
That being said, even with my old Plasma ON, there was no interferrence with the stereo sitting right there.
Everything was thru various taps on my power conditioner and the amps thru a seperate circuit which also had noise reduction.
I Conducteed various listening tests With TV on and off thru various inputs. I never tried a phono input, however, which might be the most sensitive of all.
My pairs of speaker cables on EACH amp are about 3 feet each. I went for long-interconnect / short speaker cable, too.
I suspect, Gary, that the common mode rejection properties of Balanced is nothing but to the good. Wanna try a quick experiment?
Replace one of the balanced from pre-2-amp with single ended. Fire up with Welder with a Certified Listener next to your stereo.
|
|
|
|
Post by Gary Cook on Aug 14, 2017 2:42:12 GMT -5
I suspect, Gary, that the common mode rejection properties of Balanced is nothing but to the good. Wanna try a quick experiment? Replace one of the balanced from pre-2-amp with single ended. Fire up with Welder with a Certified Listener next to your stereo. I haven't tried the welder experiment, I suspect the certified listener will think I'm a bit crazy, well even more crazy anyway Just for curiosity I did try 1 x RCA connection and 1 x XLR connection (when I doing the change over) and I could just hear the ice maker, about half the volume as with the 2 x RCA connections. Which is a guess as I had to make a few drinks to get the ice make working  Cheers Gary |
|
