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Post by Deleted on May 12, 2009 7:07:07 GMT -5
I missed this entire thread . . great write up Mr. Ben
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Post by TUBEHEAD EL34 on Jul 21, 2009 2:34:06 GMT -5
I prefer the sound of the lowpass filter in the RSP-2 to the one in my sub, so I have it set to 80Hz and the sub’s crossover is disabled. Thanks for the great in-depth review Mr. Bill. I particularly appreciate that you commented on the quality of the crossover of the RSP. I am painfully aware of what a sub-par crossover can do to sound quality. I have one of the almost upper end Denon receivers from a few years ago, and while the SQ is acceptable in pure direct mode, when I turn the crossover on (direct/stereo mode w/ digital highpass), there is a dramatic degradation in the stereo performance, most noticeably imaging. I have recently added some 50 watt tube monoblocks which have revolutionized the stereo experience for me in addition to a tubed Jolida cdp. The introduction of an analog preamp such as this one which offers an analog crossover is significant for a number of reasons, not the least of which is the fact that I can now have the glorious mids and highs of tube gear, but also allow the sub to handle the lows, which being SS, controls bass better. This preamp would relieve my monoblocks significantly and increase headroom significantly as well as improve things such as dynamics, imaging etc etc. Mr. Bill, have you A/B'ed the RSP with and without the crossover? If so, I am wondering if you could elaborate on what happens to the stereo performance once it kicks in. For instance, do you notice a collapse of the sound stage with voices which were once dead center, now drifting somewhat or any other degradations? There are many threads which agonize over quality crossover implementations and I hope that once folks on this forum have a chance to hear the RSP/USP, they will be able to comment on it because it may preclude having to purchase an outboard crossover unit. I think I may post an edited version of this post in the USP thread as well. Thanks in advance! |
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Post by Mr. Ben on Jul 21, 2009 8:22:39 GMT -5
have you A/B'ed the RSP with and without the crossover? The RSP-2 has multiple outputs. One set is full range, and another is 2.1 with a crossover that can be set at 80 or 120 Hz. These are all active at the same time, so if you're concerned with degradation from the crossover, it's possible to attach the sub to its output while running the main speakers from the full range outputs, and letting the speakers roll off naturally. I now use the RSP-2 without a sub and I haven't tried switching between the full range and crossover-enabled outputs, so I can't be sure if there is an audible difference between them or not. Now, the USP-1 has a different crossover in it than the RSP-2 (which I suspect is inferior, but I don't know), but it still has both full-range and high-pass outputs, so the option to use the full range outputs with the sub is probably still there. |
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Post by TUBEHEAD on Jul 21, 2009 15:06:02 GMT -5
Yeah, It is essential that I roll them off at around 80hz because they are bookshelves, and because I don't like tube bottom end. So it seems that you've had a chance to hear both outputs even though not in a direct comparison. I assume you would have mentioned something about the crossover if there was something amiss, but it looks like you are satisfied with the sound you currently have.
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Post by Mr. Ben on Jul 22, 2009 10:31:49 GMT -5
Yeah, It is essential that I roll them off at around 80hz because they are bookshelves, and because I don't like tube bottom end. So it seems that you've had a chance to hear both outputs even though not in a direct comparison. I assume you would have mentioned something about the crossover if there was something amiss, but it looks like you are satisfied with the sound you currently have. I haven't noticed any issues with the crossover, but you're correct in that I haven't spent any time directly comparing the two sets of outputs. I don't know that it's worth doing so, because: 1) The RSP is discontinued, and the USP has a different crossover. 2) I suspect a direct comparison would be influenced a lot by the full-range outputs having more bass, and it would be difficult to ignore that part of the experience. Something you may find interesting is that I originally didn't notice any degradation when using the tone controls, but now it's pretty obvious (there is a relay to bypass the tone control circuits in direct mode). The difference between now and then is that I've changed to a better amp, speakers, and speaker cables, and I've switched from the 2.1 outputs to the 2 full-range outputs for day to day listening. I think the improvements I got from those upgrades increased the overall transparency, making changes like this more obvious. |
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Post by TUBEHEAD EL34 on Jul 22, 2009 23:39:13 GMT -5
Interesting Mr Bill. Just goes to show that when you add revealing and better equipment elsewhere, you can notice it in another place (ie your preamp). Adding better and more expensive stuff sure does open up a can of worms doesn't it?
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