System #165 (Summit, Descent, Passage, Stage)

[benleeys]

Hope you get the Descenti fixed up Ben! And make sure to put up new pics!

Joey

Joey,

Alas, the problem remains. 2 visits from the dealer so far. Tried separating the power from the signal cables within, but no improvement. He thinks it's a design problem.

For a piece of equipment at that price, the construction quality is not great. It's quite a mess inside, with signal and power cables all bunched up together. The signal lines are not shielded either. The 3 speaker units are connected by means of cheap clips (4 to each unit) which fitted loosely. And the large internal circuit boards (3 pieces, if my memory serves me right) plus 2 toroidals are all over at different locations which necessitate substantial cabling works among them. All told, it looks to me like a rush job.

Maybe I should suggest to those who intend to acquire a piece, to wait awhile for improvements to the construction.

 

[philox]

benleeys, sorry to see the bad news. I was dreaming of upgrading to a Martin Logan sub...the NHT's are doing fine on my system but I always wondered if a like maded part will flow together better...in other words maybe Martin Logan speakers would pair better with one of their subs. What are you using in place of the Descenti?

I was thinking...since your on a different power grid, does Martin Logan USA change the curcuits to 240 before they ship or does the dealer do the work in Asia? Maybe it looks like a "Rush" job because of the dealer converting it to 240?

 

[benleeys]

benleeys, sorry to see the bad news. I was dreaming of upgrading to a Martin Logan sub...the NHT's are doing fine on my system but I always wondered if a like maded part will flow together better...in other words maybe Martin Logan speakers would pair better with one of their subs. What are you using in place of the Descenti?

I was thinking...since your on a different power grid, does Martin Logan USA change the curcuits to 240 before they ship or does the dealer do the work in Asia? Maybe it looks like a "Rush" job because of the dealer converting it to 240?

John,

It stands to reason that Martin Logan should design their subs basically to mate with their speakers, so you really can't go wrong with a ML sub.

I am using the older Descent at the moment while I get the i sorted out. The i unit came from the factory fitted for 240v. It was unpacked before my eyes at my place.

 

[benleeys]

Anthem ARC-1 readings

Recently I added the ARC-1 feature to my D2 preamp/video processor and took some readings. The resulting room corrections made were then uploaded to the preamp. Here they are - the red lines are the original readings, the green are the corrected room frequency responses. The corrections are set to maximise at 5kHz. Above that, the mic readings are too directional to be dependable, so best to leave alone.

All I wish to say is that the all round improvements to the sound is simply fantastic and beats any equipment upgrade I've ever experienced. All these for $400. :music:

 

[JonFo]

Recently I added the ARC-1 feature to my D2 preamp/video processor and took some readings. The resulting room corrections made were then uploaded to the preamp. Here they are - the red lines are the original readings, the green are the corrected room frequency responses. The corrections are set to maximise at 5kHz. Above that, the mic readings are too directional to be dependable, so best to leave alone.

All I wish to say is that the all round improvements to the sound is simply fantastic and beats any equipment upgrade I've ever experienced. All these for $400. :music:

Hi Ben, congratulations. That's excellent results.

It’s amazing what a little EQ will do for the sound quality.

From the graphs, it looks like the target curve for the corrections has a small lift in the low end. I think we all enjoy a bit more bass than 'flat' might give.

Is the ARC-1 a convolution or a parametric EQ based room corrector?

 

[benleeys]

Hi Ben, congratulations. That's excellent results.

It’s amazing what a little EQ will do for the sound quality.

From the graphs, it looks like the target curve for the corrections has a small lift in the low end. I think we all enjoy a bit more bass than 'flat' might give.

Is the ARC-1 a convolution or a parametric EQ based room corrector?

Jon, the hump at the low end is by design. Apparently, the system is based on research during the last 10 years or so by some university personnel and they found that a flat EQ at the low end makes the music thin-sounding in an ordinary room, unlike that of an anechoic chamber. The magnitude of the hump can be varied thru specified parameters, as are crossover points and maximum EQ frequency point desired.

The ARC-1 is similar to the Audyssey, but measures each speaker in the system individually. The measuring and calculating software is installed in your PC and works from there with the mic plugged into a USB port. The resultant data (which includes speaker level calibration) is then loaded into your Anthem D2 preamp/video processor where the sub's phase/polarity is set manually as are the speaker distances. During use, the EQ may be turned on/off via the setup menu. Also, separate calibrations are available for cinema and music, which may utilise only the front left and right speaker fullranged.

Despite the RealTraps, the original readings look real horrid, don't they? They were, however, taken before the 4 diffusers on the rear wall were installed. The left hand front and surround speakers look worse than the right, maybe on account of the glass ceiling height windows, which prevent the installation of wall/ceiling corner traps (there are 2 pcs on the right). I shall be taking fresh readings later on. By the way, can you offer, offhand, a possible explanation on the Summits' declining hi-frequencies starting from around 3kHz? Dipole characteristic? The center and surrounds (Stage/Passage) are not.