27 replies to this topic

[POV]

ajm, on 02 November 2012 - 06:03 PM, said:

I think that's a slight exaggeration Drew.

And by "slight" I mean "complete"

Fair enough.  I disagree, last time the subject of the limitations of measurements came up there were members on here screaming bloody murder.  That thread had become somewhat irrational though I suppose.

[gone_bush]

StolenNomenclature, on 05 September 2008 - 01:40 PM, said:

There are no instruments that can measure the real performance of an amplifier.

I disagree with this statement. There is a perfect instrument for this purpose: the Mark I Human Ear (only available in pairs).

[Chicken Man]

POV, on 02 November 2012 - 05:55 PM, said:

Whilst I agree with this statement, I must tell you that it is not in line with popular opinion on this forum.  Indeed suggesting that not everything can be measured is considered heresy by some here....
...

Technically, electrical engineering can measure the electrical 'disposition' of an amplifier's interaction with its load (the speaker) but as to the listener's subjective response to the combination, that's down to personal preferences.

A loudspeaker with a passive crossover ((using reactive components  L  &  C ) and R) does 'sound' different  to the same loudspeaker wired directly with an active crossover and the associated amplifiers.
To my ear at least, the electronic crossover setup is much more clinical and defined in its presentation than that same loudspeaker using passive components. If both arrangements produce the same desired frequency response, why then the very obvious audible difference ?
Getting rid of the passive crossover network and using an active crossover would seem the better proposition for quality reproduction, though it is not as convenient in practical terms.

Here is a relatively short read that puts it so much better than I ever could so I've deleted any comments I have made in preference to his explanation of the subject.

Worth a peek...... Active verses Passive x'overs.

http://sound.westhos...-vs-passive.htm


C.M

Edit: I think I might be taking the miniDSP approach to loudspeaker design in future, it does seem to be a much simpler approach.

http://www.hifizine....he-minidsp-2x4/

Edited by Chicken Man, 03 November 2012 - 02:11 PM.