Audyssey Multieq-X: Real bi-amping with active crossover

[Blender]

Denon AVRs have an option for bi-amping the main speakers. My understanding is this is the typical “passive bi-amping” where the same signal is sent to both, as there is no crossover functionality implemented by default.

However:
* Denon AVR already have active speaker/subwoofer crossovers.
* Some old Onkyo AVRs did have a simple active crossover feature for biamped main speakers, with a limited menu of crossover options.
* As they add more functionality to Audyssey with the apps, we get closer to having a more general purpose interface to programming the AVR.
* MiniDSP already exists and does support programming active crossovers.

Is it already possible to implement an active crossover for “real” bi-amping on Denon AVRs using the new software, with good performance? Can I define curves and other settings for each amplification channel with the new software? Would Audyssey understand the biamping during the measurement part of setup?

Concretely, I would like to modify my 3 (LCR) passive LS50s to remove their crossovers and bi-amp all three in a way that can losslessly process a full-quality (HDCP 2.3) digital input, using my AVR. Currently I have a Denon X3500h but I would consider switching to an alternative.

 

[Head_Unit]

Sadly I don't think so. I had a dream of making two-way, big-horn speakers and powering from an AVR (due to space and money). However Audyssey told me crossover is up to the AVR, they don't control that. Well they may set it from available options inside the AVR is what I believe they meant. And I've never seen an AVR whose crossover settings included 800 Hz or 3 kHz etc.

It seemed the closest I could get would be to power the woofers from the AVR to where their power response rolled off, the power the horns from an external amp. That would mean either low-level passive crossover (= not so flexible and no time alignment) or DSP with flexibility and time alignment but additional A/D...and considering most of those amps DSP is maybe not so clean, ugh. Plus either way would need some kind of passive gain reduction.

I think my game plan for now is
- Forget about all that while I get this house reconfigured and some repainting etc done!
- Maybe make my two-way bighorns passive, waiting for some ChiFi or miniDSP to make an HDMI in, Dolby/DTS decoding, multichannel digital out box. (Cue Green Day's "We Are The Waiting" ha ha)

You should consider just adopting active LS50s if that fits into your system configuration, though given how a Uni-Q woofer moves I prefer that in 3-way designs. I think upgrading the entire passive speaker would yield you more sound improvement.

 

[Blender]

Audyssey told me crossover is up to the AVR, they don't control that. Well they may set it from available options inside the AVR is what I believe they meant.

I see what you mean. My understanding is that Audyssey is owned by Sound United now so in future AVRs there is potential for more thorough integration.

And I've never seen an AVR whose crossover settings included 800 Hz or 3 kHz etc.

I would want separate crossovers for high/mid from mid/low. FWIW, some old Onkyo receivers did have such an active crossover feature but they didn’t continue it in newer products.

You should consider just adopting active LS50s if that fits into your system configuration, though given how a Uni-Q woofer moves I prefer that in 3-way designs. I think upgrading the entire passive speaker would yield you more sound improvement.

Good thinking. My LS50s are the black-on-black Black Edition. If I could buy/make black-on-black LS50 Wireless Ii speakers then I would consider that direction, though I’d be doing DAC in my AVR and then ADC-DAC in my speakers. In that case I could also do MiniDSP or similar.

 

[Webninja]

My understanding is that Audyssey is owned by Sound United

I was under the impression they are private and owned by the founders/investors. Did they get bought recently?

 

[Everett T]

Denon AVRs have an option for bi-amping the main speakers. My understanding is this is the typical “passive bi-amping” where the same signal is sent to both, as there is no crossover functionality implemented by default.

However:
* Denon AVR already have active speaker/subwoofer crossovers.
* Some old Onkyo AVRs did have a simple active crossover feature for biamped main speakers, with a limited menu of crossover options.
* As they add more functionality to Audyssey with the apps, we get closer to having a more general purpose interface to programming the AVR.
* MiniDSP already exists and does support programming active crossovers.

Is it already possible to implement an active crossover for “real” bi-amping on Denon AVRs using the new software, with good performance? Can I define curves and other settings for each amplification channel with the new software? Would Audyssey understand the biamping during the measurement part of setup?

Concretely, I would like to modify my 3 (LCR) passive LS50s to remove their crossovers and bi-amp all three in a way that can losslessly process a full-quality (HDCP 2.3) digital input, using my AVR. Currently I have a Denon X3500h but I would consider switching to an alternative.

The speaker is already a good speaker, if you wanna rip out the crossover and eek out a little more low extension and address the minor artifacts that show up in room, go for it, just not sure how much more you can get out the product that justifies the cost. Better off starting with a fresh DIY.