Crown DCI / BSS London Architect Tuning Files

[watchnerd]

Does anyone have the ability to read / process Crown DCI or BSS London tuning files?

I want to look at the settings for the JBL LSR 705i and 708i.

 

[amirm]

What are you trying to do. I don't understand relation between crown and 705.

 

[watchnerd]

What are you trying to do. I don't understand relation between crown and 705.

The 705i and 708i are passive speakers / externally active speakers. They get their crossover and DSP settings from a DCI or BSS box.

 

[amirm]

So you are saying Harman has released external dps code for crown etc and you like to read them back in London architect?

 

[watchnerd]

So you are saying Harman has released external dps code for crown etc and you like to read them back in London architect?

The 708i and 705i have DCI and BSS (if you want to use your own amp instead of the Crown) tuning files available.

I'm just curious to know what's in the tunings, because I've heard some say the 705i/708i don't sound good without the tuning file; I'm just curious as to what the tunings do.

 

[watchnerd]

So you are saying Harman has released external dps code for crown etc and you like to read them back in London architect?

Here is some more info as to why I'm curious:

There is a forthcoming upgrade board for my Devialet that adds a whole host of additional networking and streaming options (MQA, Roon), including an Audinate IC for some level of Dante/AES67 support.

Which makes me wonder if one of the smaller London BSS boxes could feed the Devialet, with the output going to JBL Pro series speakers designed to be used with DCI/London BSS.

 

[RayDunzl]

So you are saying Harman has released external dps code

What's DPS?

 

[watchnerd]

Here are the links to the tuning files for the 708i:

http://www.jblpro.com/ProductAttachments/LSR708_SingleWire_20160111.macro.zip
http://www.jblpro.com/ProductAttachments/LSR708_BiWire_20160111.macro.zip
http://www.jblpro.com/ProductAttach...8i_Tunings_V1.0_20151208.Crown_DCi_Series.zip

The BSS files are executables, but the Crown DCI file is capable of being opened in a text editor.

Some of it looks like UI presets, but none of it is obvious (that I've found) about what the tuning settings are doing.

 

[amirm]

Thanks. Now I understand. Hard to type on phone in Canada. Will investigate when I get back.

 

[jhaider]

I cannot tell you the tunings by the numbers, but I have measured the output of my of BSS BLU-50 running the 705i single-wire preset.

I don't think it's appropriate to post, but generally speaking there is a large "baffle step" boost and an additional bass boost, significant sculpting from ~1-7 kHz, and two more compensation points in the top octave.

I have also listened to them without the preset. Based on that...my recommendation is to use a BSS processor, or appropriate Crown amp.

 

[watchnerd]

I cannot tell you the tunings by the numbers, but I have measured the output of my of BSS BLU-50 running the 705i single-wire preset.

I don't think it's appropriate to post, but generally speaking there is a large "baffle step" boost and an additional bass boost, significant sculpting from ~1-7 kHz, and two more compensation points in the top octave.

I have also listened to them without the preset. Based on that...my recommendation is to use a BSS processor, or appropriate Crown amp.

Interesting.

It seems that all of the most recent M2-derived speakers (7-series, 4367) with compression drivers are employing significant EQ, either via DSP (M2, 7-series) or via a very complex analog crossover (4367).

Maybe the waveguide is great for directivity, but introduces anomalies?

What I find really odd about the 705i/708i is that they have a rudimentary passive crossover built-in, but it's not recommended to use it that way....which makes me wonder why they included it at all.

 

[jhaider]

Interesting.

It seems that all of the most recent M2-derived speakers (7-series, 4367) with compression drivers are employing significant EQ, either via DSP (M2, 7-series) or via a very complex analog crossover (4367).

Maybe the waveguide is great for directivity, but introduces anomalies?

What I find really odd about the 705i/708i is that they have a rudimentary passive crossover built-in, but it's not recommended to use it that way....which makes me wonder why they included it at all.

To your first point, Harman optimized their for characteristics other than linear distortion. I think that is a smart thinking. As long as the directivity is well controlled, DSP EQ can fix linear distortion more precisely than passive components can.

To your second point, the passive crossover in the 705i/708i is there to enable a single DSP+amp channel to drive the whole speaker. The DSP tuning and passive circuits together form the crossover network. Conceptually this is a modern update to KEF's approach with their top speakers in the 1980s. Dick Olsher described one such use:

"The KUBE supplied with the 107 includes a speaker-specific equalization module that provides level equalization for the tweeter and mid driver, as well as an inverse of the 107's LF response.
Read more at https://www.stereophile.com/content/kef-r107-loudspeaker-page-2#EM63FQQzUBfAOhUu.99"

I think Thiel had some models with a combination line-level and passive crossover, too.

 

[watchnerd]

To your first point, Harman optimized their for characteristics other than linear distortion. I think that is a smart thinking. As long as the directivity is well controlled, DSP EQ can fix linear distortion more precisely than passive components can.

To your second point, the passive crossover in the 705i/708i is there to enable a single DSP+amp channel to drive the whole speaker. The DSP tuning and passive circuits together form the crossover network. Conceptually this is a modern update to KEF's approach with their top speakers in the 1980s. Dick Olsher described one such use:

"The KUBE supplied with the 107 includes a speaker-specific equalization module that provides level equalization for the tweeter and mid driver, as well as an inverse of the 107's LF response.
Read more at https://www.stereophile.com/content/kef-r107-loudspeaker-page-2#EM63FQQzUBfAOhUu.99"

I think Thiel had some models with a combination line-level and passive crossover, too.

Ah, okay, that makes sense, instead of the mandatory bi-amplification the M2 uses.