dbx DriveRack VENU360 Review (audio processor)

[Alobar]

Very interesting and anticipated review. This is where ASR really shines, as we don't have the ability to test this stuff ourselves in many cases.

I have a triamped system with JBL 3 way L200's with 2216Nd1 woofers and 077 tweeters. I have been running the MiniDSP 4x10HD for a few years now, and I can't really say anything terribly bad with it so long as its ADC section is bypassed by feeding digital input (its ADC is definitely a SQ suckout!). But I was always a little haunted by the 'what if' thing. How much SQ am I leaving on the table by not going for a better performing crossover. How crappy is the multi ch DAC? etc..

I was nearing the decision to replace it with something along the lines of the Venu, the Driverack PA2 was actually in my shopping cart until I started looking at the manual and saw a huge complex system that would take me hours or even days just to figure out how to set it up. That and it had no digital inputs (forcing an extra DA/AD) conversion which with the MiniDSP, was a definite degrade. I thought long about a Venu at that point with its digital inputs but then decided to look at it another way.

Here is what I did for a crossover, and couldn't be happier with it.
K231 Stereo 3-Way Active Crossover $499.95 This unit has pretty decent specs, and performs quite well. Now everything in my system works with a 2ch DAC of my choice (currently a Modi 3) upstream from the new xover. I am still using my 4x10HD for its DSP PEQ functionality, but without routing through its internal crossovers and DAC. The 4x10HD is now just 2ch digital in, 2ch digital out and eventually I am going replace that entirely, most likely the MiniDSP SHD Studio for room/speaker treatment.

In my way of thinking this arrangement has advantages, with having choices of any 2ch DAC I want and not being chained to a MC DAC. I do plan on getting a better DAC than the Modi 3 at come point.

Bottom line, I am still a bit shocked that the Venu did so poorly, and am glad that wasn't a direction I ended up going as an "improvement" to the MiniDSP!

 

[sarumbear]

K231 Stereo 3-Way Active Crossover $499.95 This unit has pretty decent specs, and performs quite well.

Great price for the specs. I wish they had used fixable level controls with no knobs. Once speakers are calibrated they will never be used. Why treat them as volume controls?

 

[chelgrian]

DBX PA2.

I'm not sure about the PA2 but the original PA was a disaster DBX cheaped out so much that they didn't include output protection so it produced speaker destroying thwacks on the outputs when powered on.

Back in the day most people used BSS Omnidrive (no longer available) for digital loudspeaker management rather than the DBX stuff. It didn't have to be that great as it was invariably going to in to large class H amps feeding cabinets optimised for SPL not necessarily sound quality.

The operating principle of class H is dubious to say the least but it was the only way to make a high power amp with any reasonable power efficiency before class D with switch mode PSUs came along.

These days those same switch mode PSUs made the amps light enough and cool enough to just put both the amps and the DSP inside the cabinet. Thus in the pro audio world the market for these kinds of unit is going away.

 

[Alobar]

Great price for the specs. I wish they had used fixable level controls with no knobs. Once speakers are calibrated they will never be used. Why treat them as volume controls?

Totally agree. All 3 of my amps already have level controls and they are also vulnerable to getting bumped. I'm sort of designing in my head a 4 knob locking mechanism with set screws for the crossover knobs to lock it all down, but it would have been a nice touch to already have that ability.. .

 

[amirm]

This box has been shipped to its owner. I have never had so much stuff waiting to be tested. I need to get through these things and not dwell.

 

[kipman725]

I use Symetrix* at home but you can also get biamp dsps and QSC dsps cheap on the 2nd hand market. They have nice parts in them but I don't know if they have better or worse analog performance than this.



*8x8 DSP and DIGIO which I usualy use the AES input

 

[Deleted member 2944]

This box has been shipped to its owner. I have never had so much stuff waiting to be tested. I need to get through these things and not dwell.

I'm sure the owner appreciated you testing 5% of the capability of the unit.
I mean, why bother????

Dave.

 

[oivavoi]

I'm sure the owner appreciated you testing 5% of the capability of the unit.
I mean, why bother????

Dave.

Hope you get the chance to measure a unit, Dave, either the same or another one? It is indeed somewhat frustrating to sit here with unanswered questions after seeing such unexpected results.

 

[Grooved]

Amir, did you test the ADC part ?
And what's this FFT (and Jitter has pretty much the same symptom) ? It's like a bump from -120 to -102, do you think it can be a bug ? Never saw something like that

 

[gonzoucab]

Well that's concerning, I've been looking at purchasing a dbx crossover because I thought it would be a step-up over the cheapest Behringer units but this gives me pause.

Dont do it, already tested one and my ear did no like it at all

 

[gonzoucab]

Hello Amir,
What about the EQ features, will you test them?, it is also one of the interesting things of this device. Thanks.

Doesnt make sense if it doesnt produce good sound to start with

 

[amirm]

I'm sure the owner appreciated you testing 5% of the capability of the unit.

I am not into "capability" testing. Go find some youtube video for that. I am here to test the performance of the device. Since every signal goes through the DAC, and gets limited by its performance, heck of a lot more than 5% was tested.

 

[amirm]

Amir, did you test the ADC part ?
And what's this FFT (and Jitter has pretty much the same symptom) ? It's like a bump from -120 to -102, do you think it can be a bug ? Never saw something like that

It seems to be some kind of noise modulation. Or additive dither. Hard to say given how convoluted the pipeline in this device is.

 

[Deleted member 2944]

I am not into "capability" testing. Go find some youtube video for that. I am here to test the performance of the device. Since every signal goes through the DAC, and gets limited by its performance, heck of a lot more than 5% was tested.

Don't be playing semantic games with me. You tested about 5% of the performance of this unit.

Your testing tempo is too fast and you're missing aspects of various equipment that folks might be interested in. Plus, some of this equipment might be incorrectly set up and/or not operating correctly. And you don't seem to have the curiosity to investigate. Disappointing.

But, if the owner was happy with the scope of your "test" that's all that really matters, I guess.
Oh well.

Dave.

 

[gonzoucab]

Don't be playing semantic games with me. You tested about 5% of the performance of this unit.

Your testing tempo is too fast and you're missing aspects of various equipment that folks might be interested in. Plus, some of this equipment might be incorrectly set up and/or not operating correctly. And you don't seem to have the curiosity to investigate. Disappointing.

But, if the owner was happy with the scope of your "test" that's all that really matters, I guess.
Oh well.

Dave.

The 5% that makes the 95% of the use cuz is the source

 

[Alobar]

Don't be playing semantic games with me. You tested about 5% of the performance of this unit.

Your testing tempo is too fast and you're missing aspects of various equipment that folks might be interested in. Plus, some of this equipment might be incorrectly set up and/or not operating correctly. And you don't seem to have the curiosity to investigate. Disappointing.

But, if the owner was happy with the scope of your "test" that's all that really matters, I guess.
Oh well.

Dave.

Well it's a little like testing a new car. If it's only hitting on 5 cylinders, it's kind of a moot point about the navigation system.

 

[Deleted member 2944]

Well it's a little like testing a new car. If it's only hitting on 5 cylinders, it's kind of a moot point about the navigation system.

Yeah, wonderful analogy.

Dave.

 

[Mnyb]

Yes Amir seems to stop testing faster when he finds broken products . Even if some test are short they are even shorter when a major flaw surfaces, time better spent testing something else ?

Deep test of complex products feature set is not this forum ? Same goes for AVR for example .

 

[kdp]

It seems to be some kind of noise modulation. Or additive dither. Hard to say given how convoluted the pipeline in this device is.

Hi, your point on not testing further if the foundation is weak is well taken. In this case, though, almost anyone who deploys the unit, will configure settings thoroughly. Active crossovers are rarely for dilettantes. So it would many sense for many to understand the underlying audio performance. And in this case, it looks a lot like one of the unit’s myriad sound shaping options may have been left on. It would have been great to eliminate that possibility to strengthen the utility of this review as a guide for potential buyers.

 

[amirm]

Hi, your point on not testing further if the foundation is weak is well taken. In this case, though, almost anyone who deploys the unit, will configure settings thoroughly. Active crossovers are rarely for dilettantes. So it would many sense for many to understand the underlying audio performance. And in this case, it looks a lot like one of the unit’s myriad sound shaping options may have been left on. It would have been great to eliminate that possibility to strengthen the utility of this review as a guide for potential buyers.

That's not in my charter. I have hundred pieces of equipment here to be tested with hourly reminders of "where is my review." Remember, my time is not "free" even though you are not paying for it. There is a huge opportunity cost to what I spend my time on, and the capital equipment used to make these measurements.

If someone wants more in-depth testing, write me a $2000 check and I will go through it A to Z. Otherwise, you have what you have. Feel free to ignore what is posted. Indeed if this feeling is broad, I will not test this class of product in the future.