dbx DriveRack VENU360 Review (audio processor)

[ObjectAudio]

Win, You are missing that the measurements I posted are much better than the unit that Amir measured.
It looks like you missing one zero , as Amir THD+N is around 0.006% and my measurement is around 0.0006%.

 

[win]

Win, You are missing that the measurements I posted are much better than the unit that Amir measured.
It looks like you missing one zero , as Amir THD+N is around 0.006% and my measurement is around 0.0006%.

Like I said I own one so I want to believe.

I didn't realize yours was sinad

 

[kipman725]

Same, because I want one too.

https://www.lakeprocessing.com/product.html?modelCode=P0CPN

https://linea-research.co.uk/asc48/

 

[kipman725]

The ceramic capacitor issue is because their capacitance changes wrt to voltage (unless np0), it's a well known phenomenon. The issue may have been a production change of part without consideration of the dielectric.

 

[mdsimon2]

https://www.lakeprocessing.com/product.html?modelCode=P0CPN

https://linea-research.co.uk/asc48/

Although I must confess I am a happy miniSHARC + Okto dac8 pro user , I did consider this as a single box alternative.

https://danvillesignal.com/dspnexus-dsp-audio-processor

Also worth mentioning the venu360 alternatives mentioned so far are quite a bit more expensive.

Michael

 

[kipman725]

The low cost option are older processors pulled out of installs. I use Symetrix 8x8 DSP and DIGIO other good option is QSC BASIS series, BIAMP nexia also is usable (and very cheap). This type of processor allows you to define the processing flow (way more flexible) . They probobly have worse analog performance than the venu360 though. Pretty hard to find test results for this kind of thing. I would provide measurments but don't own any suitable equipment.

 

[dualazmak]

Although I must confess I am a happy miniSHARC + Okto dac8 pro user ,
....
Michael

Hi Michael,

As posted here on this thread, I am a happy colleague using software crossover EKIO and OKTO DAC8PRO in my multichannel multi-driver multi-amplifier project; I recently provisionally completed my system.

 

[dualazmak]

....
https://danvillesignal.com/dspnexus-dsp-audio-processor
....
Michael

Hello again Michael,

thank you for your info on dspNexus.
dspNexus 2/8; looks very much interesting for me also, even though I have established almost the same functionalities with EKIO and DAC8PRO...

According to https://www.stereo.net.au/forums/to...that-threatens-your-bank-account-dspnexus-28/
"The dspNexus is very close to release. The first units will go to an early adopter program while we still add additional software features. Most of this will be Raspberry Pi support.
The retail price of the dspNexus is $3000 with the standard DACs (AKM AK4493 or TI PCM1792A based). We also have an AKM AK4499 version but these will be very limited. You may have heard that AKM had a foundry fire that has essentially stopped supply for 2021.
At some point in 2021, we will have a dspNexus 2/16. It will be 2U height since the XLRs will be double row. We designed the motherboard to support an additional DAC motherboard for this purpose."

I know well about the good performance and functinalities of AKM AK4493 and AK4499; I prefer AK4499 better.

I hope to see amirm's measurements and review on dspNexus 2/8 hopefully soon by the end of this year...

 

[Draki]

https://www.lakeprocessing.com/product.html?modelCode=P0CPN

https://linea-research.co.uk/asc48/

Also :

http://bohmeraudio.com/J345/index.php/2-uncategorised/15-products-turnkey

 

[soundjimmy]

Exactly! I think the Venu is an excellent sounding device. Its versatile in and output adjustment settings are helpful to avoid too much hiss. Plus the fact that almost any better and I mean really better device costs double, tripple of the Venu 360.

what are the better sounding devices?

 

[kyle_neuron]

My only experience with this unit is having to pop three of them open at a festival in a jungle, to resolder the mains input pins directly to the header. From what I can gather that was simply due to a PCB design flaw, leading to the issue to appear at a certain age and ‘road life’.

Hopefully that has been fixed in a revision by now. But if you ever have one turn on, light up but not pass audio without any error message - time to get the iron out!

I’m fortunate enough to have inherited four broken Dolby-era Lake Contour Pro, from which I managed to put together two working units. The older one needs a fiddle to make the v5.8 controller software work in modern Windows, and it won’t do FIR, but you’ll be hard pushed to better the sound quality at the second hand price point if you ever come across a unit. There’s one for $749 on eBay right now I think.

https://www.prosoundweb.com/digital-developments-inside-the-design-of-the-lake-contour-processor/

 

[soundjimmy]

My only experience with this unit is having to pop three of them open at a festival in a jungle, to resolder the mains input pins directly to the header. From what I can gather that was simply due to a PCB design flaw, leading to the issue to appear at a certain age and ‘road life’.

Hopefully that has been fixed in a revision by now. But if you ever have one turn on, light up but not pass audio without any error message - time to get the iron out!

I’m fortunate enough to have inherited four broken Dolby-era Lake Contour Pro, from which I managed to put together two working units. The older one needs a fiddle to make the v5.8 controller software work in modern Windows, and it won’t do FIR, but you’ll be hard pushed to better the sound quality at the second hand price point if you ever come across a unit. There’s one for $749 on eBay right now I think.

https://www.prosoundweb.com/digital-developments-inside-the-design-of-the-lake-contour-processor/

that was 24 years ago

 

[kyle_neuron]

that was 24 years ago

What was? My jungle experience was in 2018, and the Contour unit was launched in 2003, then revised in 2004 with digital in & out.

If that’s what you’re referring to, I’m not suggesting it’s a cutting edge unit today. Yet it was at the time of it’s release, and the then-innovative DSP design informed lots of developments across other products or software since. What you get today in rack mount loudspeaker management systems isn’t much different; the best of the best for sound quality, flexibility and usability in recent releases are the Outline Newton FPGA and the Apex Intelli-X3, but plenty of Lakes are still sold; they’re also used on almost every large scale event where PA is provided.

 

[soundjimmy]

THANKS THE APEX LOOKS GOOD. the outline is way overkill.

 

[CHOKSTARmusic]

I have DBX PA2 and hear no hum. But then, I also measured it at 10dB better THD+N than Venu 360 measured here.

Hi, do you still use it? Can you say whether the PA2 is sonically and perceivably transparent or not?

 

[pkane]

Hi, do you still use it? Can you say whether the PA2 is sonically and perceivably transparent or not?

Still use it to drive the sub. Here are some measurements I posted a while back:

https://www.audiosciencereview.com/...2-speaker-management-system.14134/post-431657

 

[babadono]

Wow, this is disappointing.

Fortunately I choosed for my HT a used Xilica XP4080 instead of this bad boy only a week ago.

And the crucial question is: faulty by design or only a single defective unit?

Is the Xilica any better?

 

[DerRoland]

Good question. There is a need for independent measurements to prove this.

With the usage of a compression driver I hear less noise with my xp4080 vs. a dcx2496. Dbx 360 was not tested, sorry.

 

[Farenheit]

I use dbx venu360 with compression driver and zero noise.

 

[babadono]

The Xilica has a noise gate that is set at -102 IIRC from the factory. If you turn it off how is the noise then?