DSPeaker Anti-Mode 2.0 Dual Core Room EQ Review

[Billy Budapest]

Wow, that’s disappointing from such an acclaimed product and respected brand. I use a DSPeaker Anti-Mode 8033 (a much simpler device) to tame my sub in my AV system (a Gallo TR-3D) and it works great. Tightened up the low end and took out the boominess that the Sony za5000es room correction could not.

 

[Matias]

I think it is just easier and better to buy an UMIK-1 microphone, measure the response, and manually add EQ.

 

[Dana reed]

The rest of the tests won't salvage high distortion and noise already apparent.

I wonder if it's better than the high pass eq on my SVS sub. I was using that to try and lessen the load on the magnepans by cutting off the low bass sent to them, but it added a really high noise floor I could hear in the speakers

 

[RayDunzl]

I wonder if it's better than the high pass eq on my SVS sub. I was using that to try and lessen the load on the magnepans by cutting off the low bass sent to them, but it added a really high noise floor I could hear in the speakers

Audio Buddy has MartinLogan CLS, and low-shelves the split signal to the speakers and subs (Rythmic), then boosts the subs output to return to normal with a DEQ2496.

No noise.

 

[tw99]

I'm not trying to defend the measurements at all, but I disagree with raindance about how it sounds.

I find the room correction to be effective, and you can easily tune the overall response by adding a slope to the bass and treble, and by boosting the compensation. Mine is certainly not set up to be thin and harsh sounding, and I guess 86db must be enough for me not to notice anything bad.

 

[tw99]

I think it is just easier and better to buy an UMIK-1 microphone, measure the response, and manually add EQ.

This is also something I'd considered, just get an RME and do room eq manually. But I'm really not sure of the pros/cons of that versus something like Dirac.

 

[Jas0_0]

I had one of these. Never liked the sound when used as a DAC. Sounded flat and grey, to use subjectivist twaddle. I thought running the digital output into a Chord 2Qute improved things. But then I discovered the UMIK, REW and manual PEQ (either using an RME or pro PEQ plugins) and the Anti Mode was quickly sold and forgotten.

 

[sarumbear]

Not unexpected considering the age of the product.

CD system was released in 1982 and there were CD players with 96 dB S/N ratio on the market then. Increasing the noise and distortion by 10 dB in 30 years is simply not acceptable. There are dongles at 1/10th the price that beat this device's audio performance.

 

[Dana reed]

Audio Buddy has MartinLogan CLS, and low-shelves the split signal to the speakers and subs (Rythmic), then boosts the subs output to return to normal with a DEQ2496.

No noise.

I ended up just running the magnepans full range, and adding more amp, and just using the sub to fill in below 40-45 Hz

 

[digicidal]

This is also something I'd considered, just get an RME and do room eq manually. But I'm really not sure of the pros/cons of that versus something like Dirac.

I'd say in the pros column... zero "black box" issues... if it sounds like crap, you did it - so you can also undo it. It's cheaper(ish) depending on which solution you're looking at for Dirac - and the RME will have better performance on the DAC side most likely. Plus it's a bit easier to intentionally modify a specific region to taste I suppose.

In the cons column - more time/work to configure, less functionality for correcting things outside FR itself (time alignment, phase issues) and potentially at least, a less cost-effective path to multichannel down the road if you headed in that direction. However that last bit presupposes that the Dirac device in question is one already capable of multichannel output or a DAW using the software plugin version which only requires a software upgrade to do MCH.

 

[soundwave76]

I have had this with a pair of Genelec 8040. Sad to see poor DAC measurement results, but rest assured, the room correction made a HUGE IMPROVEMENT in the bass room response! Pair this with a very handy preamplifier to use with a TV, I will still recommend this for many uses..

 

[Sir Sanders Zingmore]

I had one of these and sold it as quickly as I could.
It was noisy - there was an audible hiss from my listening position.

A pity, because I was looking for a unit that could run independently of a computer and which could take analog inputs. I'm investigating the MiniDSP SHD now

 

[soundwave76]

...the reason why I sold mine was a Genelec upgrade 8040 -> 8340 with buit in room correction, which sounded a bit better than with the DSpeaker. I replaced it with Bluesound Node 2i.

 

[mk1classic]

You dont read all my text/info? Sensitive settings and difference for 2012 or 2013 Edition.
BR,

The sensitivity doesn't mater much when the digital Toslink input gives more or less the same output as the 3.9v input without clipping errors.

 

[gmkater]

This is a review and detailed measurements of the DSPeaker Anti-Mode 2.0 Dual Core Room Equalizer. It is on kind loan from a member and costs US $1,200. This review is only focused on electronic performance of the device. If I have time, I may test its correction ability later.

There is not a whole lot to look at as far as the design of the Anti-Mode:

View attachment 80202

The display is quite tiny but usable if you sit close to it. The back panel shows the good connectivity:

View attachment 80203

For this testing, I focused on both analog XLR input and Toslink S/PDIF digital input. There are some lofty statements the company makes about the performance of this unit:

View attachment 80204

Well, I qualify as most demanding audiophile so let's see how the Anti-Mode performs with basic tests.

DSP Audio Measurements
I started my testing by feeding the unit via its XLR input. To my surprise, it complained about 4 volts input causing clipping. That is the nominal level from any desktop DAC so it should have handled it. Anyway, I dialed that down a bit and the warning went away, giving me this outcome:

View attachment 80205

As you see, the output level is even lower than input. That is not a huge deal but the problem is the high distortion and noise which combine to give us a poor SINAD of just 83 dB. We are missing CD/streaming 16 bit content's noise floor of 96 dB by a good mile. There is really no excuse for any digital audio product to degrade performance this much.

Hoping this was an ADC problem and not DAC (the input has to be digitized to perform signal processing), I fed the Anti-Mode via its Toslink input:

View attachment 80207

We still have a pile of noise and distortion so the DAC is subpar for sure.

View attachment 80206

At this point there was no reason to keep going so I stopped.

Conclusions
I have been waiting to test a device from DSPeaker for some 10 years since I saw one functioning at an audio show. I had come close a few times but never succeeded in getting my hands on one. Sadly, the long wait was not worth it. The non-DSP performance of the Anti-Mode 2.0 is unacceptable and anything but "highest performance" as claimed by the company. The company needs to go back and refresh the basics of this device.

Fortunately there is a digital output and assuming the resampling is clean, maybe there is a good use scenario for that.

As is, I can't recommend the DSPeaker Anti-Mode 2.0 on the basis of its basic performance.

-----------
As always, questions, comments, recommendations, etc. are welcome.

Well, while I did not get to throw a party while my wife was out last night, the panthers did! They trashed the whole house with food scraps everywhere and scratch marks all over the floor. Need to get a professional crew here to clean or hide what they can before my wife comes back. Please donate what you can quickly before I get in trouble using : https://www.audiosciencereview.com/forum/index.php?threads/how-to-support-audio-science-review.8150/

This is a review and detailed measurements of the DSPeaker Anti-Mode 2.0 Dual Core Room Equalizer. It is on kind loan from a member and costs US $1,200. This review is only focused on electronic performance of the device. If I have time, I may test its correction ability later.

There is not a whole lot to look at as far as the design of the Anti-Mode:

View attachment 80202

The display is quite tiny but usable if you sit close to it. The back panel shows the good connectivity:

View attachment 80203

For this testing, I focused on both analog XLR input and Toslink S/PDIF digital input. There are some lofty statements the company makes about the performance of this unit:

View attachment 80204

Well, I qualify as most demanding audiophile so let's see how the Anti-Mode performs with basic tests.

DSP Audio Measurements
I started my testing by feeding the unit via its XLR input. To my surprise, it complained about 4 volts input causing clipping. That is the nominal level from any desktop DAC so it should have handled it. Anyway, I dialed that down a bit and the warning went away, giving me this outcome:

View attachment 80205

As you see, the output level is even lower than input. That is not a huge deal but the problem is the high distortion and noise which combine to give us a poor SINAD of just 83 dB. We are missing CD/streaming 16 bit content's noise floor of 96 dB by a good mile. There is really no excuse for any digital audio product to degrade performance this much.

Hoping this was an ADC problem and not DAC (the input has to be digitized to perform signal processing), I fed the Anti-Mode via its Toslink input:

View attachment 80207

We still have a pile of noise and distortion so the DAC is subpar for sure.

View attachment 80206

At this point there was no reason to keep going so I stopped.

Conclusions
I have been waiting to test a device from DSPeaker for some 10 years since I saw one functioning at an audio show. I had come close a few times but never succeeded in getting my hands on one. Sadly, the long wait was not worth it. The non-DSP performance of the Anti-Mode 2.0 is unacceptable and anything but "highest performance" as claimed by the company. The company needs to go back and refresh the basics of this device.

Fortunately there is a digital output and assuming the resampling is clean, maybe there is a good use scenario for that.

As is, I can't recommend the DSPeaker Anti-Mode 2.0 on the basis of its basic performance.

-----------
As always, questions, comments, recommendations, etc. are welcome.

Well, while I did not get to throw a party while my wife was out last night, the panthers did! They trashed the whole house with food scraps everywhere and scratch marks all over the floor. Need to get a professional crew here to clean or hide what they can before my wife comes back. Please donate what you can quickly before I get in trouble using : https://www.audiosciencereview.com/forum/index.php?threads/how-to-support-audio-science-review.8150/

 

[ernestcarl]

I think it is just easier and better to buy an UMIK-1 microphone, measure the response, and manually add EQ.

For $1,200 I'd get a UMIK-1 (and/or another analog measurement mic -- for the sake of verification) and a pro audio interface that has at least 6 analog balanced outputs like a motu ultralite or maybe this cheaper presonus unit: Presonus Studio 1810c

Maybe apply my EQ and crossovers via JRiver (upmixing/downmixing) or Equalizer APO.

 

[Xyrium]

This thing was a pile of crap. It has significant insertion loss and clips for no reason. It also has a horrible correction algorithm where it gets the target frequency range nicely flat, but also depressed compared to everything else, so if you stick to Schroeder frequency and below, it'll always sound lean and harsh. The tone control modes are horrible and bypass isn't a hard bypass so there's no clean comparison path. In short, a cheap Marantz receiver with the most basic Audyssey will knock its socks off. It is a pile of poo.

This is what Amir wanted to say, but remained as PC as possible.

That said, man, I laughed at this pretty well, nicely done with the closing to top it off! LOL

 

[Sir Sanders Zingmore]

@gmkater what’s your point ?

 

[Xyrium]

He just has double vision

 

[WolfgangMünchen]

I also have the DSPeaker Anti-Mode 2.0 Dual Core after 2013.
I used a fanless notebook as the player.
In the bypass and with the house curve switched off and bass compensation set to 0, the sound is significantly worse than directly from the CD player into the following devices.
I could no longer locate the voices, they sounded unnaturally drawn apart. I have never heard of any other device like this.
I am really disappointed with the anti-mode.
I also tested different inputs and outputs, including the optical output. Neither constellation was satisfactory.
With the hype that is always made about the device, I had hoped for a lot more sound.
Then I tested the correction.
Unfortunately, it didn't do much better than simply reducing the bass a little. In fact, on the contrary, without antimode, simply turning the bass control on the amplifier a little to the left sounded better.