Dutch&Dutch add ‘uBacch’ to their 8C active loudspeaker

[Purité Audio]

I have been trying the ‘beta’ version and there is nothing not to like, it appears that the Bacch firmware release is now available from the Dutch&Dutch site.

BACCH plugin

Bring the groundbreaking BACCH 3D spatial audio technology to your 8c's, through the first third party software plugin for a loudspeaker ever. Note: Requires firmware r2.4 or later. Works only with direct streaming. More information on BACCH here.

dutchdutch.com

Keith

 

[Dialectic]

That feature came more quickly than expected!

 

[Zoso69]

I have been trying the ‘beta’ version and there is nothing not to like, it appears that the Bacch firmware release is now available from the Dutch&Dutch site.

BACCH plugin

Bring the groundbreaking BACCH 3D spatial audio technology to your 8c's, through the first third party software plugin for a loudspeaker ever. Note: Requires firmware r2.4 or later. Works only with direct streaming. More information on BACCH here.

dutchdutch.com

Keith

Hi Keith, many thanks for the heads up.

I’m curious (if you're willing) to hear a little more about your BACCH beta experience.

Can you say a little about the acoustics of your room, are you using diffusers/absorbers, the dimensions?

Do you always listen with BACCH now or only occasionally or with certain tracks/genres?

 

[Purité Audio]

Room dimensions are 5x7m with a 2.40 ceiling height.
Martijn, with whom I discussed the Bacch install, suggested a, placing the 8Cs closer together than they had been, into an almost equilateral triangle and removing the KEF LS60s which had closely flanked the 8Cs .
Removing close first reflections.
Room itself has three R`pG ‘modex’ membrane traps which are tuned to the major standing wave, otherwise just traditionally furnished.
Re the sound well you would have to try if for yourself, but imaging does appear to be much more solid with almost 3D space around performers.
I like it, I will continue to listen, and eventually revert back to the previous non Bacch firmware.
I like it enough to seriously consider representing Theoretica and their hardware based products.
Keith

 

[Zoso69]

Room dimensions are 5x7m with a 2.40 ceiling height.
Martijn, with whom I discussed the Bacch install, suggested a, placing the 8Cs closer together than they had been, into an almost equilateral triangle and removing the KEF LS60s which had closely flanked the 8Cs .
Removing close first reflections.
Room itself has three R`pG ‘modex’ membrane traps which are tuned to the major standing wave, otherwise just traditionally furnished.
Re the sound well you would have to try if for yourself, but imaging does appear to be much more solid with almost 3D space around performers.
I like it, I will continue to listen, and eventually revert back to the previous non Bacch firmware.
I like it enough to seriously consider representing Theoretica and their hardware based products.
Keith

Keith, thanks for your helpful write up. Unless I heard you incorrectly you said you were going to "revert back to the previous non Bacch firmware". That would imply that you are not going to keep the Bacch setup in your space. Is that true?

 

[Purité Audio]

Only to compare, unless I have misunderstood there is no way of turning off Bacch at least in the Beta version I am trying.
I first had Crosstalk cancellation demonstrated to me by Edgar at the Munich show it was hugely impressive, I remember discussing it with Martijn who has pursued it, I really believe there are no drawbacks to it.
Jon @Dialectic uses the full monty with his 8Cs.
Keith

 

[Bortman]

Room dimensions are 5x7m with a 2.40 ceiling height.

Hi Keith,

Do you mind sharing images of your listening room to show positioning of the 8Cs and listener?

 

[Humo]

Looks like D&D pulled it from the store. Did anyone give it a try?

 

[Purité Audio]

Yes I have it here, I really like what it does, there don’t appear to be any downsides.
Keith

 

[Thomas savage]

Congratulations @Martijn Mensink , what a cool thing to be doing with the 8c platform. Fantastic news for audio enthusiasts.

The world might in fact be going to shit in a hot hand basket but at least Dutch&Dutch are doing their bit to distract us while Rome burns .

Arise Sir Mensink .

 

[Emlin]

Congratulations @Martijn Mensink , what a cool thing to be doing with the 8c platform. Fantastic news for audio enthusiasts.

The world might in fact be going to shit in a hot hand basket but at least Dutch&Dutch are doing their bit to distract us while Rome burns .

Arise Sir Mensink .

You obviously haven’t read post 48. Not to mention the price when it was available.

 

[Thomas savage]

You obviously haven’t read post 48. Not to mention the price when it was available.

Well jet fuel is expensive not to mention the special ' Double D ' ( the name if the D&D private jet ) branded uniforms for the stewardesses.

They've deleted it , @Martijn Mensink your such a tease . Was it one too many wines and then you just thought ' sod these Audiophiles ' ? I understand only too well if so .

 

[Purité Audio]

I am sure UBacch will return soon.
Keith

 

[davenaum]

What was the price point while listed on their website?

 

[Purité Audio]

I think it was around a thousand Euros, I know D&D were in negotiations with Theoretica re licensing rights.
Keith

 

[Dialectic]

I think it was around a thousand Euros, I know D&D were in negotiations with Theoretica re licensing rights.
Keith

This exceeds the unofficial ASR user maximum price, for any audio thing other than speakers, of US$300.

 

[jezzerboo]

Hi All,
I can confirm it was 1499 euros or £1095 before the page was removed.

 

[Humo]

Does it provides any additional functionality beyond the $399 plugin?

 

[Se7enAtx]

@Keith, if you're connected to the 8c via Ascend (8c local from your laptop), you should have the ability to toggle u-bacch on and off without rolling your firmware. The mobile app doesn't currently support toggling (pre-bacch).

For others curious about bacch, room setup is pretty important.

The nature of crosstalk cancelation is that your right ear doesn't receive left channel information, vice versa. With that in mind, if information from the left channel is reflecting off a near wall, it will still reach the right ear, most critically, reflecting from the right wall.

This can be tackled in a few ways. You can treat the most offending surfaces to reduce reflections, and or you can take steps to increase the ratio of direct sound coming from the speakers to the amount of reflected sound. I've found this easiest to do by setting up along the "long" wall if the room allows.

In both rooms where I had the greatest bacch effect, it's been where I've sat in the relative mid-field, with the speakers against the long wall. The effect has not been subtle.

 

[MKR]

@Purité Audio Any update on the upcoming 12Cs?