How to set up high pass filter via pc

[ZolaIII]

Im reluctant to use DAC on my PC to utilise high pass on svs. It would most likely make bass better but overall quality worse.

Finally understand what you mean.

In that case I need crossover device that passes digital signal to Hegel and analog to svs (which probably doesn’t exist)
Or better dac at source and pass analog to svs and then Hegel

I don't believe you can hear the difference between a DAC that gives 100 dB SINAD to the one with 120 dB one and more so if it goes to power amplifier od any sort that will have significantly lower one and by the way you won't go to over 90 dB LPS (that's 10 dB headroom to lose on interconnect cable's with 100 dB one) listing program volume probably never.
You don't need anything! Just a half deacent (even one on MB will do) two chanel DAC which you connect to sub, apply filtering on subs DSP (high/low pass) and connect it's RCA outputs to power amplifier analog line in.

 

[Diseasex]

I don't believe you can hear the difference between a DAC that gives 100 dB SINAD to the one with 120 dB one and more so if it goes to power amplifier od any sort that will have significantly lower one and by the way you won't go to over 90 dB LPS (that's 10 dB headroom to lose on interconnect cable's with 100 dB one) listing program volume probably never.
You don't need anything! Just a half deacent (even one on MB will do) two chanel DAC which you connect to sub, apply filtering on subs DSP (high/low pass) and connect it's RCA outputs to power amplifier analog line in.

Ok let’s try
Will measure both approaches now

 

[ZolaIII]

Ok let’s try
Will measure both approaches now

You do of course need to set up the high pass filter in the SVS app (similar to low pass one).
You didn't understand me before when I told you to mute power amp and mesure only response what sub is giving which helps to determine how much you want it sloped down (12/24 dB) especially without high pass. So please mesure that as well and with both low pass slopes (that you adjust on same app screen you took screenshot of).

 

[Diseasex]

You do of course need to set up the high pass filter in the SVS app (similar to low pass one).
You didn't understand me before when I told you to mute power amp and mesure only response what sub is giving while helps to determine how much you want it sloped down (12/24 dB) especially without high pass. So please mesure that as well and with both low pass slopes (that you adjust on same app screen you took screenshot of).

Thank you for being so patient with me

 

[ZolaIII]

Thank you for being so patient with me

Well I would like you did it as I firstly instructed you to do (JRiver with multichannel sound card) so that I can explain to you what you did and what it does separately because that you would learn all that there is to that properly and separately (including equal loudness normalization and distance - phase correction). It really isn't more than 10 minutes to set it up when you have needed cables (30 minutes if you experiment with different slope filters for both passes) eventually you need a second person to hold the meter so you can mesure distance from listening position to meter.
Just take it nice and easy and don't worry you will get there.

 

[Diseasex]

Well I would like you did it as I firstly instructed you to do (JRiver with multichannel sound card) so that I can explain to you what you did and what it does separately because that you would learn all that there is to that properly and separately (including equal loudness normalization and distance - phase correction). It really isn't more than 10 minutes to set it up when you have needed cables (30 minutes if you experiment with different slope filters for both passes) eventually you need a second person to hold the meter so you can mesure distance from listening position to meter.
Just take it nice and easy and don't worry you will get there.

OK had to play with cables and resolved couple of issues but here it is

Legend
Red : PC -> USB -> hegel -> Rca ->svs 50 LPF
Blue : PC-> Rca -> svs only
green: PC->rca svs -> rca hegel 50 LPF

It looks terrible, bass response goes down the drain as if something was wrong

 

[ZolaIII]

OK had to play with cables and resolved couple of issues but here it is
View attachment 262173

Legend
Red : PC -> USB -> hegel -> Rca ->svs 50 LPF
Blue : PC-> Rca -> svs only
green: PC->rca svs -> rca hegel 50 LPF

Seams SVS LPF isn't working good (way to hot all the way to 250 Hz).
Now try with LFE to sub (PC audio card in 2.1 mode L & R to Hegel and other cord white RCA to SVS sub) disable filters on sub and use one's in JRiver as described and set to the same 50 Hz) if you have another 3.5 mm to RCA cable.

 

[Diseasex]

Don’t have third jack-rca, need to order
But wait , I have 5.1 set in windows, maybe it’s doing pre crossover as I plugged to front speakers slot or my 5.1

 

[Diseasex]

legend:
Red: USB -> hegel -> svs
dark purple : svs only
light purple : rca -> svs -> hegel

yes that was the problem

 

[badspeakerdesigner]

Any other analog chanel then L & R that will be used for subwoofer LFE out on a same DAC output as to my better knowledge you can't use two separate DAC's at a same time (meby even that is possible with software as jack but I don't know).
Your SVS Pro sub (all from Pro series actually) has a digital high pass filter implemented that is applied to the exit line from the sub that goes in to the power amplifier. So you don't need a three physical analog channels to implement high pass filter to speakers.
For folks who don't have digital or analog high pass filter on the sub it's easy enough to make one or buy a pre made one after they are sure on what frequency they want it.

high-pass-filter

I assume there is no higher order version of these in line filters that can be made?

 

[Diseasex]

The bass is oudibly better (night and day) , but sound overall much worse. Might be due to distortion visible in 150-300hz on above chart.

Might be my DAC, might be SVS acting as middle man (I will test that by comparing amp response via svs vs direct soon)

The funny thing is I realised I measured woofer with 50LPF… so it doesn’t work very well

That leaves me with separating woofer and amp and have software crossover with DAC in PC

Oh dear

 

[ZolaIII]

The bass is oudibly better (night and day) , but sound overall much worse. Might be due to distortion visible in 150-300hz on above chart.

Might be my DAC, might be SVS acting as middle man (I will test that by comparing amp response via svs vs direct soon)

The funny thing is I realised I measured woofer with 50LPF… so it doesn’t work very well

That leaves me with separating woofer and amp and have software crossover with DAC in PC

Oh dear

Actually light purple looks rather good, levels are down because PC gives less output Voltage. Now put the high pass filter also to 50 Hz, then play with them moving them up to probably 80 Hz. Distortion will get down as you apply high pass filter on the sub and what doesn't you will address peeks (spikes) with the PEQ. Slowly you are getting there. When you get there you need to calibrate loudness to 84 dB and then enable Loudness (equal loudness normalization) in JRiver options. Then you can dial it down (in JRiver) to preferred level in which case bass and highs will be boosted but it will sound much better on lower volume level's.

 

[ZolaIII]

I assume there is no higher order version of these in line filters that can be made?

I assume it can be made, those are most common one's for small 120 Hz to larger speakers 100, 80, 60 Hz. Most folks will use 80 ond 100 Hz one's.
Of course you play with PC to determine which one you really need.

 

[ZolaIII]

@Diseasex send me app screenshots of how you set high/low pass on SVS.

 

[Diseasex]

@Diseasex send me app screenshots of how you set high/low pass on SVS.

I have only low pass in app so but confused about you saying to set high pass which isn’t there

 

[ZolaIII]

I have only low pass in app so but confused about you saying to set high pass which isn’t there

My apologies seams that series 1000 Pro don't have a high pass filter (deliberately and only software related) at all. The non pro version has fixed 80 Hz one. Anyway put the slope to 24 dB so that it bleeds less in 100 Hz region for now (until you get another 3.5 mm to RCA cable). Seams you will be using it from PC with LFE from sound card or buy a similar jack patch with fixed one when you are sure which one fits the best (probably 80 Hz one).

 

[Diseasex]

My apologies seams that series 1000 Pro don't have a high pass filter (deliberately and only software related) at all. The non pro version has fixed 80 Hz one. Anyway put the slope to 24 dB so that it bleeds less in 100 Hz region for now (until you get another 3.5 mm to RCA cable). Seams you will be using it from PC with LFE from sound card or buy a similar jack patch with fixed one when you are sure which one fits the best (probably 80 Hz one).

Yes already ordered another cable,
I will make some more measures when I get home.

I will install xonar today too.

Quite intrigued about the results at this stage and will have nice comparison of stock motherboard DAC vs Xonar vs SVS vs USB

 

[ZolaIII]

Yes already ordered another cable,
I will make some more measures when I get home.
I will install xonar today too.
Quite intrigued about the results at this stage and will have nice comparison of stock mb DAC vs Xonar vs SVS vs USB

To tell you the truth I am disappointed with SVS 1000 Pro series and SVS as a brand.

Linkwitz–Riley filter - Wikipedia

en.m.wikipedia.org

This is Linkwitz–Riley. Left is low pass filter and right is high pass one it explains how to cross them and why. Slope is how fast they fall down so increasing low pass one to 24 dB helps you suppress what passes beyond the value you set.

Luckily those speakers can pass even without high pass filter as they roll down quite sharply under 38 Hz, still it's better to have one, cross them higher and don't turture either Hegel or speakers and of course speaker response will improve a little bit (as it deals with less harmonics and produce less distortion).

 

[Diseasex]

To tell you the truth I am disappointed with SVS 1000 Pro series and SVS as a brand.

Linkwitz–Riley filter - Wikipedia

en.m.wikipedia.org

This is Linkwitz–Riley. Left is low pass filter and right is high pass one it explains how to cross them and why. Slope is how fast they fall down so increasing low pass one to 24 dB helps you suppress what passes beyond the value you set.
View attachment 262235
Luckily those speakers can pass even without high pass filter as they roll down quite sharply under 38 Hz, still it's better to have one, cross them higher and don't turture either Hegel or speakers and of course speaker response will improve a little bit (as it deals with less harmonics and produce less distortion).

Yes me too, expected flatter response but will experiment with positioning a little, maybe that will get it better. My listening space is crap also .
Do you know of some good value dac ? I’m after 768khz I think as xonar isn’t I’m reading ,

 

[ZolaIII]

Yes me too, expected flatter response but will experiment with positioning a little, maybe that will get it better. My listening space is crap also .
Do you know of some good value dac ? I’m after 768khz I think as xonar isn’t I’m reading ,

You don't need DAC which can get that high and as you intend to continue to use PC you don't really need one. Plenty of great performing ones see the ASR review index. Once when you decide to get rid of PC (in the reproduction chain) it's worth checking MiniDSP lines for lots of reasons. For example more basic one from lineup.

Minidsp Flex Review (Audio DSP)

This is a review and detailed measurement of the Minidsp Flex audio signal processor. It was sent to me by the company and costs US $475 for unbalanced and $550 for balanced that I tested. Flex borrows the interface from SHD and puts it in a compact package. Seeing how I really liked that...

www.audiosciencereview.com

And they go up regarding number of I/O's, streaming integration and Dirac Live (room correction) but I think even basic one with REW is enough for most folks. Of course play with positioning of both speakers and sub as much as possible, would suggest and basic acustics treatment (back wall and corners with difuzer panels) when you can and if space and possibilities allow.