Marantz 8801 good enough to use as preamp for Gustard X16?

[Pdxwayne]

Currently I am using Gustard X16 straight to amp. Thus, my bookshelves speakers are getting full range signals. I am thinking about high pass the speakers at 80hz. I am wondering if using Marantz AV8801 as preamp to highpass the freq would degrade the audio quality too much. What do you think?

Here is the 1Khz tone from Gustard X16 (XLR into Marantz, speakers set as small, cross at 80hz). Peak of the 1khz tone is about -6.7db. Good enough? Or look for something else?

Thanks!

 

[Pdxwayne]

Gustard 1khz without going through AV8801:

 

[Pdxwayne]

I think I will just go with old Yamaha DSP-A1 instead. Seems a few db cleaner than AV8801 for 1khz tone.

It can do a fix 90 hz crossover for main speaker. Interesting that its right channel is 0.3db louder than left. Matched with X16 0.2db lower at right channel, the ending combined difference between channels should now reduced to 0.1db. : )

 

[daftcombo]

Once again, the difference should be inaudible. All are good enough.

 

[Pdxwayne]

Once again, the difference should be inaudible. All are good enough.

Thanks!

Well, one thing for sure is the av8801 sounded soft in the sub bass area....

I realized that once I got my gustard x16 and did direct DAC to sub.

 

[daftcombo]

Well, one thing for sure is the av8801 sounded soft in the sub bass area....

You are supposed to use it to cross to a sub, right?

 

[Pdxwayne]

You are supposed to use it to cross to a sub, right?

Yes. What I meant is the av8801 sub bass performance is just average when using it's crossover, room eq, etc.

 

[daftcombo]

Perhaps the Q values of the EQ are different, leading to different slopes?

 

[Pdxwayne]

Perhaps the Q values of the EQ are different, leading to different slopes?

Yeah, likely. Thanks!

 

[Pdxwayne]

Adding minidsp hd2x4 measurement (fed by topping e30) just for comparison purposes. Note that none have peak at 0db and required adjustment in comparison.

Minidsp:

Yamaha (fed by gustard x16):

 

[Pdxwayne]

Update:
Made changes to my living room setups yet again this week. Two distinct setups (2.1 and 5.1) but sharing the same 15" sealed sub. I setup 2.1 first to get the bass matched right, then setup my 5.1 using room eq.

2.1 setup uses Yamaha DSP A1. Connected to the sub (Paradigm sub15) via RCA. Source is node2i coaxial to Gustard x16, RCA to Yamaha from Gustard x16. Using Yamaha default 90hz high pass and low pass. Sub crossover, phase, and volume determined via REW measurements.

5.1 setup uses Marantz AV8801 as the preamp. It is connected to my Paradigm Sub15 via xlr. Source is coaxial via node2i. Crossover is 80hz and using XT32 room eq (7 positions measurements).

With both setups, I am disappointed with the sub bass clarity.

I like many songs from Hans Zimmer with lots of sub bass. Prior, when direct connect from Gustard x16 to my amp and subs, the sub bass was very clean. So clean that the sub bass gave me goosebumps! Now, with either setups, the sub bass is kind of blurry....: (

I don't know.....Maybe there is something about ~120db sinad of Gustard vs ~90db sinad of either setups I am using now?

On the other hand, with high pass capability of either setup, the music sounded less "stress" when go loud as my speakers and amp don't need to play full range like before.
I don't really want to go back to direct DAC to amps either...But still, will try again going back to direct DAC to amp and subs and see if I can get back the goosebumps....