miniDSP 2x4 HD Sweetspot-audio Mod Review

[Toni Mas]

And this is with high level signals. Now try this 60 or 80dB lower.

And so what? The question is how deep below the noise level a pure tone Will become masked by noise. Rms makes no sense here because different signals have different rms to peak ratio, so that peak valué is the only posible reference.

 

[RandomEar]

Thanks for the inputs, i am curious to try.
But i am not discussing noise audibility, but the audibility of a signal under the noise level. I mean same as these -80 dB of noise might be audible in your tweeters why should this noise mask an H3 or H5 at -83dB making these HD products inaudible?

OK. I agree that for music at a reasonable and audible level X, adding some (rather extreme) noise of the same level X to it won't make the music inaudible. But if you now also add distortion at the same level X to the signal, I think the noise will be far, far more apparent and - even with noise and distortion at the same level - will be the major "perpetrator". And the reason is simple: Energy. Distortion is only present at a handful of specific frequencies. Typical pink noise is present at all frequencies and therefor carries sifgnificantly more energy in the signal, giving it a higher power to mask other parts of the signal. Including distortion.

I would say that's also in agrement with my argument that it's really, really hard (for me) to identify distortion at around -36 dB in real music, but noise at that level is quite apparent. Try it: Generate pink noise in Audacity, normalize it to -36 dB and play it alongside music at a comfortable level. It's audible and in an A/B test you would identify it immediately. Takes maybe a second or two to hear it. Distortion at that level will hardly be audible at all, even in a well controlled A/B test. If that is true, then why wouldn't noise at a level X fully mask any distortion at that level and lower levels?

 

[Toni Mas]

I would say that's also in agrement with my argument that it's really, really hard (for me) to identify distortion at around -36 dB in real music, but noise at that level is quite apparent.

Soundwise -36dB Total HD means nothing at all, just a figure for engineers... What harmonic content are you talking about? Pure H2? So ok, barely audible... But what is the exact harmonic content of these 36? And please keep noise apart (sinad), because noise is a different animal, a random one and thus uncorrelated to the signal, and btw there are noises of many colours too...

 

[OldTimer]

Since it is a mod by a german manufacturer, I would say this it the wurst product.

What happened to the germans? They have Rheinmetall manfacturers along with Taurus missiles

 

[Paffi]

I contacted Sweetspot yesterday and already got a reply. I have to agree with Ah-ra that it would have been better to get a statement from him bevor publishing the review. It can indeed have a negativ impact on his business and therefore deserves a fair chance. He also wrote that he values all the hart and work Amir put's in to this site even dough he is no member.

@amirm He would like to know/verify the following things:

Did you get any response from Sweetspot Audio?

 

[Joffy1780]

Give him a chance, mate