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Yes, yesterday and today I too pointed and communicated on that in my posts here, here, here and here!
I am now considering the Audio-Technica's new AT-VMx series such as AT-VM520xEB/H(new VM45 cartridge body + VMN20xEB deep blue standard bonded elliptical stylus aluminum cantilever + new headshell AT-LT10)andAT-VMN45xML stylus (dark-red, nude elliptical micro-linear, boron cantilever)
Having the new one with new headshell, it would be much easier to compare with my current AT-VM95E/H (with shell) and DL-301MkII (with shell) on TT DENON DP57L.
Even though I seldom perform "vinyl ceremony" nowadays (ref. #758)...
Guys, please try to stay on topic in this thread, so that it does not get fully ruined. IMO phono cartridges would deserve a separate thread. Thanks for considering.
Guys, please try to stay on topic in this thread, so the it does not get fully ruined. IMO phono cartridges would deserve a separate thread. Thanks for considering.
I thank you indeed for your point and suggestion. Yes, understood well.
On this project thread, as far as TTs + phono cartridges + styli are concerned, I will surely restrict myself only sharing, very briefly, my future actual implementation and subjective evaluation cases of new cartridge(s) and styluses (styli) in my multichannel audio rig.
Of course, I will continue sharing other many aspects and progresses "on topic" fit for the thread title here on this thread.
I thank you indeed for your point and suggestion. Yes, understood well.
On this project thread, I will surely restrict myself only sharing, very briefly, my future actual implementation and subjective evaluation cases of new cartridge(s) and styluses (styli) in my multichannel audio rig.
Well, I am OP of this still-ongoing, still-glowing, still-growing, DSP-based multichannel multi-SP-driver multi-amplifier fully active audio rig thread.
For clarification, to avoid any confusion, I have just edited/revised my above post #1,004 which is now OK for your kind understanding, right?
Well, I am OP of this still-ongoing, still-glowing, still-growing, DSP-based multichannel multi-SP-driver multi-amplifier fully active audio rig thread.
For clarification, to avoid any confusion, I have just edited/revised my above post #1,004 which is now OK for your kind understanding, right?
…
Sorry, I once deleted this post for a few minutes for proper rewriting as follows.
Thank you very much for your clarification and suggestions.
I am always very grateful for the kind suggestions from yourself, from @phofman (#1,003) and from many of my dear ASR friends. They have sometimes (many times?) brought this lengthy thread back on the "right railroad" when I (we) have tended/had tentative derailments (or detours) that have taken me off the right track.
As always, I greatly appreciate all of your continuing kind attention, participation, and suggestions to this project thread.
The latest Fq-SPL (re-confirmation) of multiple amplifiers SP high-level output signals and that of room air sound at listening position: all measured by “FFT averaging of recorded cumulative DSP-processed flat white noise”(as of June 8, 2025)
Abbreviations in this post: ********************************************************** Fq-SPL: Frequency Sound Pressure Level spectrum
SW, SWs: L&R large and heavy (48 kg each) active subwoofer YAMAHA YST-SW1000 (30 cm heavy-duty cone driver in YST configuration (YAMAHA Active-Servo Technology, a kind of Helmholtz Resonator, Wiki ref. here); it has powerful 120 W amplifier, gain/volume controller, -24 dB/Oct variable-Fq LP (low-path = high-cut) filter, as well as phase normal/inversion switch, all can be controlled by IR remote (ref. here #497, and here). Both the SP-high-level and RCA unbalanced line-level inputs are available; I feed L&R SWs YST-SW1000 with DSP-processed RCA unbalanced line-level signal coming from OKTO DAC8PRO’s headphone out (CH1L + CH2R).
A-S3000: Class-AB integrated amplifier YAMAHA A-S3000 directly and dedicatedly driving 30 cm woofers (WO, WOs) YAMAHA JA-3058 in heavy (39 kg) rigid sealed YAMAHA NS-1000 (not NS-1000M) cabinet (ref. #497).
E-460: Class-AB integrated amplifier ACCUPHASE E-460 directly and dedicatedly driving 8.8 cm Beryllium-dome midranges (MD, MDs) YAMAHA JA-0801 in heavy (39 kg) rigid sealed YAMAHA NS-1000 (not NS-1000M) cabinet (ref. #497).
TA-A1ES: Quasi-Class-A integrated amplifier SONY TA-A1ES directly and dedicatedly driving 3.0 cm Beryllium-dome tweeters (TW, TWs) YAMAHA JA-0513 in heavy (39 kg) rigid sealed YAMAHA NS-1000 (not NS-1000M) cabinet (ref. #497).
A-S301: Class-AB integrated amplifier YAMAHA A-S301 directly and dedicatedly driving metal horn super-tweeter (ST, STs) FOSTEX T925A in unique physical alignment and in wide-3D reverse-reflective dispersion using heavy-hard random-surface half-sphere crystal glass (ref. #485, #921, #929); ST T925A has 20 dB higher efficiency than Beryllium-dome TW JA-0513. **********************************************************
Hello dear ASR friends,
About one month ago, one of my audio-enthusiast friends called me saying “Hi, I am now very much interested in applying your Fq-SPL measurement method of FFT averaging of recorded cumulative DSP-processed flat white noise(summary ref. #404) for my audio setup.If possible, therefore, you would please kindly share the method and the latest Fq-SPL of your setup measured at your each amplifier’s SP high-level output as well as Fq-SPL of your room air sound at your listening position, all shown in several new/updated diagrams of easily understandable at-a-glance!”.
Oh, this request seemed to be a little bit serious “homework” for me, but I cordially accepted it because: 1. One year has passed since I intensively re-checked such Fq-SPLs last time in June 2024 just prior to my system-up-to-date post #931; time really flies,
2. We (actually my wife) made slight modifications in furniture alignments and in backrest cushions on the listening sofa (new ones have arrived).
Furthermore, Fq-SPL measurements in this post also can be a kind of “annual intensive health check" of DSP software "EKIO", multichannel DAC (OKTO DAC8PRO), my amplifiers, active subwoofers, protection capacitors as well as HP (only for STs) capacitors, all the SP drivers, etc., and it can also partly/indirectly check the room acoustics.
Where in the total signal path should I measure/re-confirm Fq-SPL this time?
I once intensively have measured Fq-SPL by the method of “FFT averaging of recorded cumulative DSP-processed flat white noise” at various “stages” of my PC-DSP-based audio rig throughout digital domain - analog domain - room air sound (summary ref. #404).
In this post, I share my measurements of Fq-SPL of the system measured as indicated in this latest total signal path diagram Fig.01.
The whole configuration of DSP “EKIO” within PC receiving stereo digital signal from JRiver MC remains unchanged as shared in my post #931 and shown here again in this Fig.02.
How can I measure FQ-SLP of amplifier’s SP high-level output to go into each SP drivers?
The measurement procedures are essentially identical to that I have shared in my posts #401 and #402.
As I have repeatedly shared, I have L&R SP cabling (wiring) boards near (in rear of) my L&R SP system (recent ref. #895, #906, #976), and I can easily connect the fully validated high-to-low converter AUDIO-TECHNICA AT-HLC150 (20 Hz - 40 kHz within 1 dB, ref. #401); the leveled-down (i.e. down to line-level) L&R signal were fed (by RCA unbalanced stereo cable) into TASCAM US-1x2HR audio-interface (ADC) for digital recording (88.2 kHz, 32-bit float, stereo) by second independent PC running ADOBE Audition 3.0.1 as shown in this Fig.03.
Some of the fonts in above Fig.03 are very small and maybe hard to read. If you would like to see them clearly, therefore, you would please find and download the attached ZIP file (Fig03_post-1009.zip) containing high-resolution 3096 x 2022 pixcel .png image of above Fig.03.
Since we (especially my wife!) really hate hearing continuous rather loud white noise from SP drivers, and I too would like to avoid any possible (even though little possibility in present measurements) damage to my treasure MDs TWs STs caused by sustained (ca. 200 sec) input of rather high-level white noise, I disconnected all the cables to the SP drivers on L&R SP cabling board, and I used one of the two 8 Ohm 100 W resistor as dummy SP for measurements “in complete silence” for present recording/analysis of amplifier SP high-level output.
For recording and Fq-SPL measurement of the L&R signals in to my L&R “active” subwoofer (SW) YAMAHA YST-SW1000 which has powerful 120 W amplifier in it, if I would like to “actually” measure the high-level signal going into the heavy-duty 30-cm woofer of YST-SW1000, I need to open the large-heavy (48 kg each) YST-SW1000’s rear panel and connect lead wires at the SP driver terminals. I really do not like (do hesitate) doing such DIY, however, for present Fq-SPL measurements, and I hence alternatively measured the FQ-SPL of line-level unbalanced signal (coming from DAC8PRO’s headphone stereo-out of CH-1 + CH-2) usually going into SW YST-SW1000 (see Fig.01).
L&R SW YST-SW1000 has its own gain/volume controller, LP (low-path = high-cut) variable Fq -24 dB/Oct filter, and phase normal/inversion switch, all can be controlled “on Panel” and also by IR remote. Since I usually set the -24 dB/Oct LP filter at 55 Hz on YST-SW1000, I added -24 dB/Oct Linkwitz-Riley LP filter at 55 Hz in DSP “EKIO” only tentatively for my present measurements after the usual -12 dB/Oct LP Linkwitz-Riley at 50 Hz in EKIO (ref. #495), so that the “measured” Fq-SPL would properly “simulate” the actual high-level input into the 30-cm woofer of SW YST-SW1000. For level/gain matching with the signal into WOs, I gain-shifted the whole of the recorded/measured SW stereo signal, so that they (I mean signal into SW and into WO) have identical gain at 53 Hz (XO Fq) on the Fq-SPL diagram of amplifier SP high-level output signals.
All the setup parameters, including the relative gains in digital domain and analog domain, are shown in the total signal path diagram (Fig.01 above), and I set the master volume, i.e. volume/gain of digital player JRiver Media Center 34, at -6 dB position for present measurements.
The strictly QC-ed flat stereo white noise (20 Hz - 20 kHz) I applied, as usual, is track-11 of SONY Super Audio Check CD (ref. #651 and the PDF booklet attached thereof).
Now, let me share with you the latest stereo signal data of amplifier SP high-level signals recorded (ca. 200 sec each, 88.2 kHz 32-bit float) by ADOBE Audition 3.0.1 represented by the 3D Time(X-axis)-Fq(Y-axis)-Gain(color) format as shown in below Fig.05.
Please note each of the 3D color-bar consists of rich sound data of ca. 200 sec so that minimizing any statistical fluctuation in next FFT averaging for Fq-SLP spectrum. In this diagram Fig.04, all the amplifier SP high-level signals were recorded after passing through the protection capacitors (68 uF for MDs driven by E-460, 10 uF for TWs driven by TA-A1ES, 10 uF for STs driven by A-S301) and 1.5 X 2 =3.0 uF HP filter for STs driven by A-S301, all as shown in Fig.01.
I can also easily “prepare” horizontal color-bars which represent Fq(in X-axis) and Gain(in color scale) as shown in this diagram Fig.06:
After the FFT averaging of each of the whole stereo 3D color portions with common FFT parameters (i.e. FFT Size 65536, Blackman-Harris window, reference -25 dBFS), I could get this Fq-SPL diagram Fig.07 of amplifier’s SP high-level output all over 10 Hz - 20 kHz. Please note that the used white noise is 20 Hz - 20 kHz, so the Fq-SLP spectrum curve below 20 Hz should have almost no meaning in this case.
I can well expect your interest on comparison of above Fq-SPL spectrum with upstream DSP EKIO’s XO-EQ configuration in identical/common X-Y scale, and this diagram is “it” as shown in below Fig.08; I can re-confirm the DSP EKIO’s XO-EQ configuration is properly and nicely reflected in Fq-SPL of amplifier’s SP high-level outputs.
As I have intensively shared in my posts #643 and #929 as well as in many other places, the flexible on-the-fly (while listening to music) gain control for STs, i.e. in high-Fq zone of ca. 8 kHz - 20 kHz, driven by A-S301 is one of the critical aspects of my setup. I checked/re-confirmed it as shown in this diagram Fig.09.
You would please be reminded that the efficiency of metal horn STs FOSTEX T925A is 20 dB higher than that of TWs Beryllium-dome YAMAHA JA-0513 (ref. #921), and you may understand the relatively low gain input (about 20 dB lower) for STs than TWs since the Fq coverages of TWs and STs are intentionally widely overlapped in 7 kHz - 20 kHz zone in my setup.
Furthermore, I can expect your possible curiosity regarding effects (or not) of the protection capacitors (68 uF for MDs, 10 uF for TWs, 10 uF for STs) and HP capacitors (1.5 uF x 2 = 3.0 uF for STs) on each amplifier SP high-level output (see Fig.01 and Fig.03), I mean before-after comparisons. Such before-cap and after-cap recording and FFT analysis can be easily done by changing the connection point (terminal) of plus-lead-cable of AUDIO-TECHNICA high-to-low converter AT-HLC150, on L&R SP cabling boards (Fig.03). Even though I have already measured them in my post #402, this time I checked/re-confirmed as shown in the below diagram Fig.10;
As shown in above diagram Fig.10, all the protection capacitors are essentially transparent in Fq zone of each SP driver coverage, and HP 3.0 uF capacitor for STs works as intended, i.e. adding further -6 dB/Oct HP filtering slope below ca. 8.6 kHz; please note these 10 uF protection cap plus 3.0 uF HP cap in series for ST makes 2.31 uF HP filtering in addition to DSP EKIO’s -12 dB/Oct Linkwitz-Riley HP at 6 kHz.
Measurement/re-confirmation of Fq-SPL of room air sound at listening position by “FFT averaging of recorded cumulative DSP-processed flat white noise”
After having done all the above, I proceeded to Fq-SPL measurement/re-confirmation of room air sound at my listening position.
Now, the L&R SP cabling boards were “all set” having all the SP drivers connected as shown in below Fig.11.
Then, I set my measurement microphone BHERINGER ECM8000 at my ear height of usual listening position, and connected it to TASCAM US-1x2HR audio-interface (ADC) for recording (mono, 88.2 kHz 32-bit float) with second Windows PC running ADOBE Audition 3.0.1. My specially selected (ref. #813) ECM8000 has been carefully cross-calibrated against strictly-calibrated EARTHWORK M60 microphone (ref. #831); very fortunately, my ECM8000 still has amazingly flat response within 1.2 dB range throughout 10 Hz to 25 kHz.
The actual room air sound recording session was done while my wife was out-of-home, and I use 15-m long CANARE XLR microphone cable (made in Japan) so that I could record at my office upstairs (preventing rather loud white noise sound into my ears) using Xeon-CPU Windows workstation PC having USB-connected TASCAM US-1x2HR; my audio dedicated silent PC in listening room running JRiver MC 34VB Audio Matrix and DSP EKIO can be easily remote controlled (via wired GB home-LAN) from my workstation PC upstairs using the excellent remote control software AnyDesk.
Well, I believe you need to see again here the close-up view of my L&R SP system;
You would please refer to my summary post #929 regarding the wide 3D reverse reflective dispersion of the sound of metal horn ST FOSTEX T925A by random-surface heavy-crystal-glass half-sphere.
Using the flexible/convenient “Solo” buttons on each of the output panels of DSP EKIO, while JRiver MC 34 was repeatedly playing the white noise track, I could easily and flexibly record the room air sound of each of the SP drivers, L-channel only, R-channel only, as well as L+R together. Of course, I recorded the room air sound while all the SP drivers were singing together. In this post, for simplicity and for your understanding of actual room sound Fq-SPL at my listening position while L&R SPs are singing together, I share the results of L+R recording and analysis.
While JRiver MC 34 was playing the white noise, for SWs and WOs I recorded continuous 240 sec air sound, and for MDs TWs STs I recorded 20 sec for 12 times with 10 sec silent intervals so that avoiding any possible damage to SP drivers by prolonged white noise input/excitation. I did the same interval recording while all the SP drivers singing together.
Consequently, using ADOBE Audition 3.0.1, I could record all the portions, ca. 240 sec each, consists of “rich” room air sound data (for highly reproducible FFT analysis) as shown in below Fig.15.
Each of the whole 3D color bars in above Fig.15 was selected for Fq-SPL FFT spectrum analysis with common FFT parameters of FFT size 32768 (good and adequate all over through 20 Hz to 20 kHz), Blackman-Harris window, reference -23 dBFS to give room air sound Fq-SPL spectrum of each SP driver’s as well as all-the-SP-drivers-sing-together, at my listening position, as shown in this Fig.16 where the gain/volume position of YAMAHA A-S301 driving STs was 09:45 (giving a slight upward slope compensating our, I mean me and my wife, slight hearing decline above ca. 8 kHz).
You would please be reminded that the flat white noise applied in present measurements is 20 Hz - 20 kHz, and L&R SWs (YAMAHA YST-SW1000) are set to have -24 dB/Oct LP-filter (high-cut) at 55 Hz, which is in addition to DSP EKIO’s -12 dB/Oct LP-filter (high-cut) at 50 Hz.
As you can observe in above Fig.16, I do not like, I do not apply, too-much-smoothing on Fq-SPL spectrum which hides-out various room modes. I would rather prefer common smoothing factor (FFT size, in this case) throughout 20 Hz - 20 kHz which well visualizes various room modes.
In the end of Dr. Toole's wonderful post here, he wrote: Don't worry about little ripples. When I see exceptionally smooth high-resolution room curves I strongly suspect that something wrong has been done. The measurement microphone is no substitute for two ears and a human brain.
And in his post here, Dr. Toole kindly wrote responding to my inquiry: If properly done both swept tone and noise analysis should give identical answers. It is a choice. The principal difference is in the heating of the drivers in sustained tests at high sound levels - power compression. Low frequencies require longer averaging times.
I also recorded and analyzed the air sound at listening position of TWs and STs as well as TWs+STs (singing together) as shown in this Fig.17. I believe the diagram is self-explanatory for your easy understanding.
As for the flexible gain/volume control of STs in analog domain by the integrated amplifier YAMAHA A-S301 depending on hearing preferences and/or hearing abilities of audiences, I believe my post #643 and my post #70(on a remote thread) would give you clear understandings and rationales of my implementation.
You would also please notice that TWs (YAMAHA 3-cm Beryllium dome JA-0513) start quickly declining around 14 kHz (ref. #331 by @mikessi, #332 my response), but the metal horn STs (FOSTEX T925A) keep flat responses even above 14 kHz (flat up to ca. 28 kHz, ref. #485, #921). The declining slope in 18 kHz - 20 kHz, however, is due to the upper limit (i.e. 20 kHz) of the white noise applied, as well as slightly due to the -48 kHz/Oct LP (high-cut) filters at 25 kHz in DSP EKIO (for MDs TWs STs) which cut-off possible UHF (ultra-high frequency) noises commonly contained in poorly-QC-ed HiRes music tracks (ref. #384, summary ref. #381, ref. #518, #532).
Since I assume the above Fig.16 and Fig.17 are a little bit “busy and/or complicated” for your eyes, the below Fig.18 representing the entire Fq-SPL of room air sound at listening position was prepared; again, I believe the diagram is self-explanatory for your easy understanding.
Furthermore, this final Fig.19 is summarizing the DSP EKIO’s XO-EQ configuration, the Fq-SPL results of SP high-level signals, as well as those of room air sound at my listening position, all shared measured and analyzed in this post, all in the common X-axis(frequency) and Y-axis(gain) scale.
Some fonts in Fig.19 are very small and may be difficult to read. If you would like to see them clearly, therefore, you would please find and download the attached ZIP file (Fig19_post-1009.zip) containing high-resolution 2106 x 3077 pixcel .png image of above Fig.19.
I well understand, however, my Fq-SPL measurements and the results in this post would not fully represent/re-confirm the following aspects of my audio setup in my acoustic environments:
1.0.1 msec time alignments among all the SP drivers (ref. #493, #494, #504, #507)
2. transient (kick-up and fadeout) behavior/characteristic of SWs and WOs (ref. #495, #497, #503, #507)
3. presence and extent of sound reflecting wall(s) and possible reverberation thereof (ref. #498)
4. pros of relative gain (tone) controls in analog domain (ref. #438, #643)
5. favorable effects of wide 3D reflective dispersion of high-Fq ST sound (above ca. 7 kHz) using random-surface hemisphere hard-heavy crystal-glass (ref. #912, #921, #926, #927, #929)
6. size of the “sweet sphere” around my listening position (ref. #926, #927, #931)
7. subjectively felt amazing disappearance of SPs (ref. #520, #687)
8. importance of excellent reproduction of 15 Hz - 40 Hz zone low Fq sound in some (many) music tracks (ref. #782, #588, #591, #641, #650, #63(remote thread) )
9.etc., and so on...
I have already objectively and/or semi-objectively measured and discussed above aspects/features in each of the attached reference posts.
After having completed present intensive re-confirmation of Fq-SPL in SP high level signals as well as in actual room sound at my listening position, therefore, I re-confirmed these other “aspects/features” through careful subjective listening session using my consistent “Audio Reference/Sampler Music Playlist” consists of excellent-recording-quality 60 music tracks selected from various genres (summary ref. #669, actual playlist #670, and my independent thread here).
I always prefer rather subjective re-confirmation of those aspects through my daily very much enjoyable music listening sessions in my listening room, in my acoustic environments. Furthermore, it would be always a little bit hard for me describing those wonderful subjective acoustic impressions by words/sentences, in English and/or Japanese.
Very fortunately, not only we (my wife and me) but also many of our audio/music enthusiast friends/guests (many of them are professional or semi-professional), always keep saying “Wow, wow, what a wonderful and amazing music listening experience we are having with your present multichannel active audio setup!”
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