"Second-to-try" EKIO Configuration trusting EKIO to Mimic Attenuator Settings
Yesterday, in
my post #129, I shared and discussed the
"first-to-try" simplest EKIO configuration with no delay nor channel gain in the configuration where, after the arrival of multi-channel amplifier(s), I need to ask DAC8PRO to control the relative gain between the 8 channels to mimic current attenuator settings.
This means that DAC8PRO and myself should always precisely memorize the relative gain settings between the channels, and such gain settings should be applied in DAC8PRO's 8-channel gain controller every time when using DAC8PRO in my system. It should be much more convenient and stress-free, however, if I could use DAC8PRO just only for Master Volume Controller forgetting about relative gains,
i.e. no relative channel gain set in DAC8PRO.
Now, all of us well aware of amazingly nice S/N and linearity of DAC8PRO, and we can trust DAC8PRO for excellent sound quality (SQ) even with low gain (small volume) sound signals. Furthermore, in
post #60,
Burning Sounds kindly pointed and informed that
"If I remember correctly EKIO is done in a 64bit environment (you can do considerable attenuation on any channel and not suffer quality loss) and has peak level meters for each channel - these should enable you to check that you are not running into clipping. "
So, why do not trust EKIO, other than DAC8PRO, to mimic the present attenuator settings in EKIO's gain control of each output channel?
OK, I now aware that I should try it as my
"second-to-try" EKIO configuration, and I actually prepared and tested it today.
In my present reference
Single-DAC+Single-Amplifier+LC-network+Attenuator system, the atteuator setting for squawker (SQ), tweeter (TW) and super tweeter (ST) is;
This setting was fixed last summer through intensive listening and measurement sessions after the renovation of my YAMAHA NS-1000 including the new capacitors, coils and attenuators in "outer box" as shown in
my post #5. The ST FOSTEX T925A is a very high efficient unit, and the -13 dB attenuation found to be optimal.
If EKIO can mimic this attenuator setting, and if I would like to hear the sound using the same single-amp system, then I should change these as;
And, the possible EKIO I/O Panel setting should be;
Please note that we have
-5 dB gain (attenuation) in MD and HI channels,
-13 dB gain (attenuation) in SH channels. This screen capture was taken while playing the
track-12 flat pink noise of "Super Audio Check CD".
With these gains, overall Fq response, total phase, group delay,
etc. are;
The total phase rotation is still simple enough, and the theoretical group and total delay are below 10 ms throughout 30 Hz - 20 kHz.
Using this
"second-to-try" EKIO configuration into CH-1 and CH-2 of DAC8PRO, as well as only Master Volume control by DAC8PRO, I did really intensive
"before and after" listening sessions today including;
- Phase check while listening to only each of the Fq regions,
i.e. SL, LO, MD, HI and SH, using the
track-2 "Phase Check",
- Phase check while listening to all the channels at once, using the
track-2 "Phase Check",
- Five-location (positioning) check while listening to only each of the Fq regions, using
track-3 "Five Location Check",
- Five-location (positioning) check while listening to all the channels at once, using
track-3 "Five Location Check",
- High Fq linearity check while listening to only HI and/or SH, using
track-20 "High Frequency Linearity Check",
- High Fq linearity check while listening to all the channels at once, using
track-20 "High Frequency Linearity Check",
and
- intensive
"before and after" listening to the tracks of
my audio sampler play list.
I found that the phase status of each region is just OK as
"before", five-location (positioning) of each region is also OK, the high Fq linearity is just really fine.
After the intensive
"before and after" listening sessions with
my audio sampler play list, I feel this
"second-to-try" EKIO configuration gives slightly better overall SQ to my ears and brain, in terms of cleanliness, sonority, 3D perspectives, and sound resolution, maybe due to the less or no stress by the attenuators in present system.
In conclusion, this
"second-to-try" EKIO configuration having the "mimic of attenuators" would be another nice candidate to try after the arrival of multi-amplifier(s). It should be very nice that I can
use DAC8PRO's master volume controller only with no relative gain setting in DAC8PRO for the 8 channels.
We can trust EKIO's gain control, i.e. attenuation, on any channel and not suffer SQ loss, as
Burning Sounds kindly suggested in post #60.
