Need Help Integrating Sub & Room Correction with Cambridge Edge A Setup (Noob Alert!)

[CKChoudhary]

Hey everyone,

I recently received a Cambridge Audio Edge A as a gift and am slowly building out my system. Here’s my current devices, yet to set them up:

• Speakers: Arendal 1961 Bookshelf
• Subwoofer: HSU ULS-15 MK2
• Streamer: Bluesound Node 130
• Cambridge Audio Edge A
• (Considering adding a MiniDSP SHD Studio for room correction)-not ordered yet

I'm fairly new to this, so would love some guidance on how to optimize what I have. Here are my questions:

1. How can I make my Arendal speakers receive only higher frequencies?
   I know the HSU ULS-15 MK2 has a built-in low-pass filter, so I’m not too concerned about the sub. But I’d like to reduce the low-frequency burden on the Arendals. Are there any high-pass solutions I can add after the Edge A’s speaker outputs?
2. What’s the best way to connect the HSU sub to the Edge A?
   The Edge A doesn’t have a dedicated sub out, so what are my best connection options?
3. If I want to use Dirac room correction, is the MiniDSP SHD Studio the right tool?
   • I assume I’d place it after the Node 130 and before the Edge A—is that correct?
   • In this setup, would my sub get its signal from the MiniDSP instead of the Edge A?
   • If that’s the case, wouldn’t that bypass the Edge A’s superior DAC and amplification for the sub?
   • Can I use the MiniDSP for crossover duties as well?

I didn’t plan on building a system, but I’ve somehow ended up with some nice gear and now I’m hooked on getting the most out of it. I'm open to all suggestions—especially if there’s a better way to approach this with what I already have.


Thanks in advance!

 

[Keith_W]

Welcome to ASR!

1. How can I make my Arendal speakers receive only higher frequencies?
   I know the HSU ULS-15 MK2 has a built-in low-pass filter, so I’m not too concerned about the sub. But I’d like to reduce the low-frequency burden on the Arendals. Are there any high-pass solutions I can add after the Edge A’s speaker outputs?

The best way to achieve what you want is to insert a MiniDSP upstream of your Cambridge Edge amplifier. The MiniDSP does the crossover and sends the high freqs to the Cambridge and then to your speakers, and the low frequencies to your HSU Subwoofer.

What you are suggesting is to high pass the speakers downstream of the amplifier, but you effectively have to design another passive high pass filter in addition to the XO's already built in to your speakers. It's redundant and a waste of time, not to mention wasteful of amplifier power.

1. What’s the best way to connect the HSU sub to the Edge A?
   The Edge A doesn’t have a dedicated sub out, so what are my best connection options?

Yes it does. Read the manual.

1. If I want to use Dirac room correction, is the MiniDSP SHD Studio the right tool?
   • I assume I’d place it after the Node 130 and before the Edge A—is that correct?
   • In this setup, would my sub get its signal from the MiniDSP instead of the Edge A?
   • If that’s the case, wouldn’t that bypass the Edge A’s superior DAC and amplification for the sub?
   • Can I use the MiniDSP for crossover duties as well?

The MiniDSP SHD Studio is not a suitable product for your system because it only has digital outputs. That's fine for your Cambridge Edge (which has a digital input), but it won't work for your HSU Subwoofer since it does not have a digital input.

A more suitable product would be the MiniDSP Flex - four analog outputs, option for Dirac Live, SPDIF/TOSLink digital inputs for your streamer. As mentioned, place it between the Bluesound Node and before the Edge A and HSU subwoofer. I wouldn't worry about the "superior" DAC in the Cambridge, the DAC's in the MiniDSP Flex are superb as you can see from Amir's measurements. The MiniDSP will do the crossover as well as DSP duties.

The Dirac license is optional. I am not convinced that anybody needs Dirac, because you can probably do what Dirac does with REW alone. There are tutorials on how to use REW in MiniDSP's website.

 

[staticV3]

The WiiM Ultra would be a more user friendly alternative to a miniDSP, and would also make the Arendal receive only higher frequencies.

In any case, WiiM or miniDSP, your Cambridge would have to be used as a pure Power Amp, so no touching its volume control after initial setup.

 

[CKChoudhary]

Welcome to ASR!



The best way to achieve what you want is to insert a MiniDSP upstream of your Cambridge Edge amplifier. The MiniDSP does the crossover and sends the high freqs to the Cambridge and then to your speakers, and the low frequencies to your HSU Subwoofer.

What you are suggesting is to high pass the speakers downstream of the amplifier, but you effectively have to design another passive high pass filter in addition to the XO's already built in to your speakers. It's redundant and a waste of time, not to mention wasteful of amplifier power.



Yes it does. Read the manual.

View attachment 458994



The MiniDSP SHD Studio is not a suitable product for your system because it only has digital outputs. That's fine for your Cambridge Edge (which has a digital input), but it won't work for your HSU Subwoofer since it does not have a digital input.

A more suitable product would be the MiniDSP Flex - four analog outputs, option for Dirac Live, SPDIF/TOSLink digital inputs for your streamer. As mentioned, place it between the Bluesound Node and before the Edge A and HSU subwoofer. I wouldn't worry about the "superior" DAC in the Cambridge, the DAC's in the MiniDSP Flex are superb as you can see from Amir's measurements. The MiniDSP will do the crossover as well as DSP duties.

The Dirac license is optional. I am not convinced that anybody needs Dirac, because you can probably do what Dirac does with REW alone. There are tutorials on how to use REW in MiniDSP's website.

Thank you so much for the detailed and thoughtful response — this really clears things up for me! I was stuck trying to make the Edge A do something it wasn’t designed for, and your explanation helped me understand why a high-pass after the amp isn’t ideal.

The suggestion to go with the miniDSP Flex instead of the SHD Studio makes a lot of sense, especially with its analog outputs for the HSU sub. I really appreciate you pointing out the DAC quality too — that gives me peace of mind. Thanks again for your time and guidance!

 

[CKChoudhary]

The WiiM Ultra would be a more user friendly alternative to a miniDSP, and would also make the Arendal receive only higher frequencies.

In any case, WiiM or miniDSP, your Cambridge would have to be used as a pure Power Amp, so no touching its volume control after initial setup.

Thanks for the insight! Just to clarify — if I use the WiiM Ultra (or miniDSP Flex) and treat the Edge A as a power amp, does that mean I should fix its volume at a reference level and only control volume from the source?

Also, how does this impact the signal-to-noise ratio or dynamic range at lower listening volumes? I’m curious if digital volume control on the WiiM introduces any loss in resolution compared to using the Edge A’s analog volume stage.


Appreciate your thoughts!

 

[staticV3]

Just to clarify — if I use the WiiM Ultra (or miniDSP Flex) and treat the Edge A as a power amp, does that mean I should fix its volume at a reference level and only control volume from the source?

Correct.

Also, how does this impact the signal-to-noise ratio or dynamic range at lower listening volumes? I’m curious if digital volume control on the WiiM introduces any loss in resolution compared to using the Edge A’s analog volume stage.

An effective loss in playback dynamic range is always accompanied by audible hiss at the MLP.

If there's no hiss, then that means that your limiting factors are playback volume, environmental noise, and audibility thresholds.

In that case, though there may be bits lost to digital attenuation behind the scenes, any lost information wasn't audible in the first place and hence inconsequential.

Low level detail never vanishes into the void, it only dips into the noise floor (hiss).