(not that much) desperate manufacturer needing your advise

[boXem]

Dear ASR community, we would like to ask your sincere input to decide what's next for boXem.

All the ideas from the poll have a design started (schematics more or less ready) but need time and money to be produced.
Since days are only 24 hours, time is somehow limited.
Money is mainly needed for the mandatory certifications and for the production of the first batch of components. Basically, we invest for one product after the other. If the product happens to be a business failure, next product is delayed until enough resources are again available. As of now, funds are available for launching any of the listed products.
So priorities need to be set.

Your input will help us to set these priorities. In advance, many tanks!

 

[ubiq]

Hi Fred
Nice idea, as i was about to contact you, again.
Was wondering if you were considering a stereo amp based upon the new HYPEX NCx500 modules of the Ncore X series. Happy new year.

 

[MCH]

I am going to go crazy and propose a high performance stereo amp with integrated DAC with proper sub out/outs, either by being capable of receiving a 3-4 channel digital signal via usb or by implementing adjustable internal x-over. I think it would be a pretty cool device, and there aren't that many:

Integrated stereo amplifier with bass-management?

Note: I am not looking for a solution for myself. I am simply doing research, which may result into a list of amplifiers that members who may need a solution that fits to the following specifications may benefit. Hi On the Emotiva speaker review thread a discussion has started on the...

www.audiosciencereview.com

PS: hey, you asked!

 

[Frank2]

I am going to go crazy and propose a high performance stereo amp with integrated DAC with proper sub out/outs, either by being capable of receiving a 3-4 channel digital signal via usb or by implementing adjustable internal x-over. I think it would be a pretty cool device, and there aren't that many:

Integrated stereo amplifier with bass-management?

Note: I am not looking for a solution for myself. I am simply doing research, which may result into a list of amplifiers that members who may need a solution that fits to the following specifications may benefit. Hi On the Emotiva speaker review thread a discussion has started on the...

www.audiosciencereview.com

PS: hey, you asked!

That, with integrated DSP or the possibility to add one via a digital out/digital in loop.

 

[Marc v E]

This is quite hard to do for me. I'll make my own wishes explicit and my assumptions.

The product I most want is a dsp based preamplifier with room eq and sub out and hdmi in. 2 channel or multichannel. I'm assuming that this is not your expertise as it's almost all software based and you're proposing hardware based products.

What my guesstamate would be is that a good amp with dac included that measures well in a compact package will sell like hot cakes. After that a 5 channel power amp.

 

[PatentLawyer]

I would like a Purifi-based stereo amp with a built - in SOTA DAC, with bass management, and EQ. Doesn't have to be DIRAC, but something that I could import a curve into would be killer.

If I can't get the EQ, the Purifi + DAC + Bass Management would still get my attention.

 

[ubiq]

This is quite hard to do for me. I'll make my own wishes explicit and my assumptions.

The product I most want is a dsp based preamplifier with room eq and sub out and hdmi in. 2 channel or multichannel. I'm assuming that this is not your expertise as it's almost all software based and you're proposing hardware based products.

What my guesstamate would be is that a good amp with dac included that measures well in a compact package will sell like hot cakes. After that a 5 channel power amp.

A kind of C399 Nad with the Boxem quality, and latest hypex. Dreams are cheap

 

[boXem]

Hi Fred
Nice idea, as i was about to contact you, again.
Was wondering if you were considering a stereo amp based upon the new HYPEX NCx500 modules of the Ncore X series. Happy new year.

I have two of them for evaluation and do not really know yet what to do with these . They are not cheap, run hotter than the Purifi, need to bypass the integrated buffer to have variable gain, dual mono config mandatory to extract the full power in stereo, ...

I am going to go crazy and propose a high performance stereo amp with integrated DAC with proper sub out/outs, either by being capable of receiving a 3-4 channel digital signal via usb or by implementing adjustable internal x-over. I think it would be a pretty cool device, and there aren't that many:

Integrated stereo amplifier with bass-management?

Note: I am not looking for a solution for myself. I am simply doing research, which may result into a list of amplifiers that members who may need a solution that fits to the following specifications may benefit. Hi On the Emotiva speaker review thread a discussion has started on the...

www.audiosciencereview.com

PS: hey, you asked!

I have something like this in mind, in a quite basic manner.

That, with integrated DSP or the possibility to add one via a digital out/digital in loop.

Do you mean something like USB IN -> OPT OUT -> OPT IN -> DAC -> AMP?

This is quite hard to do for me. I'll make my own wishes explicit and my assumptions.

The product I most want is a dsp based preamplifier with room eq and sub out and hdmi in. 2 channel or multichannel. I'm assuming that this is not your expertise as it's almost all software based and you're proposing hardware based products.

What my guesstamate would be is that a good amp with dac included that measures well in a compact package will sell like hot cakes. After that a 5 channel power amp.

In fact I am (was?) better at software than hardware. Issue with software is the amount of people needed to do it properly.

 

[bluefuzz]

am going to go crazy and propose a high performance stereo amp with integrated DAC with proper sub out/outs,

If we're brainstorming crazy products it would be interesting to see an X-channel (2, 4, 6 ... etc.) amp with built in DAC and a (optional?) way to mount a Raspberry Pi CM4 for CamillaDSP duties.

 

[groovybassist]

I I like simple - boXem quality Purifi stereo amp (like the 4215), with SOTA DAC and SOTA volume control (with remote). Hook up speakers, Roon ready streamer and you’re done.

 

[boXem]

If we're brainstorming crazy products it would be interesting to see an X-channel (2, 4, 6 ... etc.) amp with built in DAC and a (optional?) way to mount a Raspberry Pi CM4 for CamillaDSP duties.

Something like an Okto Dac8 PRO with amplification? Wondering how big is the market for such a thing.

 

[ubiq]

I have two of them for evaluation and do not really know yet what to do with these . They are not cheap, run hotter than the Purifi, need to bypass the integrated buffer to have variable gain, dual mono config mandatory to extract the full power in stereo, ...

Yeah. I believe you. Hotter (though, relative to purify) but (a lot) more power, and still SOTA, right?

 

[VintageFlanker]

Salut Fred,

Not that I would care much, personally (still being prisoner in the active world), but my two cents...

- I observed a pretty high demand for cheaper NC252MP power amp, that would be priced a bit lower than your actual Arthur 3409. But with usual features (auto-on and clipping LED) of your own, that competitors don't have.

- Definitely an all-in-one integrated amp! This is not a market as overcrowded as it is already for Hypex/Purifi assembled power amps. SOTA Class D integrated are mostly done by big names such as NAD or Cambridge. A cheaper proposal with enough digital inputs (please, 2Xtoslink & 2Xcoax) and eventually phono input for those would care. I know that a DSP amp would be probably too much R&D and costs, with the risk of an uncompetitive finished product at the end of the day.

Multichannel Purifi... I'm not sure. I'm wondering if the final price could be too much for many. Multichannel NC-MP, tho...

 

[MCH]

Something like an Okto Dac8 PRO with amplification? Wondering how big is the market for such a thing.

Well the idea of leaving a space inside with 4 screw positions and a way to get 5 volts from the board for the folks wanting to stuck a rpi in.... I like it, and besides space would add little to the cost (?)

 

[waynel]

Dac with bass management
Small integrated amp with bass management

 

[VintageFlanker]

Dac with bass management
Small integrated amp with bass management

Yep, I just thought! A High Pass Filter, paired with dual sub outs (LPF) could be a must.

 

[bluefuzz]

Something like an Okto Dac8 PRO with amplification?

Yes in principle. Although, on reflection, perhaps better to keep amp and dac (with pi) separate. For my own use – running LX-minis and a powered sub – I would need 4 amp channels and 5 or 6 dac channels. But still nice if they had same design language etc.

Wondering how big is the market for such a thing.

Well, I think it would be a hit in the ASR demographic but not sure how lucrative that is! And realistically, I am probably not one of your potential customers being perennially poor and currently without gainful employment. I get by with my DIY UCD180 amp and Pi in a cardboard box but a guy can dream ... ;-)

 

[bloodshoteyed]

weren't you talking about a preamp already being in development?

and regarding eventual software r&d issues...how about openDRC or something similar (if there is anything else at all)?

 

[boXem]

weren't you talking about a preamp already being in development?

This is why I listed it in the choices. In the "schematics more or less ready" category, preamp schematics are almost ready. Then come two painful things called layout and debug. Not something to be done when not sleeping at 4am. So priorities have to be set.

and regarding eventual software r&d issues...how about openDRC or something similar (if there is anything else at all)?

Perfect example of the difficulty of maintaining software: unless duckduckgo lost it, openDRC seems to be dead and burried .

 

[Harryharryharry]

This is quite hard to do for me. I'll make my own wishes explicit and my assumptions.

The product I most want is a dsp based preamplifier with room eq and sub out and hdmi in. 2 channel or multichannel. I'm assuming that this is not your expertise as it's almost all software based and you're proposing hardware based products.

What my guesstamate would be is that a good amp with dac included that measures well in a compact package will sell like hot cakes. After that a 5 channel power amp.

Second for this. With hdmi eARC please