This will be an introduction to my VSR (Very Small Room) "upgrade path" for my simple budget audio/video system, and I will return to it to have discussions and answer questions, and post changes and subsequent impressions - and hopefully, some REW or similar basic in-room frequency response measurements. My goal is to continue to have excellent audio, and and add the clear and intelligible dialog that the use of a center channel is said to offer. My retirement budget and very small room do not allow for even a 5.1 system, much less one of the new high channel count immersive audio systems.
The D300 series of loudspeakers from Wharfedale is new, and borrows technology from their successful Diamond line of speakers. Since Amir has not tested these yet, I have no idea how they measure, and just took a chance. Most of the conventional speakers from good companies that are measured here seem to be good sounding, especially with a bit of DSP EQ. These speakers are bottom ported, and not rear-ported like the Atoms. They sit up on little feet - and they work well very close to the front wall. With the addition of an extra pair of 5" mid-bass drivers up front thanks to the center-channel speaker, I hoped I might get a bit more bass performance since I don't have a subwoofer.
Below is a picture -with and without grills - of the D320's and the Paradigm Atom v.6 bookshelves they replace. Soundwise, it's probably not much of an actual upgrade, but I like the look of the D320s - and the fact that they are bottom ported. Plus, the high-quality rosewood woodgrain vinyl finish - or whatever it is Wharfedale uses on the D300 series - looks much nicer than the cheaper looking cherry woodgrain vinyl of the Paradigm atoms. I bought Wharfedales from MusicDirect in the U.S. for $199/pair, plus the D300C center for another $199. Shipping to my forwarding service in Miami was free. Their customer service was great, and there were no issues in verifying the details for shipping the two cartons to to Miami for forwarding to Panama. It took two weeks to get to my doorstep, and the packages plus the speakers inside were in excellent condition.
Previous system - 2.0 channels (L/R, no subwoofer):
My impressions of the design and construction of the IOTAVX 7.1 4K component are in agreement with Amir's impression of the IOTAVX SA3 integrated amplifier. Very nice and well-constructed, solid black case with a large display and dimmable lighting of the display and the logo, and the surrounds around the power switch and volume control. The unit includes a calibration microphone and a built-in DSP system than call an "EQFlex automatic room correction and loudspeaker equalization system".
I connected the HDMI in and out cables, the L/R/C xlr outs to the amplifiers, skimmed the manual, plugged it in, and turned it on - and nothing. I finally figured out how to go through the Kodi menus to configure what channels I had and didn't have, and what features (Dolby surround, etc.) to enable, and then went through the IOTAVX 7.1 4K on-screen setup menus where everything was pretty simple and logical. And now everything worked.
By now it was late, and I decided to watch a movie - nothing heavy - just light entertainment. So I watched Steven Spielberg's live/animation hybrid movie "Ready Player One". It's about a future where everyone was connected much of the time hooked into global virtual reality game, and I had it in MP4/1080p/5.1 format. The sound was clean and strong - but voices - even the female lead - sounded muddy and bloated, and the center wasn't helping with dialog clarity. I made it through the movie, but the next afternoon, I ran the really user friendly IOTAVX EQFlex DSP room correction process.
Then I played some music. At first, it sounded a bit thin, and then BOOM - some deeper bass played and it blew me away. Apparently I had been listening to serious low mid-range and bass bloat, and now that was gone, and deeper bass than I ever imagined could come from my speakers. I spent the next two hours listening to music - everything from synthesizer to pipe organ to acoustic guitar to 70's rock and more What a difference. Over the next few days, I will see if I can use the IOTAVX mic to run REW and see what the before and after response is in my room. Only then will know if me ear/brain pair is telling the truth. I also skipped through the Ready Player One movie again, and the bloat as gone and the dialog was much easier to understand. Before I went to bed, I watched the movie "Midway" and it sounded great - explosions and all, including dialog that was very easy to hear. Not once did I feel the need to cup my ears with my hands or crank up the volume to understand the dialog.
Amplification - and a custom media center/stand over the next few months will finish this round of upgrades for me. I will have identical 100wpc@8Ω amplification for all three channels soon, but I don't expect amplification to make any audible changes in the system. I already have a XLR version Ghent stereo case for the ICEPower 200ASC/200AC modules, and a mono case for another 200ASC is on the way to me from China. I've ordered a 60w soldering kit from Amazon. PartsExpress says that the 200ASC modules will be back in stock tomorrow, and that will complete my acquisition of hardware for the upgrade.
I will post again after I do some in-room measurements, and whenever I am inspired by my experiences with my new system, but for now, I am very pleased. going to eat dinner and watch another movie.
The D300 series of loudspeakers from Wharfedale is new, and borrows technology from their successful Diamond line of speakers. Since Amir has not tested these yet, I have no idea how they measure, and just took a chance. Most of the conventional speakers from good companies that are measured here seem to be good sounding, especially with a bit of DSP EQ. These speakers are bottom ported, and not rear-ported like the Atoms. They sit up on little feet - and they work well very close to the front wall. With the addition of an extra pair of 5" mid-bass drivers up front thanks to the center-channel speaker, I hoped I might get a bit more bass performance since I don't have a subwoofer.
Below is a picture -with and without grills - of the D320's and the Paradigm Atom v.6 bookshelves they replace. Soundwise, it's probably not much of an actual upgrade, but I like the look of the D320s - and the fact that they are bottom ported. Plus, the high-quality rosewood woodgrain vinyl finish - or whatever it is Wharfedale uses on the D300 series - looks much nicer than the cheaper looking cherry woodgrain vinyl of the Paradigm atoms. I bought Wharfedales from MusicDirect in the U.S. for $199/pair, plus the D300C center for another $199. Shipping to my forwarding service in Miami was free. Their customer service was great, and there were no issues in verifying the details for shipping the two cartons to to Miami for forwarding to Panama. It took two weeks to get to my doorstep, and the packages plus the speakers inside were in excellent condition.
Previous system - 2.0 channels (L/R, no subwoofer):
- Source: Synology NAS or internet > Intel NUC5CPYB (a 6 y/o Celeron model) which boots to either LibreELEC/Kodi, or Daphile for music audio only.
- DAC: Topping DX7s, USB in, XLR out
- Amplification: Classé Model 70 vintage (~1993) stereo Class AB amplifier, 70wpc@8Ω
- Speakers: Paradigm Atom v.6 Bookshelf, no EQ
- Source - no change
- DAC/Processor: Replace Topping DX7s and USB, XLR out with an IOTAVX 4K 7.1 AV processor/preamp and HDMI in, XLR out.
- Amplification: Classé Model 70 for L/R, Fosi MO-2 (TPA3116 chip, NE5532 op-amp) mono amplifier (Temporary amp for center channel.)
- Speakers: Wharfedale D320 L/R, D300C center channel - IOTAVX's "EQFlex" digital room correction used
My impressions of the design and construction of the IOTAVX 7.1 4K component are in agreement with Amir's impression of the IOTAVX SA3 integrated amplifier. Very nice and well-constructed, solid black case with a large display and dimmable lighting of the display and the logo, and the surrounds around the power switch and volume control. The unit includes a calibration microphone and a built-in DSP system than call an "EQFlex automatic room correction and loudspeaker equalization system".
I connected the HDMI in and out cables, the L/R/C xlr outs to the amplifiers, skimmed the manual, plugged it in, and turned it on - and nothing. I finally figured out how to go through the Kodi menus to configure what channels I had and didn't have, and what features (Dolby surround, etc.) to enable, and then went through the IOTAVX 7.1 4K on-screen setup menus where everything was pretty simple and logical. And now everything worked.
By now it was late, and I decided to watch a movie - nothing heavy - just light entertainment. So I watched Steven Spielberg's live/animation hybrid movie "Ready Player One". It's about a future where everyone was connected much of the time hooked into global virtual reality game, and I had it in MP4/1080p/5.1 format. The sound was clean and strong - but voices - even the female lead - sounded muddy and bloated, and the center wasn't helping with dialog clarity. I made it through the movie, but the next afternoon, I ran the really user friendly IOTAVX EQFlex DSP room correction process.
Then I played some music. At first, it sounded a bit thin, and then BOOM - some deeper bass played and it blew me away. Apparently I had been listening to serious low mid-range and bass bloat, and now that was gone, and deeper bass than I ever imagined could come from my speakers. I spent the next two hours listening to music - everything from synthesizer to pipe organ to acoustic guitar to 70's rock and more What a difference. Over the next few days, I will see if I can use the IOTAVX mic to run REW and see what the before and after response is in my room. Only then will know if me ear/brain pair is telling the truth. I also skipped through the Ready Player One movie again, and the bloat as gone and the dialog was much easier to understand. Before I went to bed, I watched the movie "Midway" and it sounded great - explosions and all, including dialog that was very easy to hear. Not once did I feel the need to cup my ears with my hands or crank up the volume to understand the dialog.
Amplification - and a custom media center/stand over the next few months will finish this round of upgrades for me. I will have identical 100wpc@8Ω amplification for all three channels soon, but I don't expect amplification to make any audible changes in the system. I already have a XLR version Ghent stereo case for the ICEPower 200ASC/200AC modules, and a mono case for another 200ASC is on the way to me from China. I've ordered a 60w soldering kit from Amazon. PartsExpress says that the 200ASC modules will be back in stock tomorrow, and that will complete my acquisition of hardware for the upgrade.
I will post again after I do some in-room measurements, and whenever I am inspired by my experiences with my new system, but for now, I am very pleased. going to eat dinner and watch another movie.
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