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  »  New  A revision of playback with reverberation injection or ..  Savor the Good!...  Playback Listening  Forum     135  222968  08-03-2021
04-28-2025 Post does not mapped to Knowledge Tree
anthony
Posts 359
Joined on 08-18-2014

Post #: 121
Post ID: 28170
Reply to: 28169
Make sure they match
Jarek, I would try to listen to any immersive channel before you buy too many of them as in my opinion they need to at least roughly match your main speakers in the type of sound they produce.  Here, I've had several hi-end'ish standmounts and bookshelf speakers and they had a very different character to my mains, in that their sound changed as the volume rose (compression) and were generally sluggish and lacked resolution in comparison to Macondo.  Of course there is only so much you can expect from a small loudspeaker with small woofers, so in my case I found that monitors with a compression driver/waveguide had an immediacy more commensurate with Macondo and an 8" woofer could go louder before compressing than a 6".  Plus, I knew that my immersive channels would be in corners and against the walls so front ported is a must should sealed not be possible.  Your requirements will be different to mine, but I would encourage the immersive channels have a similar character to your mains.

As to the $$ poured into my system, it is considerable, but the result of accumulation over time.  I've not kept tabs on it but have operated by concentrating on one facet at a time.  For instance, with my current streaming setup, I demoed and listened and chose and spent much more than initially intended and purchased it all pretty much at once but now have zero compulsion to make any changes as it does everything that I need.  With the Vitavox and other vintage drivers I've kept an eye on what is available and purchased at the opportunity that felt most appropriate.  And of course I have made Macondo/DSET from scratch along with 95% of my bass treatment, furniture, racks and my DHT preamp, LCR Phonostage and various other electronic bits and pieces.  My biggest cost though has been time.  So much learning, experimenting, building, soldering and measuring, but I've loved every minute.
04-28-2025 Post does not mapped to Knowledge Tree
anthony
Posts 359
Joined on 08-18-2014

Post #: 122
Post ID: 28171
Reply to: 28168
Distorted ULF
 Romy the Cat wrote:


A few months ago I met a statement in one on my videos bass channels should not be driven by the same crossoveed signal as a rest of the system.  In my view it is the key. In my current view it needs to be very deliberately "distorted" in order ULF do not destroy your existing low frequency sound. You might discover this time that it is a correct direction to go.



This I do not understand.  Would you care to elaborate?
04-28-2025 Post does not mapped to Knowledge Tree
N-set
Warsaw, Poland
Posts 640
Joined on 01-07-2006

Post #: 123
Post ID: 28172
Reply to: 28170
RI system
Thanks Anthony! What immersive system have you been using? Do your immersive channels process the actual music? I'm going the Yamaha DSP path where according to Romy RI speaker quality doesn't matter much as they produce only auxilary "barking" sounds. Auro is out of my radar due to the small available space.


Cheers,
Jarek
04-28-2025 Post does not mapped to Knowledge Tree
anthony
Posts 359
Joined on 08-18-2014

Post #: 124
Post ID: 28173
Reply to: 28172
The whole hog
Jarek, I currently do not do RI.  The immersive channels have only been used for audio visual stuff thus far.  I purchased a Lexicon somethinorother to try RI but never got there to take it out of the box.  The Trinnov suits my purposes as I can use it for RI as Romy and Bill currently do it, plus it is good for multichannel music actually mixed for Auro3D/Atmos/DTS (there is more and more of that coming available) and streaming/blu-ray home theatre stuff.

I remember the ambience settings on my old Sony surround system from the '90s and it was often worthwhile to change the ambience effect to suit the music, but it was primitive.  Sounds like Yamaha did it better, but I bet if you want to use your immersive speakers for more than RI then quality will matter.  I am yet to be convinced that the quality of the immersive speakers does not matter for RI, and I would think the basics of having their sonic character at least nominally match the mains is important.  
04-28-2025 Post does not mapped to Knowledge Tree
Romy the Cat


Boston, MA
Posts 10,391
Joined on 05-27-2004

Post #: 125
Post ID: 28174
Reply to: 28171
Let's see how it goes...
 anthony wrote:

This I do not understand.  Would you care to elaborate?
I think I have a whole video dedicated to it. When you finish your ulf and will be driving from whatever application you will be driving it feels essential is the same your main signal on the passing forever crossover you choose to be. Let's presume that everything works perfectly and you probably calibrate your ulf. Now let's increase your ulf output for one or two decibel. You will feel that it become too much bass. Right? Yes indeed it will be but how would you detect that has become too much bass? Most likely because the Sonic characteristics of your main channels will be compromised but output of your your ulf. This is how all systems are there work.  I do things very differently. My main channels and my ulf do not talk to each other and my ulf penetrates the sound of my channels like hot knife penetrates butter. I might drive my ulf  + 6 or + 10 DB and that character of my main system does not change at all. Is that excessive out put of my ulf introduce only excessive softness of the sound in the room, but does not affect sound itself. In order to accomplish it you need to drive your your ulf not by the signal you drive the rest of the system from on crossover but by slightly different signal, deliberately distorted. The nature of this distortion is a key, they are not bad distortions, I give an example of good cholesterol and bad cholesterol. Finish what you do and if eventually you'll find that you are not happy we will talk.


"I wish I could score everything for horns." - Richard Wagner. "Our writing equipment takes part in the forming of our thoughts." - Friedrich Nietzsche
09-14-2025 Post does not mapped to Knowledge Tree
N-set
Warsaw, Poland
Posts 640
Joined on 01-07-2006

Post #: 126
Post ID: 28359
Reply to: 28172
No way back!
I have finally set up the reverberation injection. My DSP3000 turned out to have some problem (vanishingly low output), I hunted DSP100 and got a pair of Focal Twin Shape speakers as the RI (2x5" woffers + 2x 6" passive radiators + inverted dome metal tweeter). Finally, I managed a quick n dirty set up today (4 channels) and listened. This is incredible! My small, dead uninspiring acoustics turned into a lively listening space. Walcha's Bach Organworks LP's sounded like never before and I'm quite familiar with gothic churches and pipe organs. A quick run through chamber, orchestra, vocals showed a new dimension and playing with the presets is just pure fun. Like several who tried testified - there is no way back to the flat, boring stereo listening. Also the initial listening shows what Romy suspected - bass capable RI helps to ameliorate the bass deficiency of the Dannoys.
I'd like to make a proper setup. Any tips? I plan to mount the Focals (this is the best I could get for  a reasonable money) at the ceiling, angled down at the listening position like the Yamaha manual says. The RI tweeters will be some 230cm off the floor, while the main Dannoys are 95cm. Now they are much lower resting on books, chairs etc. I hope this is not too high and the Focals will manage. How do you set the volume of the RI? Matching to the main channel volume via pink noise. So far I've set by ear.


Cheers,
Jarek
09-22-2025 Post does not mapped to Knowledge Tree
N-set
Warsaw, Poland
Posts 640
Joined on 01-07-2006

Post #: 127
Post ID: 28364
Reply to: 28359
Enough data question
PS There was a question, I think from Paul, if the Yamaha will "dig" from LP's as well. I haven't had time to test much, but yes, it did manage to extract the reverb info from the LP's I've tested (I tried different labels/era/music). I haven't tested mono ones though, that would be interesting. Moreover it was also providing reverb for a FM radio signal


Cheers,
Jarek
09-23-2025 Post does not mapped to Knowledge Tree
Paul S
San Diego, California, USA
Posts 2,786
Joined on 10-12-2006

Post #: 128
Post ID: 28365
Reply to: 28174
Well???
Still waiting to hear particulars about "distorted ULF". This term does not conjure synthesized RI from 6" drivers (etc.) for me, because I have not "heard" ULF from small drivers. Anyone want to say what topology is employed in this special case? Since Romy has used heavy, attic mounted 18" pairs for ULF, that has stuck in my mind.

Paul S
09-23-2025 Post does not mapped to Knowledge Tree
N-set
Warsaw, Poland
Posts 640
Joined on 01-07-2006

Post #: 129
Post ID: 28366
Reply to: 28365
Separate issue
This is a separate issue from the RI, as far as I understand. In case of Dannoys, RI done with 2x 5" "woofers" per channel at a distance of 1.5m does give a feeling of a stronger bass but this is not what a good ULF would give. I'm still missing the "LF breathing" although less now 


Cheers,
Jarek
09-24-2025 Post does not mapped to Knowledge Tree
Paul S
San Diego, California, USA
Posts 2,786
Joined on 10-12-2006

Post #: 130
Post ID: 28367
Reply to: 28366
The Sound of Music
Jarek, I have not responded to your recent posts because "you lost me". I have no experience with most of what you seem to be doing now. I am curious, in terms of what you are listening for vs. what you are hearing, and how your topological choices facilitate your ends. But at this point it appears that any speculation on my part would be a reach. Not sure at all how/what you have evolved [to] from your version of the Dunnoys.

Best regards,
Paul S
09-24-2025 Post does not mapped to Knowledge Tree
Romy the Cat


Boston, MA
Posts 10,391
Joined on 05-27-2004

Post #: 131
Post ID: 28368
Reply to: 28359
.....there are many ways back.
 N-set wrote:
I have finally set up the reverberation injection. My DSP3000 turned out to have some problem (vanishingly low output), I hunted DSP100 and got a pair of Focal Twin Shape speakers as the RI (2x5" woffers + 2x 6" passive radiators + inverted dome metal tweeter). Finally, I managed a quick n dirty set up today (4 channels) and listened. This is incredible! My small, dead uninspiring acoustics turned into a lively listening space. Walcha's Bach Organworks LP's sounded like never before and I'm quite familiar with gothic churches and pipe organs. A quick run through chamber, orchestra, vocals showed a new dimension and playing with the presets is just pure fun. Like several who tried testified - there is no way back to the flat, boring stereo listening. Also the initial listening shows what Romy suspected - bass capable RI helps to ameliorate the bass deficiency of the Dannoys.
I'd like to make a proper setup. Any tips? I plan to mount the Focals (this is the best I could get for  a reasonable money) at the ceiling, angled down at the listening position like the Yamaha manual says. The RI tweeters will be some 230cm off the floor, while the main Dannoys are 95cm. Now they are much lower resting on books, chairs etc. I hope this is not too high and the Focals will manage. How do you set the volume of the RI? Matching to the main channel volume via pink noise. So far I've set by ear.

As I said before, DSP 3000 the most advanced If you would like to use the classic Yamaha reverberation fields ejection, but many of those units very faulty. The contemporary implementation of the same injection in a contemporary Yamaha receivers is much more stable and top of the light units have the same functionality as as DSP 3000 has, you just need to pay an additional $ few thousands dollars, which comes with the rest of the unit. 

Now about being reversible. What you are saying is pretty much my position a few years ago when I vigorously advocated reverberation injection for any sensible playback installation. My position absolutely not changed on the subject, however my objective what I would like to accomplish are changed very dramatically.   This might be a subject for a separate conversation and I do not want to talk about it here. All that I am saying that I am having fully operational and very well performing injection in both Auro and Yamaha format and I not very frequently use it. In fact I mostly use them to impress visitors but for myself I use it very selectively.

That last thing is about recommendation of anything. Unfortunately, I do not feel it is practically possible. In organization of reverberation injections, there are so many variables dealing with idiosynthesis of a given playback, given room, giving user preferences that to bring any general recommendations here without being in the room make it impossible to reflect what's going on in the room from a distance...


"I wish I could score everything for horns." - Richard Wagner. "Our writing equipment takes part in the forming of our thoughts." - Friedrich Nietzsche
09-27-2025 Post does not mapped to Knowledge Tree
N-set
Warsaw, Poland
Posts 640
Joined on 01-07-2006

Post #: 132
Post ID: 28370
Reply to: 28368
The answer is in the bass
Paul, my main challenge since the Dannoys has been to add spatial clues I need to start reading the music material better. Another issue is the lack of enough energy in lower to mid bass registers with orchestral music, I'm missing  that "grand" sound output, but what can one ask from a single 10" driver even listening near field? In my view, a big part of those problems is connected to the lack of LF extension and secondary to the small, acoustically dead listening space I have now. Since extending LF with dedicated bass channel(s) was opted out by both my little sub experiment and the analysis of Edgar and Romy of the Dannoy LF, RI stood out as a chance to improve the presentation. I had earlier added supertweeters (Tannoy ST-50), seeking a way to open up the sound and disconnect it from the speakers (will comment on that later), but that was rather small cosmetics. Of course another option is to change the Dannoys to sth else but I wanted to continue the experiment, seduced by the Dannoys bass like by a siren's song, plus my current real estate will not allow for a proper U/LF implementation anyway. When it comes to task number one - the spatial clues - the RI does it wonderfully!! Or at least my honeymoon with it is not over yet. I think this is a brilliant solution for small, awkward spaces. It opens up and transforms the space immediately, sculptures the sound in the space, on all of the material I've tested so far with a varying level of being convincing, depending on the material/DSP preset (and there are 6 halls + chamber + church = 8 presets to choose from plus ability to create own). A lot of my listening is baroque and here already Dannoys were very good in my space, but with RI it is all shining! The consorts I've listened to so far finally "got the balls" and sound like proper consorts not flat 2D projections, which how I hear them now with RI switched off. It ignites a range of emotions (including child like curiosity Smile which I haven't had for a long time listening to a playback.  Same with chamber music, e.g. string quartets or piano + violin duets, it allows to hear the performers 3D and study how they interpret/interact/shape the narration. With orchestras, which is probably what you would like to hear, the effect is less pronounced - the spatial clues are helping a lot to shape the sound more convincingly. "The bass perception" for a lack of a better expression is improved, like Romy predicted - it feels there is more energy in the lower registers. But it is still not "it". There is still lower energy and spaciousness missing. The Lubeck B8 CD did not ignite special sensations in me so far. I'm not getting that special/spatial impressions that Romy has been prising here. but I did not play with the presents much plus my CD chain is simplistic. I have not listened to  the Wald's Harmonia Mundi LP yet, which so far has been my B8 reference.  I havn't tried operas yet due to constant lack of time. I think the above shows RI is doing magic but not endlessly. The lack of a proper U/LF so needed for the orchestra reproduction, can be compensated for by RI, but only up to some point. 

 Romy the Cat wrote:


As I said before, DSP 3000 the most advanced If you would like to use the classic Yamaha reverberation fields ejection, but many of those units very faulty.

Does DSP3000 use a different/more elaborate processing engine (although DSp3000 is older)? I was trying to get some info on that but could not. And have you been able to directly compare DSP3000 vs DSP-100? I'm wondering it it makes sense to try to restore my DSP3000 which sounds like a pain.
 Romy the Cat wrote:
Now about being reversible. What you are saying is pretty much my position a few years ago when I vigorously advocated reverberation injection for any sensible playback installation. My position absolutely not changed on the subject, however my objective what I would like to accomplish are changed very dramatically.   This might be a subject for a separate conversation and I do not want to talk about it here. All that I am saying that I am having fully operational and very well performing injection in both Auro and Yamaha format and I not very frequently use it. In fact I mostly use them to impress visitors but for myself I use it very selectively.

Again, I think the bass is the answer. You have an elaborate, multichannel U/LF implementation to start with (and a big enough space). You were mentioning your "black hole", sucking in, bass. My dream is to have it. If I had that, I guess I'd look at RI differently. But in my circumstances and for now, RI is doing a wonderful job and I can't see a way back.
 Romy the Cat wrote:
That last thing is about recommendation of anything. Unfortunately, I do not feel it is practically possible. In organization of reverberation injections, there are so many variables dealing with idiosynthesis of a given playback, given room, giving user preferences that to bring any general recommendations here without being in the room make it impossible to reflect what's going on in the room from a distance...

So far, I've been following the Yamaha recommendation for positioning the RI channels and  setting the volume by ear - there is a transition point. When you cross it, the RI starts to stand out and call the attention too much. I'm wondering if you played with your own presets?



Cheers,
Jarek
09-27-2025 Post does not mapped to Knowledge Tree
Paul S
San Diego, California, USA
Posts 2,786
Joined on 10-12-2006

Post #: 133
Post ID: 28371
Reply to: 28370
Bass in Small Spaces
Jarek, something we can't get around is the power involved in live Music. It is what it is, so if we want "live music" in our listening room, we have to simulate that power in "open space" in order to be able to hear the play of differences that describe a particular musical event. Of course we can't really re-create a symphony with our hi-fi, especially if we have to "keep it down" (as lots of people do...). Of course, we settle for less in any case, and we wind up trying to bring across the Music with "tricks". I am not sure what it would take to get, say, a "live harpsichord" sound in a small, problematic listening room using a pair of vintage Tannoy reds as my main cue, regardless of other stuff going on in  the room. The end-game of "near field listening" is headphones. That's what I use at night, in my room. I crank it up in my listening room.
09-28-2025 Post does not mapped to Knowledge Tree
Romy the Cat


Boston, MA
Posts 10,391
Joined on 05-27-2004

Post #: 134
Post ID: 28379
Reply to: 28371
... Depends
Well,  I think you are like me a few years ago become a victim of reverberation injection craze. There is nothing wrong with that and the reverberation ejection is absolutely mandatory in our smallest rooms but the key is not to become the slave of idea. I do not think that there is a need to discuss difference of reverberation patterns between different models. I don't think it is necessary. If you add some kind of reverberation you already there. If you can improve your reverberation channels and pattern, you can get some incremental improvement, but the major benefits of injection will be there no matter what. From hearing what going on you should be fast. Identify which yamaka setting which be more suitable for material you play and for objectives you have.


"I wish I could score everything for horns." - Richard Wagner. "Our writing equipment takes part in the forming of our thoughts." - Friedrich Nietzsche
09-29-2025 Post does not mapped to Knowledge Tree
N-set
Warsaw, Poland
Posts 640
Joined on 01-07-2006

Post #: 135
Post ID: 29390
Reply to: 28371
Generalities
 Paul S wrote:
Jarek, something we can't get around is the power involved in live Music. It is what it is, so if we want "live music" in our listening room, we have to simulate that power in "open space" in order to be able to hear the play of differences that describe a particular musical event. Of course we can't really re-create a symphony with our hi-fi, especially if we have to "keep it down" (as lots of people do...). Of course, we settle for less in any case, and we wind up trying to bring across the Music with "tricks". I am not sure what it would take to get, say, a "live harpsichord" sound in a small, problematic listening room using a pair of vintage Tannoy reds as my main cue, regardless of other stuff going on in  the room. The end-game of "near field listening" is headphones. That's what I use at night, in my room. I crank it up in my listening room.

Paul, these are general facts but I know how a system can sound on a big material and what I have is not "it" but the RI made a great step towards "it". Why harpsichord would be problematic? I'm quite familiar with it throughout the years of baroque festivals and Dannoys render it very nice. Dannoy + RI wonderfully! The instrument goes low but is quiet and has a pretty flat dynamic range, for which some people hate it. Piano, esp the full concert size grand piano, this is a challenge.


Cheers,
Jarek
09-29-2025 Post does not mapped to Knowledge Tree
Paul S
San Diego, California, USA
Posts 2,786
Joined on 10-12-2006

Post #: 136
Post ID: 29391
Reply to: 29390
Savor the Good!
Jarek, you specifically mentioned Baroque music, and if you are getting acceptable harpsichord from well-mic'd recordings, then very good for you, as this augers well. They aren't pianos, for sure, but can make quite a wide range of sounds and textures for all that. It seems to mostly depend on what is most important to you (or anyone...) in terms of cues. Like I said earlier, developing system strengths is at least as important as solving system problems. Depending on the instrument, the musician, and the recording, the harpsichord's "flat dynamic range" can be "opened up" , paralleling what we aim for with "limited dynamics" systems. To my ears, most systems that are keyed to "dynamics" lack sufficient Tone and Color, and who wants that?

Best regards,
Paul S
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   Target    Threads for related reading   Most recent post in related threads   Forum  Replies   Views   Started 
  »  New  A revision of playback with reverberation injection or ..  Savor the Good!...  Playback Listening  Forum     135  222968  08-03-2021
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