Big speakers and small rooms

TheMadMilkman · May 5, 2015

Diapason said:
A friend has loaned me a USB microphone, I have the software downloaded, but I don't have a suitable means of getting sound from laptop to system without a bit of messing. That's the main source of delay outside of nappies, etc. I'll get there.

You're just doing some basic room measurements, right? Grab a headphone to RCA adapter and use your laptop's headphone jack.

Edit: Just saw that you don't have a preamp. That does complicate things a bit.

Robh3606 · May 5, 2015

It seems like conventional wisdom that big speakers and small room is a recipe for problems, but outside of "it's just common sense" I'm trying to find a good answer as to why? My room is an awkward size (21' l, 9.5' w, 8' h) so the question applies to me specifically, but I'm also interested in a general sense.

Don't set up down the long dimension try a set-up with the pair on the long wall. You can get the speakers away from the side walls. Depth may or may not work depending on placement and room modes. I have used big speakers in small rooms and they can sound quite good. Just like any thing else no hard and fast rules. You won't know until you try.

Rob

Fitzcaraldo215 · May 10, 2015

Purite Audio said:
If you have digital sources, look at dacs with variable analogue output, and a properly dithered digital attenuator, it is good practise not to use too much digital attenuation, because unlike analogue ,a digital attenuator turns down the signal but not the background noise.
Variable analogue output is useful because you can adjust so that you use the minimum of digital attenuation.
I use my Weiss Medus here as my preamp in my digital only system and it works beautifully.
Keith.

I do not agree. All systems have residual noise, of course, and properly designed digital systems have less of that than analog circuits. Really good, low noise analog is much more expensive to engineer, and digital surpasses that at much lower cost. The common, inexpensive solution for digital volume control in PCM uses 32 bits rather than 24 or 16, with the added bits containing essentially only random noise. Those added noise bits are successively truncated at the LSB end as volume is decreased so as not to reduce resolution.

The only time you need good analog volume control is for pure DSD, which does not allow for easy level manipulation in the digital domain.

dallasjustice · May 10, 2015

Yes. Weiss is smart to include a few analog steps. It seems like almost all pro gear does this standard. It's almost always missing in consumer gear.

Purite Audio said:
Weiss white paper on digital attenuation, properly dithered digital attenuation is fine, but the fact remains that a digital attenuator only attenuated the signal, Weiss always include variable analogue output s you can use as little digital attenuation as possible, that is good practise.
Keith.
http://www.weiss.ch/assets/content/41/white-paper-on-digital-level-control.pdf

Phelonious Ponk · May 10, 2015

Fitzcaraldo215 said:
I do not agree. All systems have residual noise, of course, and properly designed digital systems have less of that than analog circuits. Really good, low noise analog is much more expensive to engineer, and digital surpasses that at much lower cost. The common, inexpensive solution for digital volume control in PCM uses 32 bits rather than 24 or 16, with the added bits containing essentially only random noise. Those added noise bits are successively truncated at the LSB end as volume is decreased so as not to reduce resolution.

The only time you need good analog volume control is for pure DSD, which does not allow for easy level manipulation in the digital domain.

In the immortal words of David Byrne, stop making sense.

Tim

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Big speakers and small rooms

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