[XTZ]

Read all about XTZ news in our blog!

[XTZ]

Summertime is here but we are actually surprised with the amount of questions we receive and XTZ related buzz on the forums. Very pleasing indeed! There are a few signs that the economy is really picking up despite some crisis issues in Europe, and very much so in the US. We did a calculation based on the US government depths and the budget deficit, and worked out that the US economy is loosing about 1 billion SEK - an hour! That´s truly astronomical figures, and we might ask ourselves for how long this may go on. Aggressively priced high end products might come in handy, and we are happy to announce that the first batch of MH-800 DSP multimedia speaker systems are about to arrive to Sweden as we speak. We are very curious to hear what the audience - especially in the UK - think of these. We feel the DSP route may become a much more explored and developed way to produce high performance systems ahead, being able to reduce costs at the same time as solving many of the old issues that a hifi product development engineer must consider. Rather than fighting some of the problems, DSP technology can be used to turn them into advantages instead.

Until next time, enjoy the summer. Now back to the beach........


/Rikard

[XTZ]

Back from vacation again! Summer has been good so far in Sweden with lots of sun. I am anxious to get our projects going again, but we unfortunately had some production delays regarding the MH-800 DSP system. This is sorted now however and the first batch should arrive in a few weeks. We are thrilled to see how these will be received by our UK customers, who are becoming a more important segment each day actually! Sales are growing, and we have been very lucky with good reviews and many happy customers - something we are of course grateful for.

Earlier this month Russ wrote another brilliant review, this time the new 99.26 MKII stand speakers. They also received a top rating in Swedish magazine Hifi & Musik.

Until next time, we wish you a nice summer!



/Rikard

[XTZ]

The past few days have certainly put things in another perspective, with the world markets plummeting steeply, gold prices soaring, and for the first time in history - a downgrade of the US credit rating. It´s a good thing there is always music available to ease our minds! At decent prices too!

[XTZ]

Finally, we have now started to ship out the long awaited MH-800 DSP speaker systems. Both colours (black and white) are in stock. We are really excited to see how it´s received by our customers. It´s the most advanced product yet actually, and we are eager to see how people find the installation process, use of product, and of course performance. One general advice regarding the music players used in the computer:

Turn off any "sound normalisation", "boost", "loudness" or anything that processes the sound within the player. This is likely to cause problems in the DSP software (compression and/or clipping). We strongly recommend letting the Dirac software do all the processing to achieve the best results. There are several different sound profiles to choose from, so you should be able to find the one you like the best - and as usually this is a matter of both your own preference and how the speakers are placed in the room, and not the least the room itself. Remember, the room is half your sound system!

Also this month, a new version of the Room Analyzer is launched. Or actually two, one Standard version and one Pro version. We will put these on the websites during the next week.


Until next time - happy listening!



/Rikard

Happy listening!

[XTZ]

New software updates available for both the new Room Analyzer II and the MH800 DSP sound processor:

1. Room Analyzer II version 2.3 has got a few bugfixes, for example a 5 second refresh to check if the hardware is connected to the USB port.

File archive - XTZ | Sound in balance


2. Dirac Sound Processor has got some XP related problems solved, as well as a portaudio bug fix.

[Rubrik] - XTZ | Sound in balance


Also, just as a reminder, when using the Dirac Sound Processor, remember to make sure all kinds of Windows related sound processing is turned off as this will upset the performance of the MH800 system. There might be hidden check boxes in different sound device related menues ("Sound optimization" or "Loudness" or similar). Also, all media player output volume settings need to be reduced to below 50% to make sure there is sufficient dynamic headroom for the software to perform it´s best.



Happy listening!

/Rikard

[XTZ]

New Dirac software version available here: http://www.xtz.se/mh-800dsp/dap


Some minor bugs fixed.



/Rikard

[Member 476511]

We are pleased to announce yet another favourable review in HiFi World Magazine.

This time it is for the XTZ MH-800 DSP Multimedia System. We love this package that XTZ have put together and while it may be small in size it certainly packs a punch. The software, the amp and the speakers all come together in this unbeatable package.

Here are some comments from the reviewer Tony Bolton:

"High hats were displayed in a fairly tighly controlled mannor, avoiding splashiness. The mid-range... occupied the space in front of me, having been propelled some way in front of the loudspeakers."

"Again, this little machine from XTZ pleasantly surprised me by rising to the occasion and providing a performance that belied both the MH-800's sise and price point."

"It provides a flexible and well thought out solution to the problem of reproducing music on a budget from a computer. It will satisfy the needs of someone who wants a desk-top unit as a secondary music source, and will, I think, prive popular in the student market, where a laptop often provides the main source of entertainment , both musical and visual."

"Purists may object to the concept of diitally processing a signal (and I must admit that I have reservations about this) but in practice, in this instance, it is done well through the Dirac programme, and the whole system is sonically welll enough balanced to sound credible to a critical listener such as me."

VERDICT - Electronically equalised amp, and speakers for multimedia use that give fine results at a low price. Clever stuff.

FOR -

- variable filters to accomodate differing environments

- good stereo imaging

- analogue inputs

AGAINST -

- supplied speaker cable gets you going, but little more



The XTZ MH-800 DSP was awarded 5 globes, the highest mark.

[XTZ]

New Dirac software version available, you are welcome to download version 09.38 here:

XTZ | Sound in balance


Wish you all a nice weekend!



/Rikard