Need help pairing bookshelf speakers with Cambridge cxa81 amp in small room

[Prebel95]

Good to know! Thanks for all the info. So the high pass on the speakers and low pass on subs are essentially the same thing it sounds like. So if I want to fine tune it to a specific hz say 50hz I would want to turn off HP on speaker and only use the svs app to fine tune.

 

[Paul7777x]

Good to know! Thanks for all the info. So the high pass on the speakers and low pass on subs are essentially the same thing it sounds like. So if I want to fine tune it to a specific hz say 50hz I would want to turn off HP on speaker and only use the svs app to fine tune.

Yes, that would be my preferred choice anyway.

Leaving the Elacs on full range will make no difference as they’ll only be fed what the SVS lets through.

 

[Paul7777x]

Ps. As regards the above.

It’s not quite clear to me if the SVS SB1000 actually sends the preamp signal direct to the Elacs without filtering.

If that is the case then you’d need to find out the natural cut off frequency of the Elacs and adjust the SVS low pass to suit.

The natural cut-off seems to be a claimed 44Hz but it is not specified if it is at the usual -3dB. If it is, then a low pass filter on the sub at 50Hz would be the place to start. Probably an LR at 24dB.

Or, simply set the Elacs HP to 60 and begin from there. It’s certainly low enough at 60 to not be concerned with bass directionality.

 

[Prebel95]

Cool I'll try all that stuff

On a side note, I also got the sub recently from Crutchfield and have 60 days to return.

I've been researching best subs for music and for around same price you can get a really good one for around pricebof svs sb1000. Maybe I'm going a bit overboard at this point. However the svs is a good chunk of money and I don't want there to be any what ifs like I left something on table.

Based on articles I've found the Rythmic L12 sealed sub and the hsu vtf-2 mk5 (looks to be 2 different models?) are quite a bit better. If you think I already have the end game sub for this setup please say so. Just keeping all options open as like I said I have a return window.

Rythmik L12 - sealed HT sub

VTF-2 MK5 Subwoofer

The hsu looks particularly good being able to change the sound signature to go deeper or tighter. The inputs seem lacking however like there would be issues connecting to preamp. I see only 2 rca connections. Maybe there is a way around this I'm guessing.

 

[Prebel95]

Just hooked up the speakers to the schitt dac and preamp without sub. I'm surprised at how good it sounds and for music it almost doesnt need the sub (haven't tested speakers with sub until now). The dac is every bit as good as the Sabre on the cxa81 and I think it actually sounds quite a bit better with a more full sound, but don't want to fall into confirmation bias as it could just be placebo and wanting to hear an improvement.

 

[Paul7777x]

Cool I'll try all that stuff

On a side note, I also got the sub recently from Crutchfield and have 60 days to return.

I've been researching best subs for music and for around same price you can get a really good one for around pricebof svs sb1000. Maybe I'm going a bit overboard at this point. However the svs is a good chunk of money and I don't want there to be any what ifs like I left something on table.

Based on articles I've found the Rythmic L12 sealed sub and the hsu vtf-2 mk5 (looks to be 2 different models?) are quite a bit better. If you think I already have the end game sub for this setup please say so. Just keeping all options open as like I said I have a return window.

Rythmik L12 - sealed HT sub

VTF-2 MK5 Subwoofer

The hsu looks particularly good being able to change the sound signature to go deeper or tighter. The inputs seem lacking however like there would be issues connecting to preamp. I see only 2 rca connections. Maybe there is a way around this I'm guessing.

This is a difficult question.

The SVS is a multi award winning sub, and for a similar price, I’d suggest that the best you will get is more of the same. Or at least similar.

That is at best. It will be entirely easy to get noticeably worse.

Personally I’d stick with the PB1000, unless you’re able to get home demos of the others at the same time as the SVS.

 

[Paul7777x]

Just hooked up the speakers to the schitt dac and preamp without sub. I'm surprised at how good it sounds and for music it almost doesnt need the sub (haven't tested speakers with sub until now). The dac is every bit as good as the Sabre on the cxa81 and I think it actually sounds quite a bit better with a more full sound, but don't want to fall into confirmation bias as it could just be placebo and wanting to hear an improvement.

The Schiit items are very much loved by very many people from what I’ve read. I’m not surprised you find them very good indeed.

They are also tiny. Believe it or not that means an awful lot of money is saved buy the manufacturer and the buyer.

The biggest cost of an amplifier for instance is its chassis. Same for dacs and preamps.

Small chassis items have a huge cost advantage.

And Schiit, so far as I'm aware, are a direct seller, which means another huge saving. No dealer mark ups to inflate the price.

They therefore have an excellent base for building very high quality electronics at (from a traditional perspective) impressively low cost.

The CA is a totally different beast too. It is an integrated amplifier; with an added dac.

It’s not nearly the same category as the Schiit dac.

Using the CA as a dac preamp, it’s surprising how decent it is at that job, as that is not its design function.

The Schiit line of dacs and preamps may well be as far as you need to travel.

When funds allow, one of their better preamps on loan will let you see what they’re up to.

And if you find it makes the difference that it should then the same plan for their better dacs later would also seem a great idea.

I’m sure the speakers will thank you for it.

In the meantime, you’re clearly enjoying the set up, so I’d suggest you do that very thing for a good while.

Upgrades are all well and good, but it’s more important to relax and enjoy the new stuff, your music and films. Then when your wallet is full... anything goes

 

[Paul7777x]

Ps, I’m also not surprised that the Elacs sound so solid without a sub. Good actives have an inherent advantage over passive speakers in that they have a dedicated power amp for each individual driver.

For the bass driver this makes a big difference to how well it can be controlled, and consequently how low it can be made to go without distortion.

Direct, individual control allows the designer lots of scope especially in a three way speaker like your Elacs.

I hope they give you years of pleasure. And I’m sure they will.

 

[Prebel95]

just a short reply, not sure your age or inclination of music. But Ulrich Schnauss is a band that I love very much that as a person whom has grown really appreciates. It is personal to me with growing up with certain limitations and where I am currently. For what it's worth

 

[Prebel95]

In case you're curious.

Going with the Freya S preamp now as I miss having a remote for volume control and then eventually will go with the bifrost 2 from the modi

 

[Prebel95]

A dac, even an excellent one, has less influence on the sound than your room for instance (although as you’re sometimes near field that matters less) and any dac certainly has less influence than speakers.

Hey Paul,

So I've been working on room Acoustics and came across a business idea along with improving the rooms sound.

Restaurants are notorious for terrible noise. My brother is in the restaurant business and his hearing is diminished. So I got 703 fiberglass and mineral wool and am building bass traps and acoustic panels and will be selling direct to restaurants.

Here is first prototype of the bass trap without fabric encasing not installed yet

Apparently the 4 inch mineral (or rock) wool is the very best for getting lower frequencies under control. I bought materials direct from manufacturer. Each bass trap unit including shipping costs comes to $46 usd.

Dimensions 25" x 49" x 6" and using 4x1'a and 6x1's to secure ends. Pretty big but will look like art after finished product.

Pretty fun hobby If it doesn't turn into anything. But there is a real need for these in restaurants.