Subject: Re: [AUDITORY] Loud Speaker and Power Amplifyer Recomendations From: =?utf-8?Q?Krzysztof_Basi=C5=84ski?= <k.basinski@xxxxxxxx> Date: Tue, 29 Jun 2021 10:51:31 +0200--Apple-Mail=_348C55CF-260D-4592-B11E-CF345B1AEDD1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Content-Type: text/plain; charset=utf-8 Hi Andrew, > I was wondering what other people were using or what they would = recommend? Have you checked out passive studio monitors? If you want flat frequency = response then they are probably the way to go. Also most manufacturers = provide a frequency response plot. Things like ATC SCM12 Pro seem like a = good deal if that=E2=80=99s your budget. If you want cheap, perhaps look = into the JBP Control series. Since this is actual studio equipment, = there is no extra =E2=80=98audiophile tax=E2=80=99 involved. > Is using a digital amplifier a bad idea? I can imagine the repeated = quantisation would lead to increase in distortion. =20 I don=E2=80=99t think this is an issue as long as sampling rates are = high and AD/DA converters are high quality (most modern converters are). = I=E2=80=99ve sent audio through a lot of digital equipment connected = with analog cables with minimal/no audible distortion. That said, if the = DAC is bad, you=E2=80=99ll have bad quality. Another thing you can consider with digital amplifiers is using a = digital connection such as SPDIF/optical, if your interface supports it. = That way you stay digital throughout your signal path and have only one = DA converter in front of the PA to worry about. Hope this helps, Chris -- Krzysztof Basi=C5=84ski, PhD Assistant Professor Department of Psychology Medical University of Gda=C5=84sk, Poland http://mug.edu.pl | http://kbas.gumed.edu.pl > On 28 Jun 2021, at 13:38, Andrew A Clark <andrew.clark@xxxxxxxx> wrote: >=20 > Dear List >=20 > I=E2=80=99m looking for some advice, I=E2=80=99m trying to spec a = passive loud speaker and an amplifier for running free field EEG = experiments - the stimuli are all speech. >=20 > I would love to get a pair of Rogers LS5/9 that I used in my previous = lab, but alas my budget doesn=E2=80=99t stretch that far. The problem = with trying to evaluate speakers is that the published data sheets = don=E2=80=99t ever seem to give a plot of the frequency responses. I = was wondering what other people were using or what they would recommend? >=20 > My next conundrum is about power amplifiers. The old Yamaha P series = amps were really great because they had step graduated dB attenuators = which made calibration easy and you didn=E2=80=99t need to worry about = taping down, glueing or sawing off the volume knob as much. The = replacement PX series is digital. Is using a digital amplifier a bad = idea? I can imagine the repeated quantisation would lead to increase in = distortion. =20 >=20 > Again, does anybody have any amplifier recommendations? >=20 > Many thanks, >=20 > Andrew >=20 > Andrew A Clark > LiRI Lab Manager >=20 > University of Zurich > Linguistic Research Infrastructure > Andreasstrasse 15 > CH-8050, Zurich > Switzerland >=20 > Room: AND 2.76 --Apple-Mail=_348C55CF-260D-4592-B11E-CF345B1AEDD1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Content-Type: text/html; charset=utf-8 <html><head><meta http-equiv=3D"Content-Type" content=3D"text/html; = charset=3Dutf-8"></head><body style=3D"word-wrap: break-word; = -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; line-break: after-white-space;" class=3D"">Hi = Andrew,<div class=3D""><br class=3D""></div><div class=3D""><blockquote = type=3D"cite" class=3D""><div class=3D""><div name=3D"messageBodySection" = class=3D""><div dir=3D"auto" class=3D""> I was wondering what other = people were using or what they would recommend?<br = class=3D""></div></div></div></blockquote><br class=3D""></div><div = class=3D"">Have you checked out passive studio monitors? If you want = flat frequency response then they are probably the way to go. Also most = manufacturers provide a frequency response plot. Things = like ATC SCM12 Pro seem like a good deal if that=E2=80=99s = your budget. If you want cheap, perhaps look into the JBP Control = series. Since this is actual studio equipment, there is no extra = =E2=80=98audiophile tax=E2=80=99 involved.</div><div class=3D""><br = class=3D""></div><div class=3D""><blockquote type=3D"cite" class=3D""><div= class=3D""><div name=3D"messageBodySection" class=3D""><div dir=3D"auto" = class=3D"">Is using a digital amplifier a bad idea? I can = imagine the repeated quantisation would lead to increase in distortion. = <br class=3D""></div></div></div></blockquote><div class=3D""><br = class=3D""></div>I don=E2=80=99t think this is an issue as long as = sampling rates are high and AD/DA converters are high quality (most = modern converters are). I=E2=80=99ve sent audio through a lot of digital = equipment connected with analog cables with minimal/no audible = distortion. That said, if the DAC is bad, you=E2=80=99ll have bad = quality.</div><div class=3D""><br class=3D""></div><div class=3D"">Another= thing you can consider with digital amplifiers is using a digital = connection such as SPDIF/optical, if your interface supports it. That = way you stay digital throughout your signal path and have only one DA = converter in front of the PA to worry about.</div><div class=3D""><br = class=3D""></div><div class=3D"">Hope this helps,</div><div = class=3D"">Chris</div><div class=3D""><br class=3D""><div class=3D""> <div dir=3D"auto" style=3D"caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: rgb(0, 0, = 0); letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; = text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; = -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; text-decoration: none; word-wrap: = break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; line-break: after-white-space;" = class=3D""><div>--</div><div>Krzysztof Basi=C5=84ski, PhD<br = class=3D"">Assistant Professor<br class=3D"">Department of Psychology<br = class=3D"">Medical University of Gda=C5=84sk, Poland<br class=3D""><a = href=3D"http://mug.edu.pl" class=3D"">http://mug.edu.pl</a> | <a= href=3D"http://kbas.gumed.edu.pl" = class=3D"">http://kbas.gumed.edu.pl</a></div></div> </div> <div><br class=3D""><blockquote type=3D"cite" class=3D""><div = class=3D"">On 28 Jun 2021, at 13:38, Andrew A Clark <<a = href=3D"mailto:andrew.clark@xxxxxxxx" class=3D"">andrew.clark@xxxxxxxx</a>>= wrote:</div><br class=3D"Apple-interchange-newline"><div class=3D""> <title class=3D""></title> <div class=3D""> <div name=3D"messageBodySection" class=3D""> <div dir=3D"auto" class=3D"">Dear List<br class=3D""> <br class=3D""> I=E2=80=99m looking for some advice, I=E2=80=99m trying to spec a = passive loud speaker and an amplifier for running free field EEG = experiments - the stimuli are all speech.<br class=3D""> <br class=3D""> I would love to get a pair of Rogers LS5/9 that I used in my previous = lab, but alas my budget doesn=E2=80=99t stretch that far. The = problem with trying to evaluate speakers is that the published data = sheets don=E2=80=99t ever seem to give a plot of the frequency = responses. I was wondering what other people were using or = what they would recommend?<br class=3D""> <br class=3D""> My next conundrum is about power amplifiers. The old Yamaha P = series amps were really great because they had step graduated dB = attenuators which made calibration easy and you didn=E2=80=99t need to = worry about taping down, glueing or sawing off the volume knob as = much. The replacement PX series is digital. Is = using a digital amplifier a bad idea? I can imagine the = repeated quantisation would lead to increase in = distortion. <br class=3D""> <br class=3D""> Again, does anybody have any amplifier recommendations?<br class=3D""> <br class=3D""> Many thanks,<br class=3D""> <br class=3D""> Andrew</div> </div> <div name=3D"messageSignatureSection" class=3D""><br class=3D""> Andrew A Clark <div dir=3D"auto" class=3D"">LiRI Lab Manager</div> <div dir=3D"auto" class=3D""><br class=3D""></div> <div dir=3D"auto" class=3D"">University of Zurich</div> <div dir=3D"auto" class=3D"">Linguistic Research Infrastructure</div> <div dir=3D"auto" class=3D"">Andreasstrasse 15</div> <div dir=3D"auto" class=3D"">CH-8050, Zurich</div> <div dir=3D"auto" class=3D"">Switzerland</div> <div dir=3D"auto" class=3D""><br class=3D""></div> <div dir=3D"auto" class=3D""><span style=3D"color: var(--textColor); = background-color: var(--backgroundColor); caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" = class=3D"">Room: AND 2.76</span></div> </div> </div> </div></blockquote></div><br class=3D""></div></body></html>= --Apple-Mail=_348C55CF-260D-4592-B11E-CF345B1AEDD1--