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Adding 2x subs to my Maggies, using a miniDSP 10x10

Posted by andyr (M) on July 14, 2016 at 05:15:25

I'm happy to report that I have an entirely successful addition of 2x subs to my active 3-way Maggies, using the magic of a miniDSP 10x10Hd unit! :-))

So anyone who has had a bad experience "the big sub can't possibly 'keep up' with the Maggie bass panel" ... hasn't implemented it right, IMO. ;-)) This is not my expertise that has delivered this great result - the guy that supplied my subs knows how to program a miniDSP and also has REW and a calibrated mike!

When I sit down to "listen", I do this primarily with vinyl. I was worried that the A2D then D2A conversions involved in using a miniDSP unit as the active XO (instead of the analogue active XO I'd been using for 15 years) would degrade my listening experience ... so I'm very happy to report that I can't hear any negatives. But there are positives, compared to the analogue active XO. Sure, the filters are the same - but the advantage of DSP means you can correct measured in-room peaks to flatten the overall FR.

So the subs deliver flat to 20Hz - but actually go a bit lower than this (16hz usable). And the output from each Maggie driver has been 'DSP-tweaked' to be flat.

Subs are 2x 15" Dayton 'Ultimax' drivers in sealed cabinets, with 800w Hypex plate amps. (What is interesting about these Hypex amps is that they use UCD Class D modules ... but have conventional linear PSs!) Outside cabinet dimensions are approx 35" high x 15" wide x 24" deep (1.25" thick walls).

The subs cross over to the Maggie bass panels at 83hz (measured) - LP/HP slopes are both 24dB. Then there's the woofer/mid XO at about 400Hz (18db LP / 12db HP) and the mid/ribbon XO (12dB) at 3Khz.

The result is that:
a) you can't really tell the subs are on, but
b) my Frankenpans have suddenly 'blossomed' at the bottom end. :-))

All it seems like is that the Maggies suddenly have developed an extended bottom end! Wow - what I have been missing out on, for 25 years!

I'm delighted to be able to say:
* "Three Wishes" off Roger Waters' "Amused to Death" sounds absolutely awesome with the subs!
* Bach organ music is likewise sensational!
* and the barking dogs on the first track of "AtD" still appear waaay to my right!

So I think there is absolutely no degradation of my analogue source - which is what I was hoping would be the case.

Here are some pics of the room, my 'Frankenpans' and the subs:

1. Centre - showing the miniDSP 10x10Hd

2. Left sub & panels

3. Right sub & panels

Regards,

Andy

Edits: 07/14/16 07/14/16 07/14/16 07/14/16 07/14/16

This post is made possible by the generous support of people like you and our sponsors:

Kimber Kable

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