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SPL Analog Crossover

98.144.114.174
Posted on January 8, 2023 at 09:18:01
PaulF70
Audiophile

Posts: 1402
Location: Midwest
Joined: June 30, 2006
 Anyone have experience with one of these? There is not much to find.

TMR used to be a dealer for the brand and it looks like they've stopped.

I am using a Marchand XM66 now and while it's flexible and fabulous (for $1K), I think it is the weakpoint in my very revealing chain that ends in electrostats.

The SPL is pricey but hopefully worth it, and has those cool meters that would make life great again.

 

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RE: SPL Analog Crossover, posted on January 8, 2023 at 13:55:31
Cougar
Audiophile

Posts: 4574
Location: SoCal
Joined: June 25, 2001
 The Marchand crossovers are pretty nice. A fellow audio buddy of mine has one and sound pretty good and works well. It has never gave him any problems.

I have the SPL Phono Phonp Preamp and it a nice built piece and great. I have been eyeballing their TOTL Passive parametric eq but they want $5K for it. I also have an SAE 2800 Parametric eq that I think is just as good. I just like the SPL cause it's Pro gear, it has balance input/output and should be very reliable.

 

RE: SPL Analog Crossover, posted on January 9, 2023 at 09:19:29
AbeCollins
Audiophile

Posts: 46280
Location: USA
Joined: June 22, 2001
Contributor
  Since: February 2, 2002
Is it just TMR who is dropping SPL? Or is SPL going out of business / shutting down that product line?

I really don't know and that's why I ask.



 

RE: SPL Analog Crossover, posted on January 9, 2023 at 10:18:54
PaulF70
Audiophile

Posts: 1402
Location: Midwest
Joined: June 30, 2006
 Don't know for sure, but I see SPL at other outlets.

They seem to really fill a nice niche (pro-audio gear totally suitable for the audiophile market too) so I hope they don't go under..

 

RE: SPL Analog Crossover, posted on January 10, 2023 at 03:51:01
morricab
Distributor or Rep

Posts: 9175
Location: switzerland
Joined: April 1, 2005
 I heard this with Live Act Audio speakers and found it also to negatively impact the sound quality compared to a similar passive version.

I would go with a Marchand tube xover as a clear step up in SQ. Another good xover, if you can find one, are the Accuphase F series xovers. I had an F25 and F15 and they are very good.

 

RE: SPL Analog Crossover, posted on January 10, 2023 at 11:52:58
PaulF70
Audiophile

Posts: 1402
Location: Midwest
Joined: June 30, 2006
 Confirmed they're still in biz and have dealers.

 

RE: SPL Analog Crossover, posted on January 10, 2023 at 13:58:46
PaulF70
Audiophile

Posts: 1402
Location: Midwest
Joined: June 30, 2006
 Negatively impacted the sound quality how? Against what "passive version"?

Why would the Marchand tube xover sound better than the solid-state XM66?

 

RE: SPL Analog Crossover, posted on January 10, 2023 at 22:59:46
KanedaK
Audiophile

Posts: 2519
Location: Brussels
Joined: April 27, 2010
 I would suggest you give the Sublime Acoustic K231 analogue crossover a try.
It's a bit less flexible (you have to buy over cards with the desired slope / frequency, and are stuck with either 12 or 24dB)
I have a system that's super revealing of noise and distortion (105dB horns) and the K231 is absolutely noiseless and transparent. It's easily the very best price / performance ration I ever experienced in our hobby, and by far.
It took a little while to burn in (many film caps in there) and sounded harsh out of the box, but then it just became supremely good.
Read the reviews on the page (yes, mine is there too), and TRY IT AT HOME (45 days no hassle return) before you even consider spending 10 times the amount on another analogue crossover! Seriously!

No affiliation with the product, just a VERY happy customer.

 

RE: SPL Analog Crossover, posted on January 12, 2023 at 08:07:02
morricab
Distributor or Rep

Posts: 9175
Location: switzerland
Joined: April 1, 2005
 The speaker I heard the SPL crossover had a very similar model that was passive. The active version had a synthetic quality and flat soundstage that the passive version did not. Amps and DAC were the same.

The tube xover will almost certainly sound better than the transistor one because for these things tubes nearly always sound better.

 

Good to know. The deals on TMR might be worthwhile - nt., posted on January 14, 2023 at 12:21:29
AbeCollins
Audiophile

Posts: 46280
Location: USA
Joined: June 22, 2001
Contributor
  Since: February 2, 2002
 .

 

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