Yamaha NS1000M - Tweaks

[Ali Tait]

Use a preamp. A simple passive would do. Connect your sources to it, output from the preamp goes to the miniDSP, then outputs from the miniDSP go to the amps you are using.

[drSM]

Use a preamp. A simple passive would do. Connect your sources to it, output from the preamp goes to the miniDSP, then outputs from the miniDSP go to the amps you are using.

Aha, Ta Don Corleone !

[Ali Tait]

You need something to act as a master volume control, otherwise you'd be adjusting three volume pots every time you change volume..

[Qwin]

Like Ali says, you need a master volume control on your pre amp even if it is just a simple passive.

The pots placed between the minidsp and amps are to balance the amount of power distributed to the drivers (call them trim pots), once adjusted to balance the levels the "Trim" pots wont need touching again, you will just use the master volume on the Pre amp. Once the "Trim" pot positions have been established you could even measure the resistance and replace them with a pair of fixed resistors, which would give you better channel balance (pots are never very accurate).

Note: The 4x10 has a built in volume control (big round knob on the left), so you may be able to run your sources straight into the dsp and control the master volume from there, it depends on how much the output from your various sources varies. To aid with this there is also a pair of dip switches inside the 4x10 unit which gives you a high/low option for input sensitivity of max 2.0v/0.9v. You can also set the output gain to 2.0v or 0.9v, using a combination of these settings gives you a lot of flexibility. - Check out the user manual on their site.

If you use identical amplifiers, you don't need attenuate the bass amp channels, let them run without any "Trim" pot after the minidsp.
The bass drivers are the most power hungry, the Mids and Tweeters use less so will require turning down using "Trim" pots till the drivers sound evenly balanced.

[drSM]

Thank you Ali and Ken
Ok pre amp up front
4 x10dsp allows some twiddling of input sensitivity and output gain

Some power amps have in built pots
The ones i will use probably wont.

2 of my Sansui integrateds can be used as power amps by removing links (pre out/power in)
For starters I could use the most powerful power amp to the woofers without any need for trim pots, right?
And amps feeding the mids and tweeters would need trimming pots to evenly balance the whole set up ( and may later be replaced by set resistors, as u mentioned Ken)
Is that correct?

Gents why do some people use such powerful (usually Class D) amps to drive woofers ?
I note Ali u are using a 3000 watter for yr open baffle 15 '' woofer and Mark uses some sorta big power for the woofers of his NS1000
Wouldnt a decent 100 wpc amp with headroom be fine ?
Furthermore the amps powering the mids and tweeters will need trimming and these are hardly breaking into much sweat at all
( i note that the Genelac Active NS1000 discussed in a thread here, the amp driving the tweeter on each side is pretty puny)
So trimming pots between minidsp and the amps driving the tweeters and mids are necessary for balancing, and does this not mean that the amps do not have to be identical ?

[sq225917]

Class d is cheap per watt, typically has a high damping factor and its perceived shortcomings tend to be at higher frequencies.

[Macca]

There is also the comfort of having far more power than you are ever likely to need. it's the hi-fi equivalent of nuking the site from orbit, just to be sure.

[Ali Tait]

What Simon said. I was previously using a Ruby Chameleon 200w power amp. The Behringer is cheaper, runs cooler and sounds better. Cheaper to run too.

But no reason not to use what you have already.

[RichB]

There is also the comfort of having far more power than you are ever likely to need. it's the hi-fi equivalent of nuking the site from orbit, just to be sure.

Hahaha, I like that.

[RichB]

Class d is cheap per watt, typically has a high damping factor and its perceived shortcomings tend to be at higher frequencies.

Not so much the higher frequencies I found, I loved my mini-t for the treble and mid but there's something about how it did bass just didn't sit right with me when compared to a SS amp with a nice big torroidal.