Why Energetic Audio system?
Energetic audio system have been for round a very long time within the audio
business. From studio displays to sound reinforcement audio system constructed for giant
venues, they’re a staple within the skilled business. I wish to group these
into two classes: powered audio system, the place the amplifier is constructed into the
speaker cupboard itself, or energetic audio system, the place the amp might be constructed in-or it
might be outboard utilizing some type of digital DSP pushed amplification, run
on to the drivers with no passive crossovers. Most powered audio system now are energetic the place all drivers
have particular amplification optimized for every transducer.
In recent times we have now seen a number of producers releasing
energetic audio system for house use. These “Energetic” audio system have benefits over
conventional passive varieties; they permit for much less tools since they omit the
want for an exterior amplifier. One other benefit is that they allow designers
to match the amplifiers to the drivers, which takes away the guess work concerned
in matching with amps and permits for extra exact management and driver integration.
Many of those
new varieties of audio system may even remove the necessity for a preamp/DAC by permitting
the buyer to stream music immediately via the speaker internally. This can be a
nice comfort for finish customers, many also have a beneficiant “Jack Pack” permitting
for connection from exterior sources reminiscent of HDMI ARC/eARC in order that audio from
video might be performed.
Over time, I’ve been capable of hearken to a number of varieties
of energetic audio system, from studio displays to a few of the newest energetic audio system
designed for shopper use. Many of the professional studio displays I’ve used had been very
revealing, by design, they had been dynamic and performed loud, however may lean in direction of
being harsh. Increased finish displays from corporations like Focal, Genelec and PMC sound
extra refined, however these are on the very excessive aspect of the fee spectrum. Most
studio displays usually are not properly suited to house use with out calibration and room
therapies.
Introduction to RBH Sound 61/AX
RBH is not any stranger to energetic audio system. Over their 47 years in
enterprise, RBH has constructed many customized studio displays for discerning sound
professionals. Actually, RBH audio system are utilized in a number of Hollywood government
film screening rooms. Historically, studio displays have been constructed to be
dynamic and revealing, enabling skilled sound mixers and producers to get
each ounce of element out of the sound combine they’re crafting. This works nice
for the supposed use, however what makes them nice for the studio can generally translate
to a considerably overly revealing sound within the house. Additionally, most are optimized for
“Nearfield Monitoring” the place the listener could be very near the audio system sitting
at a workstation.
Shane Wealthy, the chief engineer at RBH Sound has been working
on in-home energetic audio system for a while now, most notably the energetic reference
UNRIVALED SVTRS flagship speaker system. I first heard this technique at Gene
DellaSala’s house theater. To say I used to be blown away is an understatement. Actually,
after listening to these, I put in the decrease value SVTR tower system (passive
model) into my very own reference system.
Shane Wealthy determined that he wished to construct a collection of decrease value energetic
audio system that would operate as each a sturdy high-end studio monitor, and as
an audiophile grade house speaker for each two channel and multi-channel
techniques, which is not any simple job.
When RBH Sound approached me about this mission final yr, I
jumped on the probability to evaluation them. Actually, they despatched me early prototypes of
this new speaker line, so I used to be capable of dwell with them for a while. I used to be
additionally capable of give them suggestions on the speaker’s efficiency. After a number of
months of day by day use, I returned these stunning prototypes, wearing a world
class cupboard of Ferrari yellow and black auto paint. The brand new pair they despatched
me in black matte, that I’m now reviewing, are the ultimate manufacturing mannequin. The 61/AX is offered for
sale at present via our channel companion Dreamedia.
Design of the RBH 61/AX
The 61/AX
audio system are of common dimension, they’re completed in a considerably industrial
trying matte black end that screams “all enterprise”. They will even be
supplied in a matte white end as properly (extra unique finishes obtainable quickly.) The
audio system I obtained have black anodized woofers, though they’re additionally obtainable
within the conventional silver aluminum end RBH is understood for. After unboxing I
couldn’t assist however discover the construct high quality. The cupboards are constructed in-house in
Utah, out of HDF, and are as stable as any audio system I’ve ever encountered. I
would say after the normal rapping knock on the highest, they’re brick like.
They use a 1.4” AMT tweeter together with RBH’s signature 6.5”
aluminum woofer. Each drivers had been designed in-house by RBH and these are used
of their top-of-the-line UNRIVALED signature collection audio system.
The AMT has extra floor space than a standard dome sort
tweeter and affords a large horizontal dispersion with a managed vertical
dispersion. In recent times we have now seen many speaker producers transfer the
AMT tweeters as a result of they provide prolonged frequency vary, quick response time, and
improved micro dynamics. I’ve skilled that many properly engineered AMTs have extra output
than conventional dome tweeters with out pressure. The AMT tweeter has improved
drastically over the past decade, and I’ve personally come to like the sound that
they produce.
The aluminum 6.5” woofer contains a composite metallic section plug that
reduces on axis beaming at increased frequencies and can assist scale back
heat-related issues like thermal compression within the voice coil. That is an
glorious and confirmed driver.
The guts of this energetic system is a state-of-the-art
Marnai DSP that options FIR filtering optimization and a completely energetic crossover community. The system is bi-amplified with a really
strong amplifier (constructed for the calls for of economic use) that makes use of the
heralded Pascal class D amplification modules. These modules are identified for each
their high-power and audiophile sound high quality in-fact, these modules are utilized in
many fashionable extremely high-end amplifiers.
The facility is rated at 150 watts for
the tweeter and 250 watts for the woofer. This can be a lot of energy for a small
speaker and Wealthy defined to me that he wished to drive these audio system to
their full functionality through the use of a really strong and highly effective amplifier to realize
the kind of dynamics his design required.
The key sauce right here is the DSP,
with 96/24 DAC’s that function FIR filtering. FIR filtering permits for a bit
digital magic because it handles the crossover obligation, time alignment and improves
linear section traits (as you will notice within the measurements part of this evaluation). This additionally contains an optimization
filter that linearizes frequency response. The 61/AX has in-built limiters for speaker safetyso don’t
be afraid to allow them to sing with confidence.
There may be plenty of know-how packed into these displays, and
tech of this stage will not be normally present in audio system on this worth vary. Wealthy
defined to me that every element of those audio system, from the bottom up, had been
matched for max sound high quality and dynamic efficiency.
A easy plate on the again of the speaker has energy, XLR enter/output,
quantity management, and
an 8-position change to pick totally different frequency response curves within the DSP (see measurements part).
The 8 manufacturing unit DSP’s provide a variety
of frequency response profiles, two of the settings are optimized for “Nearfield”
use when the audio system will likely be used as studio displays. I discovered these DSPs
to work as marketed in my workplace/studio the place I sit about 30” from the
audio system. The opposite six enable for optimization in a wide range of bigger room
placements. RBH may even construct customized DSPs (for an upcharge) for any software
one might have. Once more, these are very strong audio system constructed for day-in /day-out
use in a studio software.
System Setup of RBH 61/AX
I’m lucky to have a number of separate
listening rooms, so I used to be capable of take a look at these audio system in a few of the typical environments
that they might be utilized in. I’ve discovered this an effective way to essentially hear how
audio system behave in rooms of various sizes, acoustically handled…or not
handled in any respect.
Workplace System
For the final a number of months, I’ve
had the 61/AX setup
in my workplace/studio. They dwell on Isoacoustics monitor stands on prime of my desk
that place the tweeters about an inch beneath ear peak, and 30” from my
listening place (I can’t suggest the IsoAcoustics merchandise sufficient.) The
audio system are barely toed in about 5-degrees as a result of they’re so near my
listening place. They’re linked by balanced ¼” to XLR cables operating
from my Focusrite 4i4 USB audio interface, my PC because the supply.
I’ve used these as displays for
a while by themselves. Just lately, RBH Sound despatched me one in all their glorious new 12P-SF/R powered
subwoofers to evaluation with the 61/AXs. This subwoofer makes use of their signature reference 12” woofer
with an 800-watt DSP pushed amplifier. This subwoofer is an ideal match for
the 61/AX audio system since
it has twin XLR enter/output for flexibility. The DSP on this subwoofer allowed
me to “mix” the subwoofer completely with the displays profiting from the
subs DSP.
Nice Room System
On this a lot bigger room, I hooked
the 61/AX to the wonderful
Eversolo DMP-A6 DAC that RBH had equipped to me for this evaluation. RBH is
planning on promoting the 61/AX,
Eversolo DMP-6 streamer and 12P-SF/R subwoofer as a whole bundle
quickly. The DAC was linked through XLR to the sub, then looped again into the displays.
Grasp Bed room System
I wished to strive the system in a third room, so I connected the displays to a NAD t778 important L/R pre-out, for the reason that NAD t778 doesn’t have balanced outputs, I used the offered RCA-XLR adaptors and crossed them over at 80Hz. They had been used as important L/R changing the Focal Kanta No2 for this evaluation.
