Voice Coil Review: Outboard DSP: Distortion vs. Programming in DSP Processors

Vance Dickason pauses his Outboard DSP review series for some thoughts about what he has been finding out. The series of reviews started in July 2024 and already included five outboard DSP processors. All measured quite well and would be appropriate for any loudspeaker project in any application field. Now, Vance compares the basically bypassed filter and PEQ functions to a fully programmed unit and performing additional test sequences to simulate crossover filters and compare the differences.

CoLinear Acoustics is a new British hifi company focusing on state-of-the-art, yet affordable, digital audio solutions pioneering the latest innovations and technologies. The company's inaugural product, the DSP-8C, is an 8-channel digital signal processor and preamplifier. Engineered with precision and versatility in mind and powered by the latest Analog Devices family of SHARC+ multicores, this new audio processor aims to meet the demands of both domestic and professional environments.

The third of a series of product reviews of outboard DSP hardware, this article explores the MIR260A DSP processor from Marani Pro Audio. Supported with expert measurements performed by Charlene Chow on a flagship APx555B analyzer (courtesy of Audio Precision), Vance Dickason looks at this professional DSP processor with two inputs and six outputs, and a more cost-effective model from Marani.

In a collaboration between DSP Concepts and Analog Devices, the performance of Audio Weaver Core runtime libraries has been optimized to take full advantage of the SHARC+ core and to leverage the powerful SHARC+ DSP FIR/IIR hardware accelerators. This optimization effort results in tangible benefits for developers of automotive audio systems and other products, when utilizing audio processors in the ADSP-2156x, ADSP-2159x, and ADSP-SC59x product families.

Managing an immersive audio production during a live performance is a challenge that is better dealt with directly in the mixing console. But because immersive audio formats continue to rely on external DSP processors, companies need to work together. The German professional loudspeaker company d&b audiotechnik has partnered with DiGiCo, to integrate d&b's Soundscape immersive audio system platform directly into the digital mixing solutions of the British company.

QSC announced two new audio, video and control processors native to its Q-SYS Ecosystem – the smaller Q-SYS Core 8 Flex and Q-SYS Core Nano. Driven by the proliferation of networked endpoints and the expanding processing needs of a wider variety of spaces and topologies, the Core 8 Flex includes onboard analog audio I/O and GPIO plus network I/O while the Q-SYS Core Nano offers network-only audio I/O processing and control.

The creative minds at miniDSP are not stopping, and now that the COVID-19 situation has calmed down in China and production is back, the company is resuming its hectic release schedule and announced two new products available for pre-order on the company's webshop. The first will please anyone involved in spatial audio and content production and is a fully integrated First Order Ambisonic (FOA) microphone. The second will please those still forced to stay at home, and is the SHD Power, a 120W per channel low-distortion power amplifier with Dirac Live room correction.

Synopsys collaborated with Fraunhofer IIS to release an implementation of the LC3 codec, part of the next-generation Bluetooth LE Audio specification. The new LC3 codec is optimized to deliver high-quality audio and voice playback in battery-powered devices incorporating ARC EM and HS DSP processors, and expands Synopsys' DesignWare Bluetooth Low Energy IP offerings and the portfolio of DesignWare ARC audio codecs and post-processing software.