Who actually uses digital speakers?
Of course, @atmasphere is about to jump in and say "no such thing as... " so before he jumps into the fray, what I mean is, who uses active speakers with digital inputs?
The biggest brand I know of who invested in this in a big way was Meridian which I believe had not just S/PDIF but a custom digital interface as well. With the advent of plate amps with S/PDIF inputs standard I'm wondering how many audiophiles have made the jump to active speakers using the digital inputs?
What are you using and what is your experience like?
Not me. At least at this time in technology development it does not seem like a compelling configuration. Yes, Meridian was at the forefront of developing and selling this… but they have been slowly disappearing from main stream. I still have a High end Meridian surround processor and HDMI processor… but my discussions with my dealer is they are just fading away.
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Don’t forget that all active systems that use DSP are not the same or equal. Our Apollo system can be configured several way and the owner can use any amps or front end they want. Our customers use low power SET amps to mid power SS and anything in between. Some use digital front ends and others analog front ends. Tube preamp or SS preamp or no preamp, it’s your choice. Many people tell me that they are happy we are developing systems like ours and that this IS the future. Mike
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@ghdprentice Yeah, I expect the same for Theta Digital honestly. I don't know all the details, but it feels as if the HDMI licensing issues combined with the R&D needed to keep up with the latest standards and enhanced features made the switch far too difficult. |
New Kef LS60 has an eARC connection. They can be used wireless, network cable, digital or analog. Dutch and Dutch 8c only needs a network cable. Genelec the Ones digital AES3 standard connectivity, use proprietary DSP and can now control an immersive system. The future is wide open though old guys wanting to play with amps, dacs and what not will still be around. |
Hey @djones51 That’s the kind of interesting feedback I was looking forward to. :-) In particular I was wondering how the ecosystem would play out. Meridian’s use of (I think) Ethernet cable enabling fully digital, active home theater systems had a tremendous amount of promise, but probably because it was entirely proprietary never really had a chance. The idea of speaker-only stereos is also potentially very appealing to the High end and to the main stream. My neighbors LOVE their in-ceiling speakers. I personally would love to get more of my living room back. :-) So the idea of high end speakers with no home server at all, no roon, no PC, no streamer sounds great. Honestly I find myself split among too many ways to explore my audiophile hobby, but for me that also means building. I like to play with coils and caps and have had a lot of fun with them but the next toys I sink myself into will be all active.
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