MEN220 Active Crossover

[jdandy]

Now that I can use the balanced outputs on my MEN220, I spent the day playing with the active crossover functions available. I had been driving the Fathom f113 directly from the Speaker 2 outputs on the C1000P preamplifier because the subwoofer cables have balanced connectors. Now that I can plug them into the MEN220 low pass balanced outputs I decided today was the day to see what's available using the MEN220 active crossover feature.

Setting up the MEN220 for active crossover is completely menu driven, and is a breeze, although it requires user input and some decisions to be made. The three primary decisions are which type of crossover, Linkwitz-Riley or Butterworth (the MEN220 has both), how steep you want the attenuation curve at the chosen crossover point, and what crossover point you want to use.

Before starting, I spent some time this morning researching the differences between Linkwitz-Riley and Butterworth crossover concepts, deciding to use the Linkwitz-Riley 4th order (24dB per octave attenuation). I based my decision on two things. One, it was recommended by Ron-C in an earlier post on another thread, and second I like that there is no gain or loss of level at the crossover point for high or low pass using Linkwitz-Riley. That is one of the operating differences between Linkwitz-Riley and Butterworth crossovers.

Once the subwoofer cables were plugged into the MEN220 balanced output for low pass I was ready to make the software changes. Using the menus and remote control I set the subwoofer distance in inches, selected the Linkwitz-Riley 4th order crossover setting, and selected 65Hz as my initial crossover point. I raised the Fathom f113's crossover point to 100Hz so there would be no conflict with the MEN220's 65Hz low pass setting. The Fathom f113 had previously been calibrated to the room with Automatic Room Optimization, and I did not change any settings other than to raise the crossover point above the MEN220 crossover setting.

I listened to two CD's that I like to use as reference recordings when setting up a subwoofer, Brian Bromberg - Choices, and Fourplay - Between The Sheets. Both of these recordings offer a variety of low frequency instruments from acoustic bass, electric bass, and synthesized bass, plus a number of tracks also had some strong bass drum peddle strikes going on. The first thing I noticed when I played Brian Bromberg's "Never Give Up" was the gain setting was a tiny bit high on the subwoofer. The MEN220 balanced outputs have a small gain difference over the C1000P balanced outputs, but not much. After a small negative tweak on the Fathom's gain control the low frequency energy was back in harmony with the main speakers. I listened to several more tracks on the Brian Bromberg CD then moved to the Fourplay - Between The Sheets CD. The first track "Chant" begins with some nice strikes on the Toms, repeated several times, and then some solid electric bass. The Fathom seemed perfectly dialed in as far as levels between itself and the PMC EB1i's, so I settled back to listen to the entire Fourplay disc.

As I concentrated on how the bottom end of the audio spectrum was sounding, I began to realize that the bass seemed cleaner, with an improved vibrancy to the lowest notes. Actually, the more I listened the more it became apparent. The bass didn't just seem cleaner, tighter, and more articulate, it really was better. I attribute this to no overlapping of the woofer outputs from the EB1i's and the Fathom. They are now working independently of each other, with the Fathom carrying the deepest bottom frequencies. Using the MEN220 remote control makes it simple to compare other crossover frequencies, so I listened to 70Hz, 75 Hz, 80 Hz, and 90 Hz crossover points while playing the same "Chant" track over each time. I have settled on 75 Hz as seeming to provide the best low frequency integration with the PMC's. I have had the system playing for the past three hours with this new bi-amped arrangement, and I am very pleased with the results offered by the active crossover in the MEN220. If you haven't tried this option with your system yet, I recommend you do. It will surprise you how the deep bass garners a more articulate authority. This afternoon has produced another improvement in my main system that has been well worth the time and effort. If you have a MEN220 and powered subs, give it a try. It raised the bar for me.

[chessman]

Dan,

Does the mid-range seem clearer, too? That was the effect I found when I got my subs dialed in tight (before the present music set-up) (no MEN 220, then or now).

[joeinid]

Hi Dan,

Do you prefer the MEN220 vs the Bryston 10B-sub in your setups. Why not a second 10B-sub?

Thanks in advance. I'm glad to hear the MEN220 is working like it should.

Joe

[Pyro]

I found the same result using my MX150.

[Still-One]

Dan
Which system were you using. I thought you had recently purchased a Bryston unit?

Jim

[jdandy]

Jim.......The MEN220 is in the main system upstairs in my living room. The Bryston 10B Sub is in the studio system downstairs.

[Still-One]

Originally Posted by jdandy

Jim.......The MEN220 is in the main system upstairs in my living room. The Bryston 10B Sub is in the studio system downstairs.

I understand.

[jdandy]

Originally Posted by chessman

Does the mid-range seem clearer, too? That was the effect I found when I got my subs dialed in tight (before the present music set-up) (no MEN 220, then or now).

Randy.......Its not so much that the midrange sounds clearer, as the entire presentation has taken on a more transparent presentation. I did not notice any intermodulation distortion at all with the MC501's, and the PMC EB1i's have no problem going down into the range of the Fathom, although they don't do the lowest frequencies the Fathom is capable of with the same authority and solidity. By removing everything below 75Hz from the PMC's, coupled with a fairly steep 24dB per octave roll off below the high pass crossover point, the heavy lifting in the deep bass department is now all on the Fathom. As all Fathom owners know, it is totally capable of performing the task, and sounds very musical doing it. I think the lack of overlapping low frequencies from different woofers is the reason for the improvement in low bass resolution.

[jdandy]

Originally Posted by joeinid

Do you prefer the MEN220 vs the Bryston 10B-sub in your setups. Why not a second 10B-sub?

Thanks in advance. I'm glad to hear the MEN220 is working like it should.

Joe.......I can not tell you I prefer the MEN220 over the Bryston 10B Sub active crossover. It really is a case of apples and oranges. The Bryston 10B Sub is a superb performer, doing its designed task as an analog stereo crossover without flaw. It offers plenty of control flexibility, and can be perfectly integrated into any system.

The McIntosh MEN220 is not an analog device, but rather a digital component, converting its analog inputs to digital, working its Room Perfect magic, and electronic crossover functions completely in the digital domain, then converting the signal back to analog on its way to the power amplifiers. Even in Bypass mode the MEN220 is still performing A to D and D to A conversion of the audio signal, just bypassing the digital filters. In conjunction with the Room Perfect process, the MEN220's low pass active crossover function is a useful extra feature, with control functionality that exceeds the Bryston 10B Sub. The MEN220 allows for selection of either Butterworth or Linkwitz-Riley crossover, and attenuation slopes as high as 48dB per octave. The Bryston 10B's maximum attenuation slopes for all crossover points is 18dB per octave. In addition, the MEN 220 can adjust crossover points in 1Hz resolution where the 10B's crossover frequencies are 10Hz apart to 100Hz, and larger differences between crossover points after that point.

I am not saying the MEN220 is better than the Bryston 10B Sub active crossover, or vice versa. Both products have been designed for specific purposes, and each perform their designed purpose extremely well.

[kredmore]

Hello Ivan (assume Admin?) - I'm still short a few messages to sent PMs, but thought this might be ok?

I'm thinking of purchasing the newly released Marantz AV7005 to go with my MC2102s (use MCD500 directly now). I could use the switching, analog inputs, and video switching with HDMI. Thought about the MX150, but $8k is just too much right now.

I could go on and on.... Anyways, I've read that you are a dealer for Marantz. If so, rather than buy online, I thought I would ask if this is something I could buy from you, since so many are pleased with their purchases?

Thanks, Keith