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Messages - Tranquility Bass

#136
Years in the making, this is part of a cost-no-object Active Speaker System we are designing for a client which replaces half a million dollar worth of stereo separate components including exotic cables, expensive power conditioners/re-generators and power distribution boards which offer little or no benefit or value to our system. It has a total name-plate power-rating of ten times that of the stereo amp it replaces with superior distortion and noise and an aggregate instantaneous current rating of 180 amps per channel with all channels driven !!

The heart of each speaker is the Active Speaker Integrated Controller (ASIC) used to integrate all speaker drivers, amplifiers and supervisory circuits. Each speaker has one ASIC and is connected to the source units through a central hub which is also custom designed for this application and which interfaces to each satellite plate via our 2nd generation Perfect-Link II interface which has been fully updated for this application. Both speakers and Preamp/Hub are fully electrically and galvanically isolated from each other so there are no ground loops to cause interference. Because of this the speakers and Preamp/Hub can be plugged into different circuits of the house without any detrimental effects on performance and which offers full transparency compared to any analog type of interconnections which are difficult to isolate without compromising fidelity.

Back-Plate Transluscent (front-angled).png

Designed from the ground up the ASIC contains its own DSP with its own custom DSP firmware and provides levels of integration that is unmatched by any separate stereo components irrespective of their cost, size or weight ! We've gone through over fifty design iterations on the drawing board and gilded the lily on this design and left no stone unturned, so it should come as no surprise that to achieve the same level of integration using separate components is a practical impossibility ! However, all of this hardware would be of little use if there wasn't a way to tie all of the pieces together in a unified way.

Control Hub3.png

For this reason, a brand new software application called the System-Builder was developed from the ground up specifically for the hardware which for the first time allows a complete N-way speaker system to be accurately specced, modelled, configured and measured from start to finish whilst maintaining strict tolerances on quality and performance. With our own proprietary driver stitching technology the system is essentially driver agnostic but we recommend using quality components throughout along with the higher dynamic output capability of using multiple amplifiers in an active system will guarantee clean full fidelity output up to concert levels without fatigue due to the absence of dynamic limits imposed by a single amplifier driving a passive speaker system. A thermal management system is provided for harsh environments with extreme ambient temperature variations.

DDXO.fw.png

One of the benefits of such a system is that every part is made to seamlessly work together with the others and there are no issues with mismatches between components nor is there the added expense of buying amplifiers, cables, preamps, DAC's, crossover and hoping they all work together because all of this is already provided with the system. Because of the systems approach to designing the speaker we can't use an off-the-shelf DSP system with it's canned user interface simply because it is not suitable for this application and totally inadequate for the job. Also the oversimplified DSP capability just cannot do what we need which is why we had to build our own hardware and write our own custom DSP code and operating system kernel from the ground up. This gives us a competitive advantage over other vendors who don't build their own electronics in-house. which means we can do things that other speaker vendors can only dream about so they are ill equipped to design and build their own electronics and are solely dependent on the vendor of the electronics that supply them.

The only thing we don't supply is the source units so please add your own "sauce". However, with the advent of some outstanding low cost SOTA streaming solutions that partner really well with our electronics we prefer to focus our attention on the development of a SOTA speaker system and leave the source units to the source unit aficionados ! Our new 60 page whitepaper goes into great detail to explain many of the ground breaking concepts used in this exciting new speaker system. For those who could not previously afford the best now you can without the limitations of a passive system !

1698498552.fw.png

PS. Have a nice day Marc ;)
#137
The Dark Room / Re: DEQX early access USD12995 (AUD20K)
October 09, 2023, 06:00:30 PM
Interesting - missing page ! Someone didn't want somebody else to know about the secrets ;)

https://positive-feedback.com/industry-news/deqx-pre-8-early-access-beta-program/
#138
The Dark Room / Re: DEQX early access USD12995 (AUD20K)
October 09, 2023, 09:46:25 AM
So is this the big big secret they have been keeping away from everyone of late ?? It would be more credible if they showed an actual working prototype and measurements coming from it like I did ;) Ironically I was offering this spec three years ago at a third of their expected price, and the DEQX aficionados came onto the diyaudio thread to essentially poo poo it because it was "to expensive" !! As well, DEQX somehow mysteriously was offering a 21st anniversary discount on their existing outdated product that they had never appeared to discount at any time before ;) Go figure !

And when I did release the new preamps you could hear crickets on stereonet. You'd think they would have rolled out the red carpet for me but instead they threw the spike strip in front of me but then again that's what they do here :( Still, one thing I learned from all of that was to keep my mouth shut on any new products which is what DEQX appears to be doing by the looks of things ;)
#139
The so called local Australian distributor of this brand of equipment didn't even have the decency to even phone me back after someone approached them on my behalf (and against my wishes too !) Instead the same distributor proceeds to promote the 2-channel versions of this same brand of equipment ! That's what working hard gets you in Australia. You don't even get a phone call back from a speaker company that prides itself on Australian made. No doubt the owner of stereonet had some negative contribution to this as well.

Even when I minded my own business and canvassed my wares on diyaudio I ended up being distracted by the local mobs and drawn into their vortex of deceit and which caused me nothing but trouble from the outset. ☹ Am I sour grapes ? Yes and no but for anyone reading this, just know what you are getting yourself into when you embark on a major electronics design project in this country. If anything focus on getting it overseas and do not be distracted by the local mobs ☹ Anyone reading this please don't make the same mistakes I did !
#140
That's what they do here :(

"Hard Road for EV Pioneer"

QuoteMr Blade's challenges have been taken up in federal parliament by DLP Senator John Madigan. Senator Madigan asked Minister for Innovation Kim Carr why General Motors Holden, a benefi ciary of $140 million in government green car funding, was withholding vehicles from Blade while supplying them to Better Place, a company he called ?predominantly foreign owned?.
Mr Carr denied GMH was withholding vehicles and said it was not a matter the government would involve itself in directly....

xbal22oct11_page18_small.pdf

xbal22oct11_page19_small.pdf
#142
We gave billions to foreign car corporations whilst ignoring our own and now we are importing electric cars. Where are those car companies now ? That's what they do here as usual :(

https://www.evolutionaustralia.com.au/single-post/the-australian-tesla-killer-that-never-was

QuoteThe Australian Tesla killer that never was
What do you get when you cross an electric motor with a Hyundai Getz?


The Blade Electric Vehicle concept was born in Castlemaine way back in 2008 and is the very first electric vehicle to be registered here in Victoria.


Only a couple of hundred of these vehicles were built by EV visionary Ross Blade and, being such an EV unicorn 12 years ago, were snapped up by local and New Zealand enthusiasts - but only those who could afford the eye-watering (then) price of $48,000.


The attraction of converting a Getz is clear; it's a light and relatively inexpensive vehicle that is easy to drive and pretty robust. Batteries took up minimal space in the rear of the car and a retrofitted electric motor in the front.


Even more impressively, Blade gained some measure of support from Hyundai themselves who agreed to honour the warranty on parts that came standard with the ICE version of the vehicle.


The Blade Electron offered a range of 100kms and 90Nm of torque, with a lithium ion phosphate powered electric motor; not eyebrow raising these days, but not bad for such an early generation EV; or what we're calling The Australian EV1.


Could this have been Australia's big EV moment?

In an interview with carsales.com.au in 2008, Mr Blade obviously had big plans for his start-up, citing distribution of 200 vehicles a year to New Zealand and stating:


"Strategically, there are a few directions we could go in. We could, for example, become the supplier of a kit that is used for the millions of Getz around the world; we could become a retrofitter; we could be a source of IP, because we've developed and registered a range of IP -- so there are a number of ways in which our business could unfold in the future."


In the same piece, his comments around battery technology are also an interesting look at how far we've come (or not) since then:


"When you look at what the major car manufacturers are doing -- take GM for example -- they're looking at two chemistries: lithium-manganese and lithium-ion phosphate. Nissan is looking at lithium-manganese. The major car manufacturers are looking at these more recent alternate forms of lithium batteries. The reason is: they have longer life, they're more temperature-stable -- and they don't blow up."

The Blade Electric Vehicle company received a $100,000 injection of cash from the (then) federal Minister for Transport and Infrastructure, now leader of the opposition, Anthony Albanese, in 2010. The Electron also met all Australian design and safety standards at the time and the future seemed bright for this early EV start up.


But despite this bright start, the Blade Electric Vehicle company - along with the 54 EVs they converted - seems to have sunk without a trace.


How to service a Blade Electron EV

Most of our team hadn't seen one in the wild...until recently.


This low kilometre, neat-as-a-pin car came to our workshop for EV servicing and has been a prime topic of nerdy-EV conversation for the past week.


We shot a little video of this unicorn EV in action, and our mechanic Julian had this to say:


"The Electron came to us with a couple of issues, the first that it wouldn?t stop you from driving off with the charging cable connected so we retrofitted the car with a smart electric charge controller and a module to stop you driving off while charging.


We also performed a battery balance and general check over. This Blade only has 24,000kms on the clock so everything is nice, it?s been put together really well."


Check out the video below and we're really keen to know if you own a Blade Electron or have driven one.

#143


Yep I must be an "educated RMIT hack" if I don't make gear that looks like this Trinnov !! Charging top dollar for a glorified PC in a stamped sheet metal case (which is not dissimilar to your cheap PC case) with some add-on boards. Are you serious !! They are very good here at importing all of this expensive "hi-end" junk and then sidelining the locals and relegating them to the unemployment scrap heaps. That they are very good at doing :(



#144
Amazing what the google search engine  picks up these days ;)

Utlimate Preamp vs DEQX.png

#145
$7000 for a couple bits of lossy ferrite is a bit rich !! What has this industry become :(

#146
Well I just hope he had the foresight to ask Daryl Wilson the same question the Audio Bell asked him regarding the contradictory use of time alignment with high order crossovers (time into video at 742 seconds 12min 22secs). Instead of brushing it off maybe he has got an answer by now otherwise all of that fancy-smancy metal work designed to move the drivers relative to each other is totally pointless ;) I don't think it would happen though because he would ban someone on his forum if someone asked that question :D LOL.

#147
Quote
On Wed, Sep 5, 2018 at 1:26 PM, Marc - Sound Media Group (Australia) <marc@soundmedia.com.au> wrote:

Mick, I genuinely appreciate your apology and yes, it does take a lot to suck it up when you do realise you are / were wrong, so I am grateful.

 

You can imagine my surprise when I discovered the conspiracy that was forming and being reported back to me, when it was actually so far from the truth. I was gobsmacked. I've been doing what I do for nearly 20 years, and I pride myself on transparency and running a tight ship.

 

You have discovered exactly what many of us have had the misfortune of discovering with Matthew. I am also privy to the disgusting behaviour shown towards Dave, and I am sorry for him that he is now on the receiving end of Matthew's vitriol.

 

Without rambling, apology accepted and thank you.

 

Kind Regards,

 

Marc Rushton

Managing Director


I read this thread again last night and on further reflection....

Really marc you've been doing this for 20 years ?? You mean you've been doing this for 20 years until you got caught out !! And the result is ?? Another local aussie industry that is essentially on life support whilst the imports flourish as usual and the locals are left fighting amongst themselves over the ever shrinking market share that is left to them. I hope your new found lifestyle and your imported trinnov was worth it mate :( Or better still try and do what I did and design and manufacture a sophisticated audio product from scratch whilst NOT being paid a single cent to do so, and see how much harder it is than sitting in front of some forum software all day pushing the delete key ! It may actually give you a better appreciation of the difficulties involved with trying to do that here in this country with people like yourself undermining their efforts before they have even got off the ground :(


#148
The Dark Room / Re: ASR censored out
May 23, 2023, 09:37:50 PM
Unlike OzHifi.net which doesn't censor out links to stereonet if it is of interest and we don't restrict what you can put in your signature either ;)

https://www.ozhifi.net/threads/websites-of-interest.236/#post-364