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[Gordon Brinton]

Shopping for a speaker management system. My budget is roughly $400 - $800. (The one that the speaker manufacturer offers is a bit too costly for my budget.)

I've been reading about a few others, but haven't found many reviews.

- Ashly Protea 3.6SP
- dbx Driverack Venue360
- DAS DSP-226
- Peavey VSX Series

I wonder if very many people could actually tell the difference between brands in a blind listening test.

[Rob Spence]

Shopping for a speaker management system. My budget is roughly $400 - $800. (The one that the speaker manufacturer offers is a bit too costly for my budget.)

I've been reading about a few others, but haven't found many reviews.

- Ashly Protea 3.6SP
- dbx Driverack Venue360
- DAS DSP-226
- Peavey VSX Series

I wonder if very many people could actually tell the difference between brands in a blind listening test.

My only comment is I believe the Peavy and Ashly are a bit long in the tooth at this point.



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[Bradford "BJ" James]

Shopping for a speaker management system. My budget is roughly $400 - $800. (The one that the speaker manufacturer offers is a bit too costly for my budget.)

I've been reading about a few others, but haven't found many reviews.

- Ashly Protea 3.6SP
- dbx Driverack Venue360
- DAS DSP-226
- Peavey VSX Series

I wonder if very many people could actually tell the difference between brands in a blind listening test.

Why compromise the value of your investment by using a “cheaper” dsp? The quality of one dsp brand vs another isn’t the issue rather that the manufacturer has put the time and money into coming up with their best possible settings to make their product the best it can be.
I bet your speakers were expensive.
Why put $49 tires on a Corvette?

I’ve been arguing with a customer today about this very subject.
I hear where you’re coming from, but am of the belief that the manufacturers dsp has to be thought of as part of the speaker system. I’d take advantage of that even if it costs a bit more.

[Mike Pyle]

I have sold many of the Ashly 3.6SP and a few of the 4.8 version. Never a problem. I also have clients using the dbx Venu360. Other than an issue with an internal power connection that is relatively easy to fix they have been solid. The 360 can be had with a Dante option as well.

[Dave Garoutte]

I have sold many of the Ashly 3.6SP and a few of the 4.8 version. Never a problem. I also have clients using the dbx Venu360. Other than an issue with an internal power connection that is relatively easy to fix they have been solid. The 360 can be had with a Dante option as well.

And it comes with AES inputs.

[Tom Bourke]

I think it depends on what speaker and what situation you need to use them in.  Some boxes don't "work" with out the factory DSP and presets.  Other speakers are just fine with an amp and a graphic EQ.

[Helge A Bentsen]

Is it a long term or a short term investment?

I bought a Lake LM26 10 years ago, it's still in my driverack doing gigs.
Initial cost high, now it's making money.

Over those years I've bought different DSPs for different reasons, they have all moved on before I made the money back on them, so while they were needed at the time with a low entry cost, they failed in the long term to make money.

Personally I'd buy a second LM26 if I ever need more DSP unless I needed something specific for a loudspeaker brand.

FWIW.

[Tim McCulloch]

Hi Gordon-

I think you need to search for some of JR's threads about the reckoning of filter "Q" amongst the various DSP manufacturers.  It also may help to find out who makes the loudspeaker manufacturer's DSP as the filters are likely to be computed the same way.

Otherwise if you just enter the numbers you're not guaranteed to get the same acoustic results.

Beyond that, how much difference is there?  Well, if it means the loudspeakers don't perform correctly, any other difference is largely moot.  Presuming you can make it sound right, how long do you need the DSP to last?  Ashley stuff tends to live forever; I have no experience with long term use of dbx (Bob Leonard's 4800 is still going strong, but I'd expect that of a top of the line device).  Peavey used to have a reputation for being noisy (hissy) but I suspect for many users that was the result of poor gain staging in their systems, and Peavey may have addressed that anyway... but my experience with Peavey's A.A. division has been one of long life.

[Mark Wilkinson]

Shopping for a speaker management system. My budget is roughly $400 - $800. (The one that the speaker manufacturer offers is a bit too costly for my budget.)

I've been reading about a few others, but haven't found many reviews.

- Ashly Protea 3.6SP
- dbx Driverack Venue360
- DAS DSP-226
- Peavey VSX Series

I wonder if very many people could actually tell the difference between brands in a blind listening test.

I don't think I hear a significant difference with the processors I've owned, which have ranged in price from the Behringer DCX2496 to the Danley ASC-48.

But big differences in what they can do...
First priority for me is I/O channel count.  A 4x8 gives room for mains, sub, and a fill. AES I/O is getting ever more important IMO.
Next is remote control....awfully nice to be able set levels, delays, polarities, venue eq, and mutes from FOH.
Speaking of venue EQ....I look for filters on both inputs and outputs.  (Outputs don't get touched..part of reflection-free speaker processing.) Inputs are where I do venue EQ...so adequate shelving and parametrics are needed.
If using amps without their own DSP limiting, having both RMS and peak limiter capability in the processor is a big plus.

Bottom line, I shop for the functions I need....not sound quality...
I just naively assume the greater the functionality, the higher the likelihood of better SQ.  That said, I still happily use the DCX2496 in between UPA-1p's and subs...cause it's all the processor I need there, and sounds just fine.

[Frank Koenig]

One piece of functionality that's easy to overlook is whether the digital inputs support sampling rate conversion. This may or may not matter depending on how you intend to use the DSP, but I remember my disappointment when I found out that the Ashly NE8800 wouldn't swallow 44.1 kHz. Another is whether you can use your own arbitrary FIR filters.

Beyond that I don't think you'll find much of any difference in the sound quality of the processing. Newer units might have slightly better noise performance in the ADCs and DACs. And, of course, there's the question of reliability.

A big factor for me is the user interface of the control application. Definitely download the apps and try them before you buy. Most allow this, I think.

--Frank

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