Zerogain System

or perhaps not..........

 

Julian,

excellent idea! The computer not the Danish devil worshipper.

Load some tunes on the laptop, possibly vinyl at 24/96, and get someone to sort out an uber dac! We could go wireless to upset the purists!

No point in dreaming though - we need to make this a commercial reality before settling on the finer points. But it would be great to see the Zerogain name mentioned in dispatches.

 

Why not sell raffle tickets, make each ticket £10 for example, if cost to build, £400 then you need to sell 40 tickets, you'd need to maybe double it to get another £400 for the show, members could buy more than 1 ticket to increase their chances, not sure if we have enough members, but we could post about auction on other HI/FI/DIY audio/AV sites, and others would join forum to get tickets, this would also increase membership, if we are getting successful at selling tickets we could ask HF+ if they want to do an article, or get it in readers systems section of HFN. I'd be up for some tickets for a TT.

 

Anyone know how much money are we talking about to get this thing going?

 

It sounds like a brilliant idea to me!

The point is just to show what level of expertise is around on our lovely forum yes? Or would we be thinking of starting up a 'Zerogain' brand? ...at a later date obviously...

I would love to make some room treatment and demo it at the show. I haven't ever been to a hi-fi show believe it or not, but from looking (okay drooling) over pictures it seems most do not have any room treatment and it is then not really a surprise so many people are disappointed with the systems they hear. Also, I wouldn't want to keep the room treatment so if anyone wants to buy it at the show then they can, and if not.. then screw it I'll give it away!

The only snag is I don't have a car of my own so I have not got a way to take the things up there. I may be able to talk my dad into driving me though. I live in Gravesend, Kent.

Do you think all this can be sorted out for the next show? When/where is it? ..sorry for my ignorance but I haven't looked as I didn?t plan on going!

AK, raffle tickets to win what?

BTW, does anybody know why when I cut things from word (spell checking) some of the apostrophes turn into question marks?

 

The kit that would be built for the show, mentioned in an aerlier thread, that I'm too lazy to look for just now!

 

How 'bout one of the fabled SuperDacs? I was going to use the term uberdac but found that I'd been beaten to it!

 

If the speakers are going to be like I think they are, we are going to need a high end DAC and amplification to do them justice. Dacwise we are going have to be looking at something around the level of the Eclipse DAC section (which I think may accept 24/96 signals) or something similar IMO.

Ampwise, I'd like to see some valves in the mix with a big class D amp doing the bass.

Cheers

 

There are circuit and PCB artwork available for some of the Tripath chips.

How sensitive would the proposed speakers be?

 

Merlin, I'm not as talented as some of you lot, but if I can help in any way I'd like to be involved.

 

I have been trying to think of a way to ask this without damping the enthusiastic momentum of this project. Is the research and development stage going to conduct under DBT type ABX listening to decide whose solution is the best?

 

wolfgang,
I think the point is for people to DIY something they enjoy and to hopefuly produce enjoyable results. Not a scientific experiment.

 

I would use the DBT fool proof, fully dermatologicaly tested, & nasa approved method for selecting audio components suitable for the Z/G room of sonic excellence.
The DBT 'Dodgy Blue Toad' method is well reknowned and reverived throught the modern western world of high fidelity, its taken decades of never ceasing research & cash injections to create this surefire garantee'd 100% method of ANY component selection.
Simply place the toad in front of the speakers swop components according to taste, if the Toad 'Croaks' then you have it.
Why worry further? the answer is clear DBT is the ONLY way forward, no need for senseless debates of the merit of this method and that way, level matching? phah for analy retentive studio absessed accurate reproduction freaks who's life is but a mere shell of mediocrity & lonelyness, who highlight is not the latest razzle dropping through the letterbox, but the newest 'sexy naked driver voilcoil/spider array spread across the centre pages of 'Cones 4 you'.
Dodgy Blue Toad is they only possible solution, ignore it at your peril.

 

Well Wolfy, you will be pleased to know my speakers are going to have their crossover slopes tweaked using a form of DBT Why not?

Of course if you would personally like to contribute the costs involved in DBT ing all other stages of design, then I am sure we can accomodate your wishes.

Still, costs are likely to be high. We couild use the show as a showcase for the small manufacturers who frequent ZG at the same time. This would give them the opportunity to show at a substantially reduced cost in exchange for promoting the forum in a positive light. It appears unlikely that they would give of their time and expertise without some commercial reasoning.

I'd put my speakers forward for selection. The plan is to use a new JBL 15" actively driven for the bottom two octaves, the existing JBL 1500AL's for upper bass, lower midrange, crossing over to either JBL horns or TAD 4003 (although I cannot source the horns for this atm). Efficiency should be c 94dbw so easy to drive. It would be great to have a PWM amp on the bottom and valves on the horns. So we are looking for someone with a digital amp design and possibly a valve enthusiast. Cables, racks and mains treatments are open to everyone. The Laptop idea is great - I think we need a sensibly priced Dac that has been tweaked to within an inch of it's life!

My guess would be we need about £3K to cover everything (the speakers I am doing anyway so that's my cost) so it's doable with a few interested commercial parties and some creative fund raising. We'll see!

 

Merlin,

O/A will be at Bristol in its own right, along with other exhibitors rooms.
We would pleased to offer any technical help and products (if so desired) if this project does get off the ground. Wm

 

They used to say of that esteemed publication Razzle, "it's cheeky, it's naughty, it's still £1.40"!

Then they put the price up....

...I'm told.

 

Not Bristol WM - Heathrow.

 

No probs, we'll be there as well, but it won't be at the same place next which is a shame.

 

Seriously now, I would be happy to contribute expertise (sic) and hardware for a secure wireless network infrastructure. You could have a repository of music in AIFF/WAV/Apple Lossless on a server, an Airport Express feeding a dac and anyone who wandered in to the room with a WiFi equipped laptop could select the tracks via THEIR machines.

That could look and, more importantly, sound impressive.

 

Sorry guys. I just have to ask as not to disappoint fellow ZG members. I am really touch with the offer to contribute for this project. I will keep an eye on the discussion to see if there is indeed any real practical way I could help. For the last few months I have been searching the net for a second hand ABX box. I agree it is a bit sad. However, if I find one and it is affordable it could be loan for this project if you guys think it is useful to give the R&D a bit more objective creed. How about that?