SSP-800 2.04 Firmware

[wxmanunr]

Downloaded and installed it this afternoon. So far, so good. I didn't have much of a problem with truncation before, but the latest firmware seems to be perfect in that regard. At least on my system.

There is still a problem when using coax input after using hdmi (but not switching with both on). There is about a 10db volume increase for about half a second when the music starts.

wxmanunr

[wxmanunr]

Better Audio?

Now that I've listening to several CDs on my system, I'm wondering if it sounds better for red book CDs? It seems to sound better to me, but maybe it is not real. The bass seems noticeably tighter.

Thoughts?

wxmanunr

[mjb]

mmm, I had this impression too, but I wasn't sure if it was placebo effect. The 2.0.4 update includes new DSP code, so I suppose it is possible.

[Srrndhound]

There is still a problem when using coax input after using hdmi (but not switching with both on). There is about a 10db volume increase for about half a second when the music starts.

The 10 dB shift I have not heard at all. See if you can get it to repeat, and what are the conditions that are present.

I have encountered a different problem when switching from HDMI to S/PDIF on rare occasions. It was so seldom I wasn't sure it happened. But today it was clearly the case. I switched from the Oppo in SACD PCM mode (88.2 kHz) to an optical source (44.1 kHz AppleTV) and it remained silent. The input display still showed 88.2 kHz, so it had not switched fully. I'll report it if I can figure a way to get it to repeat.

[wxmanunr]

[QUOTE=Srrndhound]The 10 dB shift I have not heard at all. See if you can get it to repeat, and what are the conditions that are present.

I can repeat it every single time. I reported to Classe several months ago. I'm guessing it doesn't happen to many people, as we'd hear more about it.

wxmanunr

[SwainDtV]

I have encountered a different problem when switching from HDMI to S/PDIF on rare occasions. It was so seldom I wasn't sure it happened. But today it was clearly the case. I switched from the Oppo in SACD PCM mode (88.2 kHz) to an optical source (44.1 kHz AppleTV) and it remained silent. The input display still showed 88.2 kHz, so it had not switched fully. I'll report it if I can figure a way to get it to repeat.

I have a similar experience with my 202 firmware. If I switch from Oppo BD HDMI to Lexicon DVD S/PDIF (coax), most of the times there is no sound. I have to toggle with an analog input to get the sound restored. Maybe I have to wait until all HDMI devices in the chain of the HDMI input are off. Haven't checked this yet because it takes a while for my projector to cool down and go into standby.

[wxmanunr]

CD Sound Quality

After about 6 hours of listening over the past couple of days, I do believe v2.04 of the SSP-800 software sounds better for Red Book CDs compared to v2.03. The difference is subtle.

I do not believe it is a placebo effect. It is like a very thin layer of fog has been lifted over the mid-bass and below. It seems like the attack/decay of music is slightly more dynamic. YMMV.

wxmanunr

[Srrndhound]

I can repeat [the 10 dB shift] every single time. I reported to Classe several months ago. I'm guessing it doesn't happen to many people, as we'd hear more about it.

There was a time with earlier firmware that many of us heard all sorts of wild level burps up and down when switching between sources or between listening modes. The addition of muting has, for me, totally eliminated those machinations. So it perplexes me how you still hear such a "burp" after that fix is in place. Being able to duplicate your conditions might help. Did you report to Classe all the differences between the two inputs? Configs, mode?

[wxmanunr]

There was a time with earlier firmware that many of us heard all sorts of wild level burps up and down when switching between sources or between listening modes. The addition of muting has, for me, totally eliminated those machinations. So it perplexes me how you still hear such a "burp" after that fix is in place. Being able to duplicate your conditions might help. Did you report to Classe all the differences between the two inputs? Configs, mode?

Yes. I even beta tested some of the firmware for Classe.

wxmanunr

[wxmanunr]

Yes. I even beta tested some of the firmware for Classe.

I should mention, I'm not complaining about Classe. They have listening to their customers extraordinarily well and have fixed many of the issues we have all seen. That is great customer service.

I can't imagine it is easy troubleshooting the arcane custom code of hardware systems and DSP code.

wxmanunr

[mjb]

I can't imagine it is easy troubleshooting the arcane custom code of hardware systems and DSP code.

I can't imagin that its that arcane, after all, they did write it. But I would like to seen more frequent updates.

[wxmanunr]

Code

I can't imagin that its that arcane, after all, they did write it. But I would like to seen more frequent updates.

Interesting point -- I wonder if they wrote the code for the SSP-800 from scratch or used a starting point? I'm guessing the DSP code came with a package they customized.

wxmanunr

[Srrndhound]

I can't imagin that its that arcane, after all, they did write it. But I would like to seen more frequent updates.

I'd like to see fewer updates--just one--the final one with perfect operation. :T

[Srrndhound]

Interesting point -- I wonder if they wrote the code for the SSP-800 from scratch or used a starting point? I'm guessing the DSP code came with a package they customized.

Depends on which DSP code you mean. The core decoders (DD, DTS); surround processing (PLIIx, Neo:6); PEQ ; and speaker crossover filters all came from TI/MDS Performance Audio Suite.

My assumption is that all of the U/I functions, source switching, and management of the DSP's modes was written in house, as were the various Mono/Movie/Music Plus modes.

Rather an oversimplification, but you get the idea.

One unfortunate thing is that the PEQ bug was caused by MDS. It was there over a year and by the time it was noticed, the dual DSP code was well along the path of thrashing out the remaining bugs, when MDS issued their fix for the PEQ. That threw a spanner in the works for Classe as it rearranged the DSP and introduced or re-introduced problems never seen or long ago resolved. Two steps forward, one step back, if you will.

I'd love to run some tests on other products using the MDS platform to see if they share that bug. McIntosh, ADA. Anyone have access to them?