Originally Posted by George Mills
I did find the QSC-322UA when I was hunting for the unit Ken "calibrates" with. But when I found it, I thought, this can't be it. Who would put an analog in/out Equalizer AFTER the Meridian master volume control (let alone after Merdian's best DACs). Not just for the reason of the loss in A to D and D to A. But you only want to do this on fixed level signals. You can't get fixed level analog signals out of an 861 (ADA might allow this and possibly work better with QSC).

George, could you please expand on and explain the commments about fixed level signals and the ability to get / not get them from the 861...and, to be clear, I am not starting a debate but simply trying to learn as many very well known and very well respected HT designer do this on a regular basis [i.e. Dennis Erskine]...



Originally Posted by George Mills
He also claims QSC does so much better than MRC so I would assume (and again that may be a wrong assumption) that he wants to use this glorious box for bass management yet he set the ADA to cross over at 80hz (that just doesn't make sense to me, you'd disable all bass management and let QSC do it). Having 2 boxes do bass management is asking for trouble. But perhaps he defeated bass managment in the QSC (even less reason to have it there). The Meridian outputs already have some "equalization" from MRC (that may have been defeated), Trifield (no wonder he didn't like it) and Hybrid Volume (which can behave differently at different volumes).

I think that this can be clarified...I believe that Ken is running one (1) QSC 322az that he uses *ONLY* for his multiple subworrfers so, in this regard, there is *NOT* double bass management...that is the ADA/Meridian sends all signals below 80 Hz to the QSC which is then used *ONLY* for purposes of balancing and calibrating the subwoofers [with the bass managementg for the non-subwoofer speakers being properly handled by the ADA/Meridian]...

The situation that you are suggesting would occur were he to run all channels through his QSC in which case what you say would make sense but, again, given that he has only one (1) QSC this is not possible...



Originally Posted by George Mills
He really has a QSC system. With a Meridian or ADA "Source" (analog ones at that).

I disagree with this for two reasnons...i) the QSC is only doing bass management on the subwoofers and ii) the QSC, evern were it doing bass management on all speakers, is working on the theory/thinking that the cons additional D/A and A/D conversion is outweighed by the pros of the equalization...and, of course, the caveta here is the first questions that I asked you



Originally Posted by George Mills
The only fair way to compare them is to take the QSC out. And if they both sound like crap without QSC I think he has bigger issues.

I disagree and again for the same reasons...that being that the QSC is only being used to integrate the multiple subwoofers...



Originally Posted by George Mills
My gut feeling was something was wrong and I suspect you nailed it. His 861 probably isn't broken if anyone wants a bargain.

I disagree and again for the same reason because some device -- QSC or otherwise -- is need to integrate the multiple subwoofers...

Audio: Triad Monitor Golds, Surround Golds, Silver Subwoofers; Procella P-18 Subwoofer; QSC DCA 16622s, 1644, 3422, BASIS 922uz; ADA MACH IV B
Other: APC S-15s; Crestron
Sources and Video: Ran out of characters .....................