Yamaha DTXpress/DTXplorer/DTXtreme

Hi Ed:

> In true subwoofers (capable of digging below 30 Hz), the
> tradeoff is often between deep but indistinct notes and punchy but
> thinner ones (which doesn't seem to apply in your case).

Yes, and I was surprised like I said before, because it's usually that as you 
say, but it sure wasn't to me.  I used to build car stereos for fun, and a 
big problem I used to have, with systems involving a few amplifiers and 
several speakers, including a 12" dual voice coil sub, would be that the bass 
would always lag quite a bit behind the rest of the beat in the music, so it 
would sound like "de-boom, de-boom, de-boom" instead of happening together.  
I solved that by putting a stiffening cap on the bass amp.  The last car I 
had, I had a 1 farad cap for the amp (big thing!).  Once I did that, then I 
had a lot more power plus accuracy, then I ran into another problem, which 
would be called upward spread mask, another term for hearing nothing but bass 
while a bass note hit.  You would hear the sound stage collapse literally at 
your ears everytime a bass note hit.  I added speakers and another 1 farad 
stiffening cap for the other amps, so the sound stage wouldn't collapse like 
that.  So, it takes plenty of power to drive things accurately.  So I'm used 
to things sounding good and right, for me.  I guess the amplified environment 
is fairly close to that of this speaker test I did.

> Ironically, the telling feature
> of an amp's pedigree is often how good it sounds at low volumes. On
> a level playing field, the better amp is the one you don't have to
> turn up just to get a rise out of it. An amp that you have to crank
> too much is going to wear on you eventually, especially if it
> distorts and collapses into a noisy wash. 

Just like I described up there...  And it's exhausting to me, because I have 
to "hear harder" than those with good hearing anyway.  Also, like I said 
about the midrange presence.  Something else I ought to have mentioned, is 
that it was really there with the Behringer amp even at lower volumes.  It 
seemed easier to listen to for me.  3-way systems do make a big difference to 
me because of my hearing loss.

> Please keep us
> posted about any other discoveries you make, especially when you get
> your amp at home (which will be the best venuue to put it through
> its paces). This is a major issue here.

I forgot to mention that I went to another store that had this amp and put the 
DTXpress II kit they have on it.  It plays VERY well, tight, good sounding.

Stephanie