<font color='#000000'>There is nothing mass market about my system. I have all separates and am Bi-Amping (two separate power amps - one for my two subwoofers and one for my two hi-pass speakers).
Between my pre-amp and subwoorfer power amp, is my active cross-over. This separates out the low frequency sounds below 72 Hz and sends them to my two subwoofer amps.
As a result, I do not need to use the LFE Dolby Digital or DTS Analog outputs of my DVD player - I actually have turned it off using the menu on my DVD player (new Sony Progressive Scan player with SACD, DD and DTS output). To filter out the subwoofer signals from my front main speakers (normally full range sound), I have a passive high pass filter that removes anything lower than 72 hz from the left and right front. For this, I use a custom designed passive filter. It uses the input impedance of my power amps as the resistor in a 1st order standard high pass passive crossover design (provides -6db per octave roll-off to enhance my speaker's natural 62 Hz 3rd Order Roll-off). It is essentially a single Polypropolene capacitor directly in the signal path between my pre-amp. and High Frequency Power amp. Because of this, I do not experience the bass management problems that Gene describes in his articles on SACD, when I am listening to SACD (which by the way has freed my system to show it's stuff) or when listening to any other input source.
I have all high resolution equipment (Custom Aria 5 D'Appolito MTM design high pass speakers with Ceramic on Aluminum tweeters, Push-Pull custom designed low pass subs, Conrad-Johnson tube pre-amp, Adcom Power Amps, Passive 1st order high pass filter, Active low pass cross-over).
I am restoring an old integrated tube amp for my Center-Front to go with my new Christmas present (another custom designed Aria 5 center front speaker). I'm having a custom active cross-over filter built within it, which will provide the same 72 Hz and below filtering (this means no LFE sounds will be heard in my Center Front Speaker). This circuit will also have a variable slope -6db per octave filter that I can use to tune down the upper order harmonics above the vocals in the Center Front, so as to rely more on my left and right fronts (which have better tweeters than my center, because the center is shielded, since it is over my large Wide Screen HDTV).
Why do I get so particular about every detail in my system? Because I love audio, and now, the new formats like SACD is so great! It provides the best of analog and digital. I am just in awe of this sound on my system.
Nothing ordinary about my system. Just extaordinary sound.</font>
