BSS Audio’s new FDS-366T offers two new filter types that aredesigned around the Australian WHISEWORKS and Neville Thiele Methodfilters, which are comparable to Linkwitz-Riley 36 dB/octave and 48dB/octave, but with steeper roll-off slopes of 36 dB and 52 dB peroctave, respectively.
Features include unique filter topology “speeds up” theroll-off slope; like the Linkwitz-Riley topology, it maintains zerophase difference between adjacent bands throughout the crossover region(no polar pattern shift as frequencies move through the crossoverregion); and it maintains a flat magnitude response when acousticallysummed.
The main advantage of the greater roll-off slope is, according toBSS Audio, loudspeaker designers should be able to open up thebandwidths of drivers and obtain greater efficiency over the frequencyrange. Most setups that use Linkwitz-Riley crossovers could besubstituted by the WHISEWORKS and Neville Thiele Method filters. Itshould not be necessary to re-adjust any other settings, althoughspeaker manufacturers and other high-tech users may be able to furtheroptimize crossover frequencies when using the new filters.
“The electrical summation between bands with the new filters israzor-flat; I couldn’t believe what I was seeing,” said Martin“Ferrit” Rowe of ProMix Electrotec in Las Vegas. “Theyallowed me to put more power to the devices without fear of overload orover-excursion. Once adjusted, it sounds better than standard filters.The system seemed louder and clearer. We were setting off alarms in thecar park!”
The FDS-366T builds upon the audiophile features of the original 366in that the high-performance, 96kHz sample rate combined with 24-bitAD/DA conversion yields a dynamic range of greater than 114 dB. AES/EBUdigital input, Alignment Assistant™, automatic phase compensationand three inputs/six outputs round out this tour sound tool.
Existing FDS-366 owners can upgrade to Version 2.0 by registeringtheir units on the BSS Audio Website at www.bss.co.uk.
