Legacy Wavelet as Preamp/DAC/DSP vs just DSP

Thanks, @douglas_schroeder - I surely plan to do so later next week as the speakers come in, but also just curious what others’ journeys have been so I can compare notes. I’ll definitely give your posts a read!

@meambler sorry for the late reply, but I sold my Focus SE to be able to acquire my Aeris. Good luck on getting one. It is a great speaker.

@erik_squires - I was thinking the same thing regarding the double conversion. I wish there was a way to use the Wavelet just as the processor going digital out to the DirectStream DAC but don’t think that’s really an option since I need the outputs of the Wavelet to go to the amplifiers built into the Aeris.

Would you say the same for using a separate preamp? I’ll be testing around all combinations as the combo arrives later this week. FWIW, I loved the Aeris when I heard them in person, but granted that was not with my equipment and not in my listening room.

@wisper thanks for posting your experience it was helpful to Read when I was evaluating the Wavelet.

I’ve been silent on this thread for a while, but I wanted to let my impressions settle in for a while. I did receive the Aeris and Wavelet, and i spent a lot of time configuring them. That said, regardless of what I did, I could always hear the DSP in the chain. Maybe it’s just that I like a slightly colored sound with 2nd order harmonics, especially as I’m using 50W SET amps to power the mids and highs of the speaker. Whatever I did through the Bohmer room correction, it would just take away the decay and depth, and it would feel a bit too clinical for me. I tried for days, but I couldn’t get a holographic AND full/organic sound with the Wavelet.

Not sure how it came to be this way, but instead I went back to my PS Audio DirectStream DAC going into a ModWright LS-36.5 DM to my 50W Cary mono blocks into the speakers while going balanced pre out right into the speaker’s internal amps and the gain matching is coincidentally incredible, the sound is organic, resolving, and holographic. It was meant to be. I tried other spare amps ranging from 30-140wpc and it seems like 50wpc up top is the perfect match for the 500wpc powering the woofers - otherwise one section was always louder than the other. I decided to sell the Wavelet as a result and I haven’t looked back since. I know it sounds nuts, but I swear it sounds incredible, and I don’t intend to upgrade or sell these speakers, probably ever.

In full disclosure, I do also have a well-treated room - had I not had any of the room treatment, I’m sure the Wavelet would do wonders addressing reflections as well.