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dBMark XCA, Xilica XP or something else.

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citizensc View Drop Down
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    Posted: 18 June 2018 at 1:13am
Hi Guys

In your experience is the Xilica any better than the dBMark? The Xilica is more than twice the price but is it worth it?

This is for an Xtro Punisher system, currently using DCX - god that standing hiss is bad. 

Main areas I care about are:

Sound Quality
Reliability
Features to some degree. I don't use dynamic EQ or FIR filters. 

Ps. dont confuse the XP with the even fancier XD. 
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote citizensc Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 19 June 2018 at 4:21pm
Bump

No one has any opinion on this? 
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Sypa Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 19 June 2018 at 4:37pm
I think itsi been done to death ,try searching a bit. 
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Jo bg Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 19 June 2018 at 4:50pm
hi, sorry never tried a dbmark but if you want just opinions…
I upgraded from dcx to xilica xp 4080
Xilica should be an "higher shelf" brand and inspires me more reliability;

the xilica has usb and lan ports, good, dbmark seems to have usb and serial ports, i hate serial. xilica software is nice and you can deisgn your android app, don't know about dbmark.

xilica features first and second order all pass filters, i don't know dbmark.

contrarty to the dcx, on the xilica you can adjust settings like eq live without hiccups, and it will smooth out abrupt level changes.

While xilica is respected by the ones who know it, the brand is not well known around here, so if you want to "look good" maybe a used xta will be more recognizable as "quality gear", although xilica will keep happy people who don't like to see behringer in racks, work good and cost new as a used xta.


by the way, the dcx alone should not hiss if not faulty, maybe you have a gain problem somewhere.
i upgraded for reliability first, but also for name sake. maybe it sounds also a little bit better, but could be psychoacoustics ...


Edited by Jo bg - 19 June 2018 at 4:54pm
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citizensc View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote citizensc Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 20 June 2018 at 12:24pm
Xilica - dBMark comparison has not been done to death. I'v read every thread on speakerplans that has both keywords. There really isnt that much information. I think the issue is not many people have experience with both. 

People seem to have had a positive experience with both, so right now; i'm leaning towards the dBMark as I cant see any reason to spend the extra money.

Originally posted by Jo bg Jo bg wrote:


by the way, the dcx alone should not hiss if not faulty, maybe you have a gain problem somewhere.
I have 3 dcx, they all hiss, two newer ones and one older one with the card reader in the front. Adjusting the DCX gains does nothing, muting the outputs does nothing. Its just a standing hiss from the output that is amplified by having all all my amp gain knobs at 100%. Pretty sure this is best practice. 

Are all pass filters useful? I have never used them. 


Edited by citizensc - 20 June 2018 at 12:26pm
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Speaker Sol View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Speaker Sol Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 20 June 2018 at 12:48pm
I have both. For many years. 

IMO 

The DB mark is a good budget processor, and I have recommended them many times.

However its not competition for the xlica. They are just not playing in the same league. 
The Xlica is an excellent unit that I can highly recommend. 
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote citizensc Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 20 June 2018 at 12:52pm
Originally posted by Speaker Sol Speaker Sol wrote:

I have both. For many years. 

IMO 

The DB mark is a good budget processor, and I have recommended them many times.

However its not competition for the xlica. They are just not playing in the same league. 
The Xlica is an excellent unit that I can highly recommend. 

Thanks for your reply!

Where is are the big differentiating points? Does the xilica just sound better, have more useful features? Is it easier to use? Is the build quality higher?

Is it just everything? 
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote toastyghost Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 20 June 2018 at 1:50pm
Allpass filters are incredibly useful if you’re working with arrayed systems, but they’re a tool for system techs and designers to use based on measurement data, not something you just have a go at. For the average DIY rig the dBmark is fine. I’m no fan of the Xilica software but the units are professional grade kit with all the trimmings such as wall panels, GPIO etc. If you don’t need that then don’t pay for it.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Speaker Sol Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 20 June 2018 at 2:28pm
Key points of difference for me is: 

1) Input head room (I have found it is very easy to clip the input on the DB mark DSPs. This has never been an issue on the Xilica). 

2) Quality. My Xilica is getting on a bit now and has done a lot of gigs and never so much as hiccuped, my DB Marks have not fared quite so well (Developing faulty jog wheels). 

3) Software, I have actually found the Xilica software to be pretty good. I am not a fan of the DB Mark software at all. 

4) With the Xilica it's just a case of plugging it into a wireless router, setting up the IP address and away you go. mobile access and handy Android app (shame this is a bit limited, but still very useful).

5) The Xilica has more input and output PEQs and good visual representations of what you are doing. 

6) I have never relied on the limiters on the Xilica or the DB mark for anything other than catching rouge peaks, so I can't comment on how they sound, I can say though that the Xilica was much easier to set up than the DB mark, which I found very fiddly.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Conanski Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 20 June 2018 at 2:40pm
Originally posted by citizensc citizensc wrote:

I have 3 dcx, they all hiss, two newer ones and one older one with the card reader in the front. Adjusting the DCX gains does nothing, muting the outputs does nothing. Its just a standing hiss from the output that is amplified by having all all my amp gain knobs at 100%.


Are you sure it's not your amplifiers. I get a tiny bit of hiss with my setup but nothing that would be considered objectionable, and yes that is with amp gains at full connected directly to a big CD with 108db sensitivity. Do you still get a lot of hiss with only the speaker connected to the amp? Class D is known for this.


Edited by Conanski - 20 June 2018 at 2:41pm
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citizensc View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote citizensc Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 20 June 2018 at 2:51pm
Thanks for the replys guys, exactly the kind of info im looking for. 

Originally posted by Conanski Conanski wrote:

Originally posted by citizensc citizensc wrote:

I have 3 dcx, they all hiss, two newer ones and one older one with the card reader in the front. Adjusting the DCX gains does nothing, muting the outputs does nothing. Its just a standing hiss from the output that is amplified by having all all my amp gain knobs at 100%.


Are you sure it's not your amplifiers. I get a tiny bit of hiss with my setup but nothing that would be considered objectionable, and yes that is with amp gains at full connected directly to a big CD with 108db sensitivity. Do you still get a lot of hiss with only the speaker connected to the amp? Class D is known for this.

Its not the amps, if you switch the dcx off, the hiss stops. Its not super loud. You cant hear it when music is playing but iv had promotors comment on it before. Not a good look to have a constant hiss when the system is idle imo. 
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Jo bg Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 20 June 2018 at 5:09pm
I can agree with Sol about about input headroom on xilica, I never got to clip inputs , even with redlining mixer, and internal headroom is huge too.
The software is visually oldschool but can't complain about it, and you can use it totally without keyboard - useful when you lose yours after a drink drops on the laptop...
The metering section is amazing, 1db precision on all input and outputs for level and for conmpression and limiting too, you can see in a glance which channels are compressing, how much, and how much headroom you have.


As toasty said, allpass filters need phase measuring , possibly realtime, to be implemented, but can help to integrate better drivers at crossover.

One thing I regret is the limiter attack and release value are too short, you can't turn it in a real thermal limiter for subs with seconds long attack, but this is a feature found in higher end units like Linea Research.
Still with a combination of input compression and output limiting you can get a limiter that sounds ok and doesn't pump... 
Ok means that I would not run into it during my set but people still come over to say it sounds so sweet while I am looking bad at the dj running 6db into it... 
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