EQUIPMENT HISTORY:
Everything I am describing below is IMPORTANT, read it please!
This digital sound field processor is part of my "collection" of all things audio, both professional and consumer gear. In my previous business (audio post production) I gathered together and sought to keep myself up-to-date with current audio technology. My background is technical so I also like to 'look around' inside, assess the build quality and just get a general 'feel' for the equipment.
Since around the this digital sound field processor had been sitting in the storeroom of my previous business, 'played with' a couple of times by the sound engineer and then put away (not really of much use in our field of work)
We had a lot of professional equipment (Alesis etc) providing most of our audio requirements but liked to evaluate "consumer level" equipment from time to time - such as classic gear from Yamaha, Rotel, Sansui, Marantz, Technics and many more. Surround or multi-channel sound was not our thing, but it was fun to play with at the time, "keeping up with current domestic trends"
Well, my now wife says "for goodness sake, get rid of that mountain of gear" so them's my orders ... out they all go to new homes.
This equipment is old/vintage, around 25 years but still works fine (see my TESTING comments below) it does what it is designed to do, that's what matters!
THE CONDITION OF THIS EQUIPMENT IS CLEARLY STATED BELOW, BOTH COSMETICALLY AND ELECTRICALLY
There is no warranty, there are no returns (unless it is not operating as indicated in this description) - but I am very thorough and do not "gloss over" any issues I might discover!
YAMAHA - Digital Sound Processor
Made in Japan
Jet Black case finish
In production 1994 ~ 1997
Model: DSP-E580
User Manual (not the original but in printed form) supplied
User Remote Control is NOT supplied (M.I.A) - * see my notes below about this
Dolby Pro Logic Surround decoding
Multi-voltage standard release, currently set for 240V AC 50Hz with a standard Australian 3 pin plug fitted
NOTE: Although a 3 pin plug is fitted, the lead is 2 wire only (Active & Neutral) with the Earth not connected to the equipment (no 3rd wire)
Dual switched power socket at the rear, two flat pins NOT the Australian standard fitting and this allows the user to turn ON auxiliary equipment automatically when this DSP equipment is turned on)
Quite a large piece of equipment
Dimensions: 435mm wide x 146mm high x 400mm deep
Function: To alter the sound characteristics of a 2 channel stereo system, enabling up to 1x Centre Channel (up to 2x speakers) and 2x Rear Channels (2x speakers) to be connected and you can also connect a powered Sub Woofer (low frequency output is available for this)
All additional channels (Centre, Rear) are available as powered outputs to directly drive loudspeakers or line level outputs to provide drive to completely separate amplifiers in addition to the main amplifier and this unit.
Provision for the altering of the audio characteristics to mimic various listening situations such as Concert Hall, Jazz, Karaoke etc - there are 12 preset sound field programs already set up OR the user can create their own sound field program BUT ...
You will need the remote and * my remote has gone M.I.A (Missing In Action) as I cannot locate it. The equipment is perfectly useable without the remote except you do need it to program your own custom sound field.
Extensive modifications to the sound are available to the user, across a number of parameters - the idea is to re-create the sound environment e.g if you have an average lounge room and wish to make it sound like a concert hall, this equipment is intended to mimic the sound you might hear in a concert hall.
Quite frankly some of the adjustments are rather bizzare, such as the Reverberation adjustment which can go to 5 seconds! Geez, if I was at a concert and the reverb delay was 5 seconds, I would be leaving with a very spun out head - that is a very long time for sound to be bouncing around!
So in a nutshell, this equipment could be thought of as a 3 channel amplifier with extensive sound modification digital processing.
Channel 1: Centre (Two Centre speakers can be connected but it is still just one channel)
Channel 2: Rear Left
Channel 3: Rear Right
All Channels are rated at 25W RMS (0.03% THD) into 8 Ohm
Frequency response: 20Hz to 20Khz
The rest of the important specifications are in the manual (supplied) and are as you would expect from quality Yamaha equipment.
Remember these are the 'sound reinforcing' channels, your own main amplifier is providing the main 'punch' using your own (existing) two front channel speakers - this equipment does not provide those front channels.
A diagram below might help to explain this
There is some basic video handling capabilities (composite and S-Video in either PAL or NTSC formats ONLY) but as I have no use of these facilities and (I suspect many others wouldn't either) I have never used them or tested them but a full explain (actually it is very brief) is in the User Manual.
COSMETIC CONDITION:
Never been abused and treated with respect!
Case is clean, straight and ALMOST unmarked by scratches, a couple 'equipment feet' rings on the top of the case but nothing terrible.
Front panel is substantially unscratched and clean
Buttons (4 only) and one solitary knob (Volume) are all clean and unmarked.
Display panel is clean and the yellow/orange fluorescent display is readable in normal household light conditions - all characters are showing.
Rear panel connectors are all clean, shiny and ready for your audio inputs/outputs
No previous owners (us) writing or etching on the case!
TESTING:
Push the soft touch ON button and on comes the Red LED and that reassuring click of the internal relay (click go the shears boy, click click click! Woops, been listening to too much country music)
The Red LED embedded in the large volume control also comes on.
My main amplifier for testing was a beautiful NAD amp and a combination of VIFA and AARON loudspeakers with TANNOY's for the centre speakers. I just hate these multi-channel systems, speakers everywhere and it drives me nuts. I much prefer two channels for my TWO ears, but that's just my personal gripe!
Playing both vinyl and CD audio sources over the last 3 days, almost continously for the testing.
ALL channels are working fine (Centre and both Rear channels) plus I connected a Sansui amplifier to pickup the sub woofer audio (filters above 200Hz) to get the room really thumping!
Residual noise while not playing anything seemed fine, I certainly couldn't hear anything untoward.
Audio quality seemed fine, if (in my opinion) somewhat altered with the changes made by the various sound field programs. Again it's a personal thing, I like my audio to be 'pure' and not messed around with by equipment such as this - if I want a "concert sound" then I will go to a concert and not pretend my lounge or home office is a concert hall! But I know others don't care, so this equipment would be right up your alley.
I also checked the line level outputs for the Centre, Rear speakers and sent the audio to yet other amplifiers/speakers to make sure they were working - no issues here either. Using these line level outputs you could 'split up' your audio to different power amplifiers if you wished. I DO like the flexibility of this design by Yamaha.
One design thing to watch out for....the Centre speaker channel is one channel only but you can connect two loudspeakers for the Centre. It is not intuitive how to connect the Centre speakers (yes, Yamaha has used the normal Red & Black clip lock connectors but it's not quite that straight forward!) and if you connect the Centre speakers incorrectly, no harm done but you will hear absolutely nothing from the Centre speaker(s).
The User Manual explains all ...read it.
Lastly, on the very minimalist front panel is a soft touch button "EFFECTS ON/OFF". When you push this button, the Centre and Rear channels cease to operate but the sub-woofer channel remains active. Of course the Main channels are still running, so you are effectively back to a 2 channel plus woofer system.
SUMMARY:
Nice piece of equipment if you would like to play around with the sound field of your stereo system, 'upgrading' it to something like a 5 channel system with some extra bells and whistles.
EVERYTHING is functioning as it should, just a shame about that remote control that has 'left home' and not returned!
