# New Zapco Processors



## jriggs

From Facebook:

The next generation of processing, the ZAPCO new DSP-Z16 HDR (16 ch.) and DSP-Z12 HDR (12 ch.). HD means these are not just DSPs but HD audio players as well. Zapco HDR processors go beyond today's normal 24bit, 96Khz high resolution standard. The HD player in the Zapco SHDR processors is actually capable of much higher resolution than the 24bit/192kHz. We're just waiting for the music industry to catch up. An on-board Wi-Fi Access Point allows the DSP-Z16 to connect to all auxiliary devices such as the ‘In Dash’ custom controller, tablets & smartphones, PC’s, etc. R is for RTA included in the GUI. You can't set a car up for the best sound without an RTA to show you the response of the entire system in the vehicle, so the Zapco HDR processors have an accurate real time analyzer built in. The HDR processors have all the crossover, equalization, delay, and phase control you could hope for, but they don't stop there. 
There is much more we could say, but there are some things we want to keep under our hat until such time as the product is actually shipping.


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## maggie-g

link? pics? or it didnt happen!


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## JimmyDee

Now, this is interesting...


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## maggie-g

built in RTA hmmmm? very intriguing.


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## AAAAAAA

I wonder if the RTA will come with multiple mikes to get meaningful measurements.
Also since it would require microphones for the RTA, perhaps it will also have some form of auto tuning. It's a shame seeing everyone coming out with a bunch of these "dumb" processors, hopefully some of these start getting "smarts" built in a la MS8 and H800.


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## jriggs

Bump


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## Alrojoca

Sounds good, how much are these going to be ?


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## goodstuff

If it's anything like the z8 then I will pass.


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## Babs

AAAAAAA said:


> I wonder if the RTA will come with multiple mikes to get meaningful measurements.
> Also since it would require microphones for the RTA, perhaps it will also have some form of auto tuning. It's a shame seeing everyone coming out with a bunch of these "dumb" processors, hopefully some of these start getting "smarts" built in a la MS8 and H800.


The Helix DSP tool has a built in 1/3 octave RTA with an "autoset" function.
A UMIK-1 or UMM-6 mic will either one work fine with the Helix.
Also you can draw your own custom curve to match to.
By today's standards though, and I'm sure folks will disagree, a 1/3 octave isn't adequate for painting freq response picture, but better than nothing.


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## Huckleberry Sound

mmmmmm


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## Elektra

If they use the Sabre 32bit dacs then it will be an interesting DSP... They say it has Sabre dacs but no mention of it being 24 or 32bit resolution - would be a nice match with that new Sony HU... 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## Dan750iL

Any word on when these will hit the streets?


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## sq2k1

If I remember reading correctly they said sometime in the 2nd quarter of this year.........but I am going by memory and I do not recall where I seen it at, so I could be mistaken.


CORRECTION: I found what I was speaking of: Zapco Dsp Release Info 

Look under the NEW AT 2016 CES title, you will see the processors shown and the statement "LOOK FOR THE HDR PROCESSORS TO SHIP MID-2016"


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## Elgrosso

Very interesting! First to step up on multi+ channels?

http://zapco.co/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/Zapco_sheet_dsphdr.pdf

Next months would be interesting for sure!


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## Dan750iL

sq2k1 said:


> If I remember reading correctly they said sometime in the 2nd quarter of this year.........but I am going by memory and I do not recall where I seen it at, so I could be mistaken.
> 
> 
> CORRECTION: I found what I was speaking of: Zapco Dsp Release Info
> 
> Look under the NEW AT 2016 CES title, you will see the processors shown and the statement "LOOK FOR THE HDR PROCESSORS TO SHIP MID-2016"


Thanks. Looks like it should be out soon.


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## sq2k1

I have been keeping an eye out for any new info myself and sadly the same info has been available since CES....but that should be resolved soon enough if they are punctual with the release.


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## rton20s

Elgrosso said:


> Very interesting! First to step up on multi+ channels?


I'm not sure what you mean by this. Care to explain?


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## Babs

Just read this again and realized these will have a remotely mounted (convenient) USB stick fed HD player built in. That's kind of a big deal. Bravo Zapco! No more dicking around looking for some way to feed the dang thing straight digital.

Glad to see the industry is beginning to make the 1 or 2 din box in a dash obsolete as a means of better-than-oem SQ, since the old guard (Pioneer and Alpine) kinda don't seem to have plans to go there any time soon, and newer cars eliminating the possibility with such heavily non-din OEM integrated setups.


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## dgage

My feeling is this is a good first step for Zapco but the extra channels to me are somewhat a waste without some form of surround processing to enable a true center channel and surround channels.

And while the direct USB high fidelity playback is nice, they would need to offer some sort of streaming playback from a phone or tablet to truly replace the traditional head unit.

Overall a really nice solution for a V1 but I'm hoping for more use of the extra channels and additional direct playback capability. With those two, I'd buy it in a heartbeat.


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## rton20s

dgage said:


> My feeling is this is a good first step for Zapco but the extra channels to me are somewhat a waste without some form of surround processing to enable a true center channel and surround channels.
> 
> And while the direct USB high fidelity playback is nice, they would need to offer some sort of streaming playback from a phone or tablet to truly replace the traditional head unit.
> 
> Overall a really nice solution for a V1 but I'm hoping for more use of the extra channels and additional direct playback capability. With those two, I'd buy it in a heartbeat.



Right now, we have no idea exactly what the capabilities will be. You would think if they were going to include true surround sound processing (not just L+R) they would have had it in their marketing paper. But, you never know. 

And there is always this vague statement... 

"The HDR processors have all the crossover, equalization, delay, and phase control you could hope for, but they don't stop there. We have included functions previously available only in professional studio equipment so the master tuner can get exactly the results he wants.
In fact there are some features that have never been offered before in any equipment. We developed there functions in conjunction with top audio competitors and judges by asking them to assume that anything is possible and asking "what would your dream product do" 

To me, this is a "catch all" statement that would allow Zapco flexibility to add or remove features of the selected DSP ship right up until the ship date. Whether this was due to development time, licensing costs, consumer feedback, or something else entirely.


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## Elgrosso

rton20s said:


> I'm not sure what you mean by this. Care to explain?


Sure I should have said 10+! (the AF one in mind...)


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## dgage

Very true. But they did put together a very nice and presumably complete marketing document for the DSP for CES. Obviously things could change and if they include the items I mentioned and I'm still in the market for a DSP, I will definitely give them a shot. But based on what I've seen from most companies announcing products at CES, they normally don't add features. I'll be happy to be wrong in this instance though.


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## rton20s

Elgrosso said:


> Sure I should have said 10+! (the AF one in mind...)


I believe several other companies have also announced similar processors with more than 10 channels. The one I can recall off the top of my head is the new Mosconi. 



dgage said:


> Very true. But they did put together a very nice and presumably complete marketing document for the DSP for CES. Obviously things could change and if they include the items I mentioned and I'm still in the market for a DSP, I will definitely give them a shot. But based on what I've seen from most companies announcing products at CES, they normally don't add features. I'll be happy to be wrong in this instance though.


That was kind of my point. They were purposefully vague in the PDF. They were very specific about features that the unit would have as a minimum. Beyond that, eluded to additional capabilities that could/would be included with no detail.


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## Elgrosso

I missed the mosconi then, or any other.
I also now see that they are just 3d renderings, wasn't sure on my phone.


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## rton20s

Not much more than a rendering, but I did snap a couple photos of what I assume to be dummy cases at CES...


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## meisguy

Do we not have any Zapco insiders on this message board? When are these things gonna be released?!?


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## rton20s

meisguy said:


> Do we not have any Zapco insiders on this message board?


No.



meisguy said:


> When are these things gonna be released?!?


We don't know.


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## barracuda777

meisguy said:


> Do we not have any Zapco insiders on this message board?


A kind of...



meisguy said:


> When are these things gonna be released?!?


End of year...


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## oabeieo

Is FIR under the hat?


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## AAAAAAA

meisguy said:


> Do we not have any Zapco insiders on this message board? When are these things gonna be released?!?


Tnutt19 might have been that a while ago..not sure if he still is.


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## Huckleberry Sound

AAAAAAA said:


> Tnutt19 might have been that a while ago..not sure if he still is.


End of year...


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## robert_wrath

Any updates on the Release Date for these?


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## Jfreak

Any word on release dates? Can't get ahold of zapco or their US supplier listed on their website.


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## SkizeR

no updates. last i spoke to any of them they said end of year but i doubt that


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## rton20s

SkizeR said:


> no updates. last i spoke to any of them they said end of year but i doubt that


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## Jfreak

Just got a response from John, said he's working on the GUI now and they've had to take a step back to incorporate more/new tech. Said as of now he's shooting for January


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## meisguy

Thanks for the update! Please tell John to make sure you can use your Iphone/android as the source. and not through bluetooth. uncompressed over wifi to the dsp. Whether its a streaming music service or itunes library.


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## sq2k1

Good to have at least an idea as to when it may be released although I still wish I had more information as to what these things are going to be bringing to the table in terms of processing power, whether it be parametric or graphic equalizing, crossover fuctions, etc.... the site is a major tease with the vague info.


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## Babs

Jfreak said:


> Just got a response from John, said he's working on the GUI now and they've had to take a step back to incorporate more/new tech. Said as of now he's shooting for January



Better to do it right as much as possible before it's out of the gate. Otherwise there will be threads a mile long how buggy it is.. Ex. Bit Play HD

The customers can wait for a good and 'finished' product. 

I'm just glad they're combining a player into the DSP. How much suffering that will cure. All those threads about "how to feed optical to DSP" will become moot. 

Was just talking with one of our folks yesterday and said if Audiotec-Fischer combined an SD card reader into the Helix Director with high-res playback capability directly digital to DSP, the market would be done.. Owned. You can put your OEM head unit right back the car and boogie. 

DAP/DSP combo makes good good sense, as AC/DC would say. 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## Dan750iL

It's January. They should stop teasing!


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## rton20s

Dan750iL said:


> It's January. They should stop teasing!


Seriously? CES is literally a couple days away. I am sure there will be plenty of information coming by the end of the week.

And while the information is pretty slim, there is updated information on the web page. 

http://www.zapco.com/dsp-4-series

The DSP IV series looks to bring an all new Z8 DSP, a 6 channel analog to digital converter, and at least 3 DSP amps (4 ch., staggered 6 ch. and 8 ch. with low level sub outs) to market. 



















http://www.zapco.com/dsp-5-series

The DSP V series is probably the more anticipated line from Zapco given some of the features (high res audio, direct USB connection, etc.). The line looks to offer a 12 ch. and 16 ch. DSP with or without high res audio capability. The render of the new controller also looks pretty slick.


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## Dan750iL

rton20s said:


> Seriously? CES is literally a couple days away. I am sure there will be plenty of information coming by the end of the week.


No not seriously at all. Hence the ""


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## papasin

I figured I would cross post re: the IV...



sq2k1 said:


> So I called atrend yesterday to see when the DSP-Z8 IV would be available through them and the person I spoke with told me either the last part of January or possibly middle of February. Figured the info may be useful for anyone looking at the thread.



And for those that may not be convinced of its existence, well, I can say I like how things work in my testing!


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## Babs

papasin said:


> I figured I would cross post re: the IV...
> 
> 
> 
> 
> And for those that may not be convinced of its existence, well, I can say I like how things work in my testing!




Nice! High-res player also?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro


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## papasin

Babs said:


> Nice! High-res player also?
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro


No, not the IV.


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## JimmyDee

I'm drooling on my keyboard right now... that Zapco DSP 5-Series looks REALLY nice!

I've been waiting for Andy / Audiofrog to release their DSP... but that probably won't happen any time soon. 
So, while I wait for that - I can see this Zapco 5-DSP making its way into a certain Audi...

*BUILT-IN RTA!*









_Zapco introduces the next generation of in-car processing. The Zapco HD DSP. Up to 16 channels (DSP-Z16) means you can build active systems at every corner of a multichannel sound system. 

HD means these are not just DSPs but HD audio players as well. In fact Zapco HD processors go beyond today's normal 24bit, 96Khz high resolution standard. This means that today you can reproduce music superior to MP3, and even superior to CD quality. And when the next step in HD reproduction comes the Zapco HD DSPs will be ready to play it. The HD player in the Zapco HD processors is actually capable of much higher resolution than the 24bit/192kHz. We'rejust waiting for the music industry to catch up. After all, why have all this processing power if you don't have the highest quality music source. An on-board Wi-Fi Access Point allows the DSP to connect to all auxiliary devices such as Tablets & Smartphones; PC’s; etc.
​
R is for RTA included in the GUI. You can't set a car up for the best sound without an RTA to show you the response of the entire system in the vehicle, so the Zapco HD processors have an accurate real time analyzer built in. More? Absolutely. The included RTA allows us to have automatic tuning functions so the unit will tune itself during setup. Of course, as accurateas the RTA is, the ultimate analyzer is still the human ear, so these DSPs have separate GUI areas for the novice (with mostly automatic settings), the professional, and for the tuning master. All with intuitive, easy to use screens. The built in instructions of each GUI stage will help you grow from novice tuner to master tuner. 

Wireless Portal: The processors also have a wireless portal. This make control possibilities almost limitless. There will be multiple options for control and tuning input and a dash controller for volume, tone, etc and for control of the HDPlayer. The processors have all the crossover, equalization, delay, and phase control you could hope for, but they don't stop there. We have included functions previously available only in professional studio equipment so the master tuner can get exactly the results he wants. In fact there are some features that have never been offered before in any equipment. We developed there functions in conjunction with top audio competitors and judges by asking them to assume that anything is possible and asking "what would your dream product do"._


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## Swaglife81

Any update on pricing. I'm depending on my Pioneer for all my tuning needs but sometimes that new technology is pricey. I would that touchscreen though. It's time we got more additions in DSP. Kinda like phones now, new tech from 2014 til now isn't that impressive. We got fingerprint scanners and USB audio out. Nothing really exciting. Alot of companies I think just follow the trends of the competitors and until they see drops in sales that's when R&D comes back into play. I'm not a DSP expert by any means. But just looking at a DSP 6 months ago compared to a DSP 4 years ago, I don't get excited but that's just me


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## bbfoto

Crikey, I'm _really_ interested in seeing what these new Zapco DSP 5-Series are all about. They can't be released soon enough.

The render of the Remote Control is the best design I've seen yet. Hopefully they use a high-quality display on par with current smartphones, and will offer at least some tweaking from the controller.

The HD Player and Wireless Portal for control would be game-changing if they are incorporated properly. Fingers crossed once again. I'm really hoping these will be available in the near future and not endlessly delayed. C'mon ZAPCO! 

EDIT: It's probably just my OCD, but after reading Zapco's product page for the 5-Series processors at Zapco | DSP V Series, I sure wish that they would hire a technical editor to proof-read their text before publishing it. It just doesn't instill confidence in a company and its products if they cannot get simple English correct, along with the important technical terms. There seems to be a grammatical error in nearly every sentence. They are claiming to have produced one of the absolute best DSPs in a highly technical and professional marketplace, but back it up and present it to the world with middle school-level grammar. Just sayin'. Again, maybe it's just me, but it's kind of disappointing.

/Rant


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## papasin

I have pics on my DSLR from CES. Need to go upload them and will post...


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## bbfoto

papasin said:


> I have pics on my DSLR from CES. Need to go upload them and will post...


Thanks, Richard. Looking forward to seeing those pics!


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## papasin

bbfoto said:


> EDIT: It's probably just my OCD, but after reading Zapco's product page for the 5-Series processors, I sure wish that they would hire a technical editor to proof-read their text before publishing it. It just doesn't instill confidence in a company and its products if they cannot get simple English correct, along with the important technical terms. There seems to be a grammatical error in nearly every sentence. They are claiming to have produced one of the absolute best DSPs in a highly technical and professional marketplace, but back it up and present it to the world with middle school-level grammar. Just sayin'. Again, maybe it's just me, but it's kind of disappointing.
> 
> /Rant


I don't disagree...but on the other hand, if I had a fairly small budget, I would have a hard time putting priority on a technical editor over engineering that could actually pull off the things that they are discussing. I had a chance to talk to John and the owner of the company and based on our somewhat lengthy conversation this is only the start. I am looking forward to the V series myself, along with other offerings coming down. Pics in just a few...and I ask for your forgiveness in advance for what may be considered middle school-level pictures. :surprised:


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## papasin

Pics of the DSP V prototype at the Zapco suite at CES


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## cmusic

Last year I bought two LX amps (Z-150.6LX and Z-400.2LX) and have been waiting on the new processor to come out before I started my install. After about 6 months I have gotten tired of waiting so I bought a Helix DSP MKII and a director this week. 

The big item for me with the V series was the possibility of 192 Khz/24-bit HD audio. Then I read the updated Zapco web page and noticed this:

"The sampling rate of 96 Khz of the DSP can be seen like an limit of the system but, at the moment it is the maximum we can have from an DSP with 16 channels, (12 of it with 31 band of equalization), parametric, delay, fine phase and many other functions. An upgrading of software is possible switching the sampling rate from 96 KHz to 192 KHz or over also (but reducing drastically the DSP functions/channels)." 

So basically when the V series processors roll out, they will be 96/24 capable, not 192/24. The DSP MKII is 96/24 and has the same 32 bit DAC as what is in the "base" V series processor. Sure I am not getting wifi (which Helix may add a wifi expansion module later this year) and 2 to 6 extra channels with the DSP MKII but the DSP MKII in on my workbench now, ready to be installed.


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## JimmyDee

bbfoto said:


> It's probably just my OCD, but after reading Zapco's product page for the 5-Series processors at Zapco | DSP V Series, I sure wish that they would hire a technical editor to proof-read their text before publishing it. It just doesn't instill confidence in a company and its products if they cannot get simple English correct, along with the important technical terms.
> 
> /Rant


I noticed that too.. typical Zapco.

I've seen spelling and grammar errors on a number of their web pages, over the years. Just seems to be how they roll...


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## kyheng

papasin said:


> Pics of the DSP V prototype at the Zapco suite at CES


Just hope that this new generation DSP support radio playback, which i can ditch the conventional single din players.
Not to mention the USB slot relocate to another location, perhaps at the rear of the controller.


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## Huckleberry Sound

HD/DSP-Z12 C APH = $1900.00
HD/DSP-Z12 C PRO = $1590.00
DSP-Z12 V APH = $1590.00

DSP-Z12 V PRO = $1270.00
DSP-Z8 V PRO = $1000.00

ND Z-12-R V = $320.00
Z-12-R V = $70.00


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## papasin

Huckleberry Sound said:


> HD/DSP-Z12 C APH = $1900.00
> HD/DSP-Z12 C PRO = $1590.00
> DSP-Z12 V APH = $1590.00
> 
> DSP-Z12 V PRO = $1270.00
> DSP-Z8 V PRO = $1000.00
> 
> ND Z-12-R V = $320.00
> Z-12-R V = $70.00



To be clear, those are MAP prices. I was informed Q2, but don't hold me to that and we shall see.

For completeness, the DSP-Z8 IV is $500 MAP and should be available.


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## Huckleberry Sound

papasin said:


> To be clear, those are MAP prices. I was informed Q2, but don't hold me to that and we shall see.
> 
> For completeness, the DSP-Z8 IV is $500 MAP and should be available.


I second that.
Nice equipment!


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## barracuda777

cmusic said:


> The big item for me with the V series was the possibility of 192 Khz/24-bit HD audio. Then I read the updated Zapco web page and noticed this:
> 
> "The sampling rate of 96 Khz of the DSP can be seen like an limit of the system but, at the moment it is the maximum we can have from an DSP with 16 channels, (12 of it with 31 band of equalization), parametric, delay, fine phase and many other functions. An upgrading of software is possible switching the sampling rate from 96 KHz to 192 KHz or over also (but reducing drastically the DSP functions/channels)."
> 
> So basically when the V series processors roll out, they will be 96/24 capable, not 192/24. The DSP MKII is 96/24 and has the same 32 bit DAC as what is in the "base" V series processor. Sure I am not getting wifi (which Helix may add a wifi expansion module later this year) and 2 to 6 extra channels with the DSP MKII but the DSP MKII in on my workbench now, ready to be installed.


I really hope not.
I´m also waiting for it and was expecting a 192khz 24 bit resolution and DSD files.
A limited 96khz version is definitely a wrong step for this sooooooo long awaited DSP.


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## rton20s

I know that most of the DIYMA crowd is more excited by the potential of the upcoming DSP V line, but I am probably just as excited by the DSP IV line. If you're looking for the latest and greatest, the DSP V options are obviously where it is at. But the DSP IV line looks to be shaping up as a pretty complete line on par with most of the current DSP market at what appears to be very competitive pricing. 

Obviously, details are still pretty thin, and the accuracy of Zapcos published information has already been called into question. But the basis of the line is a very capable 8 channel processor with a decent remote and MAP of $500. If the DSP hardware and software turns out to be solid, the extended ADSP line of DSP equipped amps will be great pieces for simple integration into more cost conscious builds. (Along the Same lines of what Mosconi, Gladen, Helix, Match, Audison and others have been doing.)


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## barracuda777

rton20s said:


> I know that most of the DIYMA crowd is more excited by the potential of the upcoming DSP V line, but I am probably just as excited by the DSP IV line. If you're looking for the latest and greatest, the DSP V options are obviously where it is at. But the DSP IV line looks to be shaping up as a pretty complete line on par with most of the current DSP market at what appears to be very competitive pricing.
> 
> Obviously, details are still pretty thin, and the accuracy of Zapcos published information has already been called into question. But the basis of the line is a very capable 8 channel processor with a decent remote and MAP of $500. If the DSP hardware and software turns out to be solid, the extended ADSP line of DSP equipped amps will be great pieces for simple integration into more cost conscious builds. (Along the Same lines of what Mosconi, Gladen, Helix, Match, Audison and others have been doing.)


Agree.
And DSP Z8IV performances are even better for the price


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## sq2k1

I was interested in the stage V but seems my interest is dulling off now that I have seen issues that some have pointed out. The built in RTA was a strong selling point to me but that can easily be taken care of by other means. 

So here is a question as I am currently evaluating dsp choices..... I was considering the stage iv but also could get an arc ps8 at the same price point if I wished. Which would be a better option at this point in time? I see pros and cons to both... I have also been looking at the helix dsp pro as well, so I am all over the place with my choice as to which to get.


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## BMW Alpina

Huckleberry Sound said:


> HD/DSP-Z12 C APH = $1900.00
> HD/DSP-Z12 C PRO = $1590.00
> DSP-Z12 V APH = $1590.00
> 
> DSP-Z12 V PRO = $1270.00
> DSP-Z8 V PRO = $1000.00
> 
> ND Z-12-R V = $320.00
> Z-12-R V = $70.00


Hello Huckleberry Sound,
May I know what is the differences between the two model below:
HD/DSP-Z12 C APH = $1900.00
HD/DSP-Z12 C PRO = $1590.00

Thank You


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## bbfoto

bbfoto said:


> ....
> 
> EDIT: It's probably just my OCD, but after reading Zapco's product page for the 5-Series processors at Zapco | DSP V Series, I sure wish that they would hire a technical editor to proof-read their text before publishing it. It just doesn't instill confidence in a company and its products if they cannot get simple English correct, along with the important technical terms. There seems to be a grammatical error in nearly every sentence. They are claiming to have produced one of the absolute best DSPs in a highly technical and professional marketplace, but back it up and present it to the world with middle school-level grammar. Just sayin'. Again, maybe it's just me, but it's kind of disappointing.
> 
> /Rant





papasin said:


> I don't disagree...but on the other hand, if I had a fairly small budget, I would have a hard time putting priority on a technical editor over engineering that could actually pull off the things that they are discussing. I had a chance to talk to John and the owner of the company and based on our somewhat lengthy conversation this is only the start. I am looking forward to the V series myself, along with other offerings coming down. Pics in just a few...and I ask for your forgiveness in advance for what may be considered middle school-level pictures. :surprised:





jimmydee said:


> I noticed that too.. typical Zapco.
> 
> I've seen spelling and grammar errors on a number of their web pages, over the years. Just seems to be how they roll...


Don't get me wrong, I am truly stoked that Zapco is concentrating on bringing a line of incredibly powerful and passionately engineered products to this very niche market, and not with just a "one size fits all" approach. They are offering a very well-rounded lineup that should appeal to many levels of enthusiasts. And regarding ROI, designing, manufacturing, and developing software for all of those different products costs much more compared to a single "one size fits all" approach. Maybe their approach is modular which helps keep costs down, but just the tooling for the different casings must add up.

As far as the quality of their marketing and promotional information are concerned, printing, advertising, and web development/maintenance ain't cheap, so I would want to spend literally just a few more bucks to make sure it is done right. Unless you are an "insider", a company's sole image and worth are created in the mind of their potential consumers by what they see in those ads, brochures, catalogs, and trade show displays/banners, etc. I think that most consumers would expect to see intelligent and professional marketing go hand-in-hand with products that require sophisticated engineering.

To that end, there are a multitude of online proof-reading services available at very reasonable prices if you take just a minute or two to "Google". Quite a few of them specialize in mechanical & electrical engineering, legal, and medical documents, and are still very reasonable.

Even one of the more popular and expensive online services such as _Wordy.com_ would only be $50 to have a specialist in the field proof read the page that I linked to above. And it would probably be just $25-$35 if it were done by any number of other online services, or through a local college or university. I think that $25-$50 would be money well spent considering the overall costs involved to create the advertising and promotional materials, and especially if you are presenting your company and products to an International audience at an important venue such as CES. Yes, it would cost more to have their entire advertising and promotional material proof read, but in comparison to the overall marketing & advertising production costs I would consider it "cheap and necessary insurance".

Wordy!com | Pricing


And Richard, my forgiveness is granted, as almost ANY picture is worth a THOUSAND words!  ...and I truly appreciate these photos. Thank you Mr. & especially Mrs. Papasin for providing them. :thumbsup:






cmusic said:


> Last year I bought two LX amps (Z-150.6LX and Z-400.2LX) and have been waiting on the new processor to come out before I started my install. After about 6 months I have gotten tired of waiting so I bought a Helix DSP MKII and a director this week.
> 
> The big item for me with the V series was the possibility of 192 Khz/24-bit HD audio. Then I read the updated Zapco web page and noticed this:
> 
> "The sampling rate of 96 Khz of the DSP can be seen like an limit of the system but, at the moment it is the maximum we can have from an DSP with 16 channels, (12 of it with 31 band of equalization), parametric, delay, fine phase and many other functions. An upgrading of software is possible switching the sampling rate from 96 KHz to 192 KHz or over also (but reducing drastically the DSP functions/channels)."
> 
> So basically when the V series processors roll out, they will be 96/24 capable, not 192/24. The DSP MKII is 96/24 and has the same 32 bit DAC as what is in the "base" V series processor. Sure I am not getting wifi (which Helix may add a wifi expansion module later this year) and 2 to 6 extra channels with the DSP MKII but the DSP MKII is on my workbench now, ready to be installed.





barracuda777 said:


> I really hope not.
> I´m also waiting for it and was expecting a 192khz 24 bit resolution and DSD files.
> A limited 96khz version is definitely a wrong step for this sooooooo long awaited DSP.


Chuck and barracuda, yes, with what was stated above it seems as if many of the truly desirable features of the V-series DSPs will be substantially gimped if you want to operate them at 24/192.  It's not cool to not disclose the details of an announcement like that up front. It's just one more thing that doesn't instill my confidence or trust in a company or its products. Chuck, you obviously held off on your install because of those features that were stated in the first product announcement, only to have those features vanish in a puff of smoke, and that blows.  Truly sorry amigo. 

But as much as I am also disappointed with Zapco's "backpeddling" after seeming to make such a big deal about the 24/192 capability in their product announcement (and maybe DSD as well...I didn't see that mentioned), I honestly doubt that any of us would be able to distinguish any difference in the playback of such files in a double-blind A/B/X test between 24/96, 24/192, and/or DSD, provided they were derived from the same masters. 

I also know that approximately 90% of the music that has been recorded in the past 35 years and to this day was done in the recording studio at no higher than 24/96, and a lot of it at 24/88. This includes all of the albums or songs that were originally recorded and mastered on analog tape and later transferred to digital masters. You'd be surprised how much of the popular music that we listen to every day was actually recorded and mixed at just 24/48.

Comparatively, relatively few studios are recording and mastering at higher than 24/96 resolutions even now, and most that do are the mega record companies, mega studios, and top mastering engineers that work on major motion picture scores or mega artist projects or important classical recordings.

This is obviously changing with the advent of HDtracks and similar Hi-Res content providers, in combination with the cost of studio grade ADC and DAC units that operate at the higher resolutions becoming a bit more affordable with recent technological advances. Other than the actual recording console, and on a per-channel basis, the ADC & DAC units are probably the largest expense for a recording studio, so those are usually the last to be upgraded.

And just about the time that really good 24/192+ ADC & DAC equipment became available (at "new technology" pricing), record budgets had dwindled substantially and still are nowhere near what they used to be in the heyday of mega record companies with deep pockets. So only the more prominent studios could afford to upgrade and record large projects at 24/192 and above. And due to the higher cost of HDD storage, combined with the slower processing speed of computers and DAWs at that point in time, even the studios with 24/192+ capable gear didn't always utilize it. Time was money.

Chesky Records, who are responsible for creating HDtracks, have always used a minimalist recording technique that typically does not require a multitude of channels as would be typical on most popular music recordings. Because of that, they have been able to concentrate their money on fewer, but higher quality ADC units, microphones, and mic preamps to produce their Hi-Res recordings. 8 Channels of high quality ADC/DAC is still very expensive, but much less than needing multiple units that handle 16-, 32-, or 64-channels of I/O that most commercial studios need and use! Also because of their minimalist recording techniques, Chesky's want or need for thousand+ dollar outboard processing gear is also much less, and plug-in's for ProTools and other DAWs that duplicate or replace that expensive outboard processing gear have become increasingly better and more affordable.

You'll find that most tracking, mixing, and mastering engineers still agree that while there may be *some* advantages in certain circumstances or projects, there is not a whole lot to be gained by recording with a higher bit depth and resolution than 24/96. It's the law of diminishing returns. The bigger difference is said to be in the _Quality_ of the available ADC & DAC units when at 24/96.

For most projects, it is usually decided to record and mix with higher resolutions on a project only if a final mix-down will be made with a substantial number of tracks, say 48 or more, but it depends on the client and project. In these circumstances gain staging across the mix becomes increasingly important to minimize the noise floor, and recording & mixing tracks at higher resolutions can be an advantage as you layer tracks.

Well, I've gone off-topic far too long, sorry, when I could have just said, "Comparatively, there really isn't that much music available that has been recorded at 24/192 or higher, so is it even worth the time and expense to *maybe* hear a difference in 10% of the music that you actually enjoy listening to?". Only you can decide.




barracuda777 said:


> And DSP Z8IV performances are even better for the price


Compared to? And as tested by...???


I apologize in advance for my long-winded replies.


----------



## bbfoto

sq2k1 said:


> I was interested in the stage V but seems my interest is dulling off now that I have seen issues that some have pointed out. The built in RTA was a strong selling point to me but that can easily be taken care of by other means.
> 
> So here is a question as I am currently evaluating dsp choices..... I was considering the stage iv but also could get an arc ps8 at the same price point if I wished. Which would be a better option at this point in time? I see pros and cons to both... I have also been looking at the helix dsp pro as well, so I am all over the place with my choice as to which to get.


This is _really_ hard to answer definitively. Especially because we still don't know the full capabilities or limitations of these new Zapco units. And exactly what the Remote does and does not control has not been fully explored. Will the software be buggy? How soon will updates be provided? There are a lot of unanswered questions at this point in time.

It also really depends on how committed you are to learning and applying advanced tuning techniques, including measurements, and how simple or complicated your setup is in regards to how many channels you will need to achieve your goals. e.g. 2-way + Sub, 3-way + Sub, 3-way + Sub + Rear Fill, center channel/multi-channel/surround, etc.

I think that if you are going to get deep into the tuning process, a unit that offers variable phase control (not just 180° inverted) can be beneficial along with EQ on the input side. Independent L/R PEQ with a wide Q range and assignable frequency bands, and APF capability is desireable as well.

How many and what sources you will be using is also a major determining factor. If you are stuck with an OEM head unit that applies level-dependent EQ shaping and/or TA, then you might want to choose a unit that has capabilities to correct that signal. Or if you want an aftermarket or stand-alone source for Hi-Res music playback, but also want to keep and hear your OEM NAV voice prompts and/or OEM hands-free BT phone system.

The software and GUI is a Big Deal to me personally, and everyone has their preferences. So that is a big IDK???

Also a big distinction is how you interface with the DSP and actually control or "tune" it. The PS8 finally has a Remote that offers nearly full control. But is it as easy to tune and adjust all of the parameters that way as opposed to using a standard Windows PC software GUI? And is 8 channels enough for you?

The options and questions are nearly endless and overwhelming. It's amazing to have so many DSP options available now, but with that comes a multitude of decisions on which singular aspects come together as a whole as being the "right" DSP for you and your setup.

Luckily, almost any current DSP that is available now will offer great final results. It mainly comes down to what _features_ you need or want to integrate into your setup, and how a particular DSP handles each of those. Good luck!


----------



## BMW Alpina

If this new Gen V Zapco have Bluetooth audio streaming capabilities, that would be awesome ! and if it able to connect with steering wheel volume control, then it would be perfect, no more head unit needed.


----------



## bbfoto

BMW Alpina said:


> If this new Gen V Zapco have Bluetooth audio streaming capabilities, that would be awesome ! and if it able to connect with steering wheel volume control, then it would be perfect, no more head unit needed.


Some of the Zapco DSPs are stated as being capable of streaming music over WiFi, which would be even better quality than Apt-X/CSR Bluetooth. If handsfree BT phone support is integrated for taking and receiving calls, that would be excellent.

Though I'm not so sure about the Steering Wheel volume control. That would be a nice feature in some setups for sure.


----------



## AAAAAAA

papasin said:


> I don't disagree...but on the other hand, if I had a fairly small budget, I would have a hard time putting priority on a technical editor over engineering that could actually pull off the things that they are discussing. I had a chance to talk to John and the owner of the company and based on our somewhat lengthy conversation this is only the start. I am looking forward to the V series myself, along with other offerings coming down. Pics in just a few...and I ask for your forgiveness in advance for what may be considered middle school-level pictures. :surprised:


You could easily find some volunteers here for that in exchange for discounts on equipment...so it ends up being free haha. No excuse.


----------



## Huckleberry Sound

BMW Alpina said:


> Hello Huckleberry Sound,
> May I know what is the differences between the two model below:
> HD/DSP-Z12 C APH = $1900.00
> HD/DSP-Z12 C PRO = $1590.00
> 
> Thank You


Here you go....


*PROCESSORS*

HD/DSP-Z12 V APH = $1900.00
Audiophile 12 Channel DSP w/ Built-in HD Player and RTA, Hi Fidelity Audio 24 Bit/192KHz, Includes the HD-Z12-R V

DSP-Z12 V APH = $1590.00
Audiophile 12 Channel DSP w/ Built-in RTA, Hi Fidelity Audio 24 Bit/192KHz, Includes the Z12-R V and DAC V C4

HD/DSP-Z12 V PRO = $1590.00
Professional 12 Channel DSP w/ Built-in HD Player and RTA, Hi Fidelity Audio 24 Bit/192KHz, Includes the HD-Z12-R V and DAC V C4

DSP-Z12 V PRO = $1270.00
Professional 12 Channel DSP w/ Built-in RTA, Includes the Z12-R V and DAC V C4

DSP-Z8 V PRO = $1000.00
Professional 8 Channel DSP w/ Built-in RTA, Includes the Z12-R V and DAC V C8

DSP-Z8 IV = $500.00
6 in / 8 Out Full Function DSP - Multi System Dash Remote, Multi-Optional GUI, 110db Signal to Noise Ratio, Includes the Z8-R IV

*Accessories - Remotes*

HD Z-12-R V = $320.00
HD/DSP 3" Color TS Display Remote - Compatible with the HD/DSP-Z12 V APH and HD/DSP-Z12 V PRO

Z-12-R V = $70.00
DSP Remote - Compatible with the DSP-Z12 V APH, DSP-Z12 V Pro, DSP-Z8 V PRO

*Digital Analog Converters for Audiophile HD/DSP and etc*

DAC V A4
Optional Upgrade DAC Converter Module A4 (32 Bit) 4 Channel - Networks with the HD/DSP-Z12 V Audiophile and HD/DSP Z12 V Professional

DAC V B4
Optional Upgrade DAC Converter Module B4 (32 Bit) 4 Channel - Networks with the HD/DSP-Z12 V Audiophile and HD/DSP Z12 V Professional

DAC V C4
DAC Converter Module Converter Module C4 (32 Bit) 4 Channel - Networks with the DSP-Z12 V Audiophile and DSP-Z12 V Professional

DAC V C8
DAC Converter Module Converter Module C4 (32 Bit) 8 Channel - Networks with the DSP-Z8 Professional


*PLEASE NOTE: ANY OF THIS INFORMATION MAY CHANGE UPON RELEASE OF THERE PRODUCTS*


----------



## BMW Alpina

Huckleberry Sound said:


> Here you go....
> 
> 
> *PROCESSORS*
> 
> HD/DSP-Z12 V APH = $1900.00
> Audiophile 12 Channel DSP w/ Built-in HD Player and RTA, Hi Fidelity Audio 24 Bit/192KHz, Includes the HD-Z12-R V
> 
> HD/DSP-Z12 V PRO = $1590.00
> Professional 12 Channel DSP w/ Built-in HD Player and RTA, Hi Fidelity Audio 24 Bit/192KHz, Includes the HD-Z12-R V and DAC V C4


I actually still confused, with the 2 models above.
I get it that APH mean Audiphile while PRO mean Professional but
If you just look at the description above, 
it's actually show the PRO version have the DAC V C4 included while the APH version does not have it.
But how come the APH version is more expensive?

The only thing I can think of based from information from Zapco website is this one:
_The standard DA Converter is an 32 bit Asahi Kasei AK 4458VN with S/N of 115 dB. 
Easily, by internal module, the DA can be upgraded by Asahi Kasei AK4490EQ (32 bit, 120 db S/N), 
the same used from the top of the Astell Kern DAT.
_
So does the Pro mean it used the standard DA Converter Asahi Kasei AK4458VN 
while the APH version use the upgraded Asahi Kasei AK4490EQ?

and anybody here know how good is this Asahi Kasei AK4490EQ DAC 
compare to the ESS Sabre 32 ES9018S DAC chip inside Sony RSX-GS9 Head Unit?
I am just talking about DAC performance.

Thanks


----------



## Huckleberry Sound

BMW Alpina said:


> I actually still confused, with the 2 models above.
> I get it that APH mean Audiphile while PRO mean Professional but
> If you just look at the description above, it's actually show the PRO version have the DAC V C4 included while the APH version does not have it.
> But how come the APH version is more expensive?
> 
> The only thing I can think of based from information from Zapco website is this one:
> _The standard DA Converter is an 32 bit Asahi Kasei AK 4458VN with S/N of 115 dB. Easily, by internal module, the DA can be upgraded by Asahi Kasei AK4490EQ (32 bit, 120 db S/N), the same used from the top of the Astell Kern DAT.
> _
> So does the Pro mean it used the standard DA Converter Asahi Kasei AK4458VN
> while the APH version use the upgraded Asahi Kasei AK4490EQ?
> 
> and anybody here know how good is this Asahi Kasei AK4490EQ DAC compare to the ESS Sabre 32 ES9018S DAC chip inside Sony RSX-GS9 Head Unit?
> I am just talking about DAC performance.
> 
> Thanks


Your points are solid. I just have brief description of each. As far as the internal and specs that can give you those solid comparisons. Comparing apple to apple, we will need to wait until they release some office spec sheets. When generally happens right before the release. From what I know, some of these items are expected to release in May of this year. Don't hold me to that for sure. 

I would since you are heading in the right direction in your thoughts, but until they say what is in each unit and etc. We just don't know.

As of right now I have shared info about 4 different 12 channel models. According to there website, https://www.zapco.com/dsp-5-series, I only see 2, and the info I have does not mentioned the 16 channel versions. I see the mention of the DACs, standard vs upgraded. We will need to see how it all unfolds. As of right now, we know the estimated pricing for the 12 channels. Lets see what happends next.


----------



## BMW Alpina

Huckleberry Sound said:


> Your points are solid. I just have brief description of each. As far as the internal and specs that can give you those solid comparisons. Comparing apple to apple, we will need to wait until they release some office spec sheets. When generally happens right before the release. From what I know, some of these items are expected to release in May of this year. Don't hold me to that for sure.
> 
> I would since you are heading in the right direction in your thoughts, but until they say what is in each unit and etc. We just don't know.
> 
> As of right now I have shared info about 4 different 12 channel models. According to there website, https://www.zapco.com/dsp-5-series, I only see 2, and the info I have does not mentioned the 16 channel versions. I see the mention of the DACs, standard vs upgraded. We will need to see how it all unfolds. As of right now, we know the estimated pricing for the 12 channels. Lets see what happends next.


Hi Huckleberry Sound,
Thanks for all this inside info, it really help me with more information before I decide how my next system will be.

This DAC spec also make me dig more and I just found out that Asahi Kasei AK4490EQ is no longer the flagship DAC from Asahi Kasei. 
The best DAC from Asahi Kasei is now the AK4497EQ.
I wonder if we can actually upgrade to AK4497EQ instead.

I also check the AK4490EQ/AK4497EQ vs ESS Sabre ES9018S 
and it's look like
The ESS have higher SNR and THD+N performance,
with Up to 135dB DNR and –120dB THD+N

while the AK4490EQ only have SNR:120dB and THD+N: -112dB
with the AK4497EQ slightly better at SNR:128dB and THD+N: -116dB

On the Digital input the ESS have up to 1.536MHz sampling rate PCM
but not specify DSD capability

while the AK4490EQ have PCM768kHz/32-bit, DSD256(11.2MHz)
and AK4497EQ have PCM 768kHz/32-bit, DSD 22.4MHz

so the AK have lower PCM sampling rate but might have much higher DSD rate (especially the 22.4Mhz from AK4497EQ).
(update, according to Sony RSX-GS9 manual it can only accept up to 5.6 MHz/1 bit for DSD input and Max. 192 kHz/24 bit for PCM).

My feeling is the ESS might sound better a bit (analog output) in the Sony RSX-GS9 
but the AKM 4490EQ in the Zapco HD/DSP-Z12 V APH would have better future input compatibility...

Anyway, I am sure both ESS and AKM DAC chip with this caliber will perform very well and it will also depend on the analog circuit...

My current dilemma is because I got to have the steering wheel volume control which mean I need to configure my system in either:

a. Connect the Sony RSX-GS9 via analog to Zapco HD/DSP-Z12 V APH
which mean multiple processing D/A at Sony RSX-GS9 then another A/D and D/A at Zapco HD/DSP-Z12 V APH
which then feed Zapco 6 channel LX amp plus Sub Amp for 2 way active front channel and 2 rear fill plus sub

or

b. Connect the Sony RSX-GS9 4 channel front and rear analog output to Zapco ASP-X4 Analog Active Xover 
that will control the 2 way active front channel crossover frequency.
For time alignment adjustment, I will also utilize Sony RSX-GS9 internal (but limited) time alignment.
I can also utilize the more limited Sony RSX-GS9 EQ.

The Front channel from Sony RSX-GS9 will feed into Front Channel input of the Zapco ASP-X4 
and drive the front tweeter with time alignment adjusted from Sony.

The Rear channel from Sony RSX-GS9 will feed into Rear Channel input of the Zapco ASP-X4 
and drive the front midbass with time alignment adjusted from Sony.
Sony RSX-GS9 own subwoofer output will directly drive the subwoofer amp with time alignment adjusted from Sony.
This configuration will avoid the multiple D/A and A/D D/A conversion of configuration a. 
but also lack the full DSP power (time alignment/EQ of Zapco HD/DSP-Z12 V APH).

I just wonder which one of the 2 configuration above will sound better...

Yes, I can use optical out of Sony RSX-GS9 to directly feed Zapco HD/DSP-Z12 V APH
and should have the best sound
but then most likely I will not have steering wheel volume control and I got to have steering wheel volume control so this is not an option.

Still have few months to think before I buy all the equipments...


----------



## ryanr7386

Subscribed


----------



## ryanr7386

Any Updates? Anyone?


----------



## sq2k1

Yeah new info would be nice but guess I should believe in unicorns at this point as well.....


----------



## ACJohn

AC John here. John Borges 
I've been gone for a while. I'll try to check in more often but if anyone has issues and needs help you are welcome to contact me directly. 

[email protected] 209.483.3544 We also have a Contact form at www.zapco.com

About the new processor: we are finalizing the functions and features of the GUI but it's taking time. We planed on late May but it likely won't be until late June

John


----------



## rton20s

Thanks for the update John.


----------



## bassfreak85

I love the new software. I can't wait to get rid of the indash CD player for this. Only thing id like to do is integrate and blue ra player or Ipad for movies. I wish the had such a unit with optical out!


----------



## 1sty

If it's anything like the complete POS DSP-Z6III then say away!
I have had two sent to me and both cause a ton of FM interference when they are only powered on. They don't even have to be connected to anything and they make FM unlistenable.


----------



## Huckleberry Sound

I can't wait to get some details on the new Zapco Processors. I want some details on the HD/DSP-Z12 APH. 

All things take time, so right now it's about being patient.


----------



## hykbooks

do i need amps with new zappco 5


----------



## JimmyDee

hykbooks said:


> do i need amps with new zappco 5


Yes... and you need speakers too.


----------



## bassfreak85

hykbooks said:


> do i need amps with new zappco 5


Yes sir you need to amplify the signal for the loudspeaker to get loud enough to overcome road noise.
That being said 8 volts at 4 ohm is 50 watts.
They do make amps with the deposit built in that good enough for any daily driver!


----------



## bbfoto

^ I think he meant to type,

"They do make amps with the DSP built-in that are good enough for any daily driver!"


----------



## bassfreak85

Spell correct..


----------



## hykbooks

bbfoto said:


> ^ I think he meant to type,
> 
> "They do make amps with the DSP built-in that are good enough for any daily driver!"


thats is correctly what I meant, if they make something like Helix p six, as I am looking for what is the next thing that is better than helix p six


----------



## bassfreak85

I doubt you hear a difference. Zapco is good helix is also.
I like the new Zapco software.


----------



## hykbooks

bassfreak85 said:


> I doubt you hear a difference. Zapco is good helix is also.
> I like the new Zapco software.


so does zapco have a dsp with amp as a one single unit solution like helix p six


----------



## bassfreak85

Www.zapco.com


----------



## bassfreak85

https://www.zapco.com/dc1004


----------



## barracuda777

hykbooks said:


> so does zapco have a dsp with amp as a one single unit solution like helix p six


They have now, this is the DC line.
https://www.zapco.com/dc-series

And Zapco is working in a line line of amplifiers with DSP, the new IV generation:
https://www.zapco.com/dsp-4-series
ADSP line amplifiers with RCA input or OEM input.
I guess a few months more and you can find some with your local dealer


----------



## Dan750iL

Any word on if the late June release is still on track?


----------



## lostthumb

Dan750iL said:


> Any word on if the late June release is still on track?


What I heard that it might be pushed into the late of the 3rd quarter of the year.

The new SP amps are due in early July.


----------



## sq2k1

I am starting to think Zapco is taking an airline's point of view....expect delays upon delays. They announced the V series what seems like ages ago and I was pretty hyped about them. Now I just find it getting to the point of just being ridiculous.


----------



## rton20s

If you're tired of waiting, you can always go buy a different 16 channel 24/192 Hi-Res DSP with built in media player, wifi access point and RTA. 

Seriously, if you have to have something now. I would suggest the Mosconi Gladen DSP Aerospace 8to12 or Helix DSP Pro Mk2.


----------



## hdrugs

Being delayed is always better then being rushed

I have fingers crossed for tuning/tweaking of controller and easy adjustable op amps 

12 channels is good my direct upgrade will be 4 way front


----------



## DC/Hertz

They are getting overkill with the channels without adding surround sound upmixing.


----------



## hdrugs

I might consider doing a 4 way front plus a centre but that could be useful using all 12 channels

But always missing the air and dispersion ambience tweeter for the current set up


----------



## DC/Hertz

Less drivers the better. The ideal setup would be a sub in each kick playing up to 200hz and a wide band that can cover all the rest. Less phase issues and point source. More drivers more complications.


----------



## hdrugs

I toyed around the phase issues crossing 10-12k is non facotor my ears

The power response from running good size drivers os pleasant 

The mid in between goes 12db slopes and polarity reverse


----------



## sq2k1

Pulled this from their FB page. A person asked when estimated shipping date was and the reply was OCT/NOV with pricing being released soon.Anyways, here is the info in case anyone might be interested:

Zapco Dsp V Development - LINK

News about DSP-V Development

By Zapco Car Audio · Updated on Wednesday

Never before has a Zapco product taken such a long time to be developed as the HD/DSP Z12-16V. Five Groups of Engineers worked in the last two years to produce the Processor’s firmware, GUI functionality, GUI graphics, GUI software, and the Hardware. The product is very complex and needs to be cross-checked by each group of people working on the project.
The hardware was also complex because it is made with 16 different PCBs plus the board for the remote control. Why have we done it that way? The answer is very simple: we're make a product that is easily scalable by changing the modules. In almost any DSP it is easy to have firmware up-grades later for download. Our engineering and development staff designed these units to allow the hardware to be easily upgraded as well as the firmware. In that way it is easy to change the ADC, the DAC and other critical components, including main DSP processors, digital input and so on. Also, in the case of some problem down the road and a part is not working well, it is easy to repair the unit changing just a module. For international deliveries this is very important, because many local repair centers have issues repairing DSP boards.
Then the DSP modules are: 

• 4 x Stereo input preamplifiers, 
• 1 x Digital Inputs, 
• 1 x HD and DSP main processors, 
• 1 x Analog Digital Converter, 
• 2 x 8 ch each, Digital Analog Converters (but can be also 8 x 2 ch), 
• 2 x 8 channel output preamplifiers, 
• 3 x 8 RCA input / output modules, 
• Plus 1 x power supply and 1x Main board.

In the digital domain, the evolution of components is very fast and we have seen that every year there are new evolutions. With the Zapco DSP V it is possible to change the Analog-to-Digital and the Digital-Analog Converters as well as the operational amplifiers, the digital input board and the main processor. It's pretty much all upgradable, software and hardware.
The RCA connectors used on this DSP are the new Zapco RCAs (patented design) directly soldered in the PCB. It ensures perfect ground contact while with other high-end RCA the ground connection are dependent on the seal of the connector fastening nut (attention to even the little things that make a difference).


----------



## Huckleberry Sound

Pulling my coins together!


----------



## sq2k1

I still want final specs before I say yay or nay... but still very interested in it in the meantime although I still think the waiting time has been insane.


----------



## Dan750iL

Are these still going to happen?


----------



## rton20s

Dan750iL said:


> Are these still going to happen?


Yes.


----------



## barracuda777

sq2k1 said:


> I still want final specs before I say yay or nay... but still very interested in it in the meantime although I still think the waiting time has been insane.


I think the new about this processor (Z12 and 16) was issued very early, too early.
The development and process for this kind of product is so complex,that it takes 2 to 3 times the original time programmed.

I know Zapco engineers are still working on GUI and are working to still make the best processor on market, taking into account the time already spent on it.

So let putting more coins together...


----------



## Babs

oabeieo said:


> Is FIR under the hat?



^ Searching now but was this ever answered? Are these IIR only DSP’s?


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Pro


----------



## Dan750iL

Anyone with an inside line know what the latest is on these? I can't find anything on their website or FB.


----------



## SkizeR

Dan750iL said:


> Anyone with an inside line know what the latest is on these? I can't find anything on their website or FB.


More info at CES


----------



## Dan750iL

Thanks. (The Thanks button doesn't seem to work for me)

And then it did.


----------



## avhound

Dan750iL said:


> Anyone with an inside line know what the latest is on these? I can't find anything on their website or FB.


I contacted Enzo and John at ZAP about two weeks ago.
They are being clams.
from what i can perceive and also read here some time ago is they absolutely want no problems with these units at all. 
This is The All or The Nothing, the DSP to end all DSP's and then yes i said it The Ever Lasting Gob Stopper of Audio wizardry ok that just sounds nice.
They already have my virtual order and they do know that there are folks on the rails and fences about this.
2018 Feb. that's my prediction. that is kinda what i know.


----------



## lv_v

Any chance the V will be able to render a true center channel with all that processing power under the hood?


----------



## barracuda777

avhound said:


> Dan750iL said:
> 
> 
> 
> Anyone with an inside line know what the latest is on these? I can't find anything on their website or FB.
> 
> 
> 
> I contacted Enzo and John at ZAP about two weeks ago.
> They are being clams.
> from what i can perceive and also read here some time ago is they absolutely want no problems with these units at all.
> This is The All or The Nothing, the DSP to end all DSP's and then yes i said it The Ever Lasting Gob Stopper of Audio wizardry ok that just sounds nice.
> They already have my virtual order and they do know that there are folks on the rails and fences about this.
> 2018 Feb. that's my prediction. that is kinda what i know.
Click to expand...

Correct



lv_v said:


> Any chance the V will be able to render a true center channel with all that processing power under the hood?


Yes. A true center channel... and more


----------



## Golden Ear

Sure would be nice if they get this right the first time. I’m looking forward to this


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## Huckleberry Sound

barracuda777 said:


> Correct
> 
> Yes. A true center channel... and more


Do you know about a release date for the ADSP-8 RCA
8-ch. DSP Amplifier?

This one right here has me thinking right now. Do I wait for this unit, or get a Helix Psix and Ptwo setup.


----------



## barracuda777

Huckleberry Sound said:


> Do you know about a release date for the ADSP-8 RCA
> 8-ch. DSP Amplifier?
> 
> This one right here has me thinking right now. Do I wait for this unit, or get a Helix Psix and Ptwo setup.


Yes -------> January


----------



## Huckleberry Sound

I am going back and forth right now. This unit or the Helix Psix. The startup for processor and amp combination is less expensive with the Zapco.


----------



## shutmdown

sorry to bump an old thread, but I wanted to find out if anyone has picked up a Z8-IV recently. I noticed on my unit I have 2 connections (1 for the remote that is supplied and 1 for a DRC ( it is a molex plug input). Is this a recent development because I don't see any notes about it on the manual nor do I see it on Richard's photo.


----------



## SkizeR

shutmdown said:


> sorry to bump an old thread, but I wanted to find out if anyone has picked up a Z8-IV recently. I noticed on my unit I have 2 connections (1 for the remote that is supplied and 1 for a DRC ( it is a molex plug input). Is this a recent development because I don't see any notes about it on the manual nor do I see it on Richard's photo.


i have one in stock at the shop. If you shoot me a PM tomorrow to remind me i will check


----------



## barracuda777

shutmdown said:


> sorry to bump an old thread, but I wanted to find out if anyone has picked up a Z8-IV recently. I noticed on my unit I have 2 connections (1 for the remote that is supplied and 1 for a DRC ( it is a molex plug input). Is this a recent development because I don't see any notes about it on the manual nor do I see it on Richard's photo.


The second plug (molex type) is for the new DRC 3 ", touch screen and full color dislay.
I guess functios would be, volume, source, memory and maybe some fader control or something else....really not sure about it.

It must be revealed at CES, available just after presentation.


----------



## Dan750iL

SkizeR said:


> More info at CES


Did they even show up at CES?

Any other updates out there or are these things vaporware?


----------



## SkizeR

Dan750iL said:


> Did they even show up at CES?
> 
> Any other updates out there or are these things vaporware?


I'm guessing your not on Facebook? Hardware is done and fully functioning as shown at ces. 

Sent from my SM-G950U1 using Tapatalk


----------



## Dan750iL

SkizeR said:


> I'm guessing your not on Facebook? Hardware is done and fully functioning as shown at ces.
> 
> Sent from my SM-G950U1 using Tapatalk


I'm not on FB. Thanks.
Any info on a release date?


----------



## SkizeR

Dan750iL said:


> I'm not on FB. Thanks.
> Any info on a release date?


No set date. They want it to be perfect upon release and this is a very complex unit. From what im told they want to nail the software, which is no easy task, before it's released. Imo, this is smart. The second the release it and has anything worse than minor bugs, it'll get a bad rep.

Sent from my SM-G950U1 using Tapatalk


----------



## Dan750iL

SkizeR said:


> No set date. They want it to be perfect upon release and this is a very complex unit. From what im told they want to nail the software, which is no easy task, before it's released. Imo, this is smart. The second the release it and has anything worse than minor bugs, it'll get a bad rep.
> 
> Sent from my SM-G950U1 using Tapatalk


Too many manufacturers out there could learn from that example.
I hope they get it all nailed down soon.

Thanks again!


----------



## SkizeR

Dan750iL said:


> Too many manufacturers out there could learn from that example.
> I hope they get it all nailed down soon.
> 
> Thanks again!


I can think of a few lol.. No problem.

Sent from my SM-G950U1 using Tapatalk


----------



## cmusic

Zapco was in Las Vegas during CES, but did not have a booth at CES. I think they did like other small companies that does not want to pay for a CES booth and setup in a hotel suite room to demo their products. 

I also think HAT did the same thing.


----------



## SkizeR

cmusic said:


> Zapco was in Las Vegas during CES, but did not have a booth at CES. I think they did like other small companies that does not want to pay for a CES booth and setup in a hotel suite room to demo their products.
> 
> I also think HAT did the same thing.


yup. lots of companies do this. Saves a ton of money it seems.


----------



## rton20s

For reference, the suites that companies like Zapco, Morel, Illusion, Mosconi, Gladen, Focal and HAT were in are an official part of CES. There are entire floors of the Westgate Hotel next to LVCC that are booked for CES. Companies book these spaces rather than convention floor space. It is more cost effective for them, especially when there really isn't much need for a big booth. 

Other brands such as Audiomobile and Audiofrog book suites in hotels not associated with CES in any way. It isn't as convenient, and requires you to find your own transportation to their location. I assume this saves them quite a bit of money though. Especially if they book early.


----------



## benny z

I heard this might have been the last year for hifi audio at CES period (home or car audio), due to the shift in direction the event/industry has taken.


----------



## metanium

benny z said:


> I heard this might have been the last year for hifi audio at CES period (home or car audio), due to the shift in direction the event/industry has taken.


I guess Knowledgefest it is then. :laugh:

Exhibit for 2018


----------



## rton20s

benny z said:


> I heard this might have been the last year for hifi audio at CES period (home or car audio), due to the shift in direction the event/industry has taken.


That seems to be one of the big rumors floating around. Not just after, but even during the show.


----------



## Dan750iL

How perfect is too perfect?


----------



## lv_v

Dan750iL said:


> How perfect is too perfect?


Right?? I'm tempted to ditch my newly acquired pair of Zapco Z-150.6LX amps and just grab a couple of new JL VXi amps with integrated DSP's instead of waiting who knows how long for these New Zapco DSP's to drop :mean:.


----------



## theobjectivist

come on now, it's only been in the works since 2015, right?


rrghh - ive been waiting for this thing so long it feels like vaporware


fingers are crossed for this summer.


----------



## Angrywhopper

benny z said:


> I heard this might have been the last year for hifi audio at CES period (home or car audio), due to the shift in direction the event/industry has taken.


They wont' all stop going in one year but yes the trend and shift is towards Sema/Knowledge fest. There's just not a whole lot of value in CES yet the costs are astronomical.


----------



## barracuda777

Yes, a long time now waiting for, but..... 

1. do you want a product with bugs?...not me.
2. Firmware development is the most difficult and take tiiiiime.
3. personally I prefer a high end product with 0 problem


----------



## Dan750iL

barracuda777 said:


> Yes, a long time now waiting for, but.....
> 
> 1. do you want a product with bugs?...not me.
> 2. Firmware development is the most difficult and take tiiiiime.
> 3. personally I prefer a high end product with 0 problem


I get where you are coming from and totally agree but if it's taking this long to get it out they probably should have held off on announcing it until they were closer to a finished product. Over two years and still no firm launch date is a bit much.


----------



## shutmdown

anyone know when the new DRC will be available?


----------



## barracuda777

Dan750iL said:


> I get where you are coming from and totally agree but if it's taking this long to get it out they probably should have held off on announcing it until they were closer to a finished product. Over two years and still no firm launch date is a bit much.


Agree...in a part.
Firmware take normally 2 years of development...if you take other company /brand of caraudio, normally this part (firmware development) is in some dsp expert company like AD. They have special, expert and exclusive team working on...
Zapco is doing is own; 2 side coins. Good one is you can have a exclusive product and be (in some way) relax you´re not gonna see some cheap version of your product in a couple of months later. The bad....it take more time and could be very expensive to dedicate and exclusive team only for 1 product.

where is the real problem for me, as you say....no definitive date and certainly too early original released date.

I´ve got too many friends and customers waiting for


----------



## barracuda777

shutmdown said:


> anyone know when the new DRC will be available?


Did you mean Z8-R IV TS?

middle of this month.

Like;
DSP-Z8 IV with BT and ADSP-Z8 IV Amplifier


----------



## bbfoto

sq2k1 said:


> Zapco Dsp V Development - LINK
> 
> News about DSP-V Development
> 
> By Zapco Car Audio · Updated on Wednesday
> 
> Never before has a Zapco product taken such a long time to be developed as the HD/DSP Z12-16V. Five Groups of Engineers worked in the last two years to produce the Processor’s firmware, GUI functionality, GUI graphics, GUI software, and the Hardware. The product is very complex and needs to be cross-checked by each group of people working on the project.
> 
> *The hardware was also complex because it is made with 16 different PCBs plus the board for the remote control. Why have we done it that way? The answer is very simple: we're make a product that is easily scalable by changing the modules. In almost any DSP it is easy to have firmware up-grades later for download. Our engineering and development staff designed these units to allow the hardware to be easily upgraded as well as the firmware. In that way it is easy to change the ADC, the DAC and other critical components, including main DSP processors, digital input and so on.* Also, in the case of some problem down the road and a part is not working well, it is easy to repair the unit changing just a module. For international deliveries this is very important, because many local repair centers have issues repairing DSP boards.
> Then the DSP modules are:
> 
> • 4 x Stereo input preamplifiers,
> • 1 x Digital Inputs,
> • 1 x HD and DSP main processors,
> • 1 x Analog Digital Converter,
> • 2 x 8 ch each, Digital Analog Converters (but can be also 8 x 2 ch),
> • 2 x 8 channel output preamplifiers,
> • 3 x 8 RCA input / output modules,
> • Plus 1 x power supply and 1x Main board.
> 
> *In the digital domain, the evolution of components is very fast and we have seen that every year there are new evolutions. With the Zapco DSP V it is possible to change the Analog-to-Digital and the Digital-Analog Converters as well as the operational amplifiers, the digital input board and the main processor. It's pretty much all upgradable, software and hardware.*
> 
> The RCA connectors used on this DSP are the new Zapco RCAs (patented design) directly soldered in the PCB. It ensures perfect ground contact while with other high-end RCA the ground connection are dependent on the seal of the connector fastening nut (attention to even the little things that make a difference).



I'm interested to see how this modular approach works out in the end. On paper, it seems smart and as simple as pie to upgrade. But in reality, any time a major new "module" is introduced, there will also have to be a good deal of firmware/software re-coding to support it. As we have seen, this takes _substantial_ time.

Will Zapco be able to keep producing these updates in a timely manner, fast enough to leap-frog other companies that may come out with completely new hardware offerings with new tech that wasn't conceivable when Zapco engineered their modular approach?

As stated, this type of tech is on a fast track, and future LSIC/DSP chips may _completely_ change in architecture in the very near future. Will Zapco's modular approach accommodate these potential architecture changes, or at some point will this product be held back by having to stick with older, less powerful, but compatible tech?

Just random thoughts. If anyone gets one of these in-hand it would be great to hear about it.


----------



## rton20s

I have zero clue about compatibility of emerging technologies, or what the logistics for future development of these modules from Zapco might look like. What I do have, is photos (shamelessly stolen from John, since I never did upload my pics) of the DSP from CES 2018. This should at least give you some idea of how simple it should be to physically change out modules if/when they come available. 

First is one completely assembled and functioning (sans cover).









Second the various modules from the DSO laid out on a table.


----------



## Holmz

rton20s said:


> I have zero clue about compatibility of emerging technologies, or what the logistics for future development of these modules from Zapco might look like. What I do have, is photos (shamelessly stolen from John, since I never did upload my pics) of the DSP from CES 2018. This should at least give you some idea of how simple it should be to physically change out modules if/when they come available.
> 
> First is one completely assembled and functioning (sans cover).
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Second the various modules from the DSO laid out on a table.


That is pretty interesting, and looks stunning too.


----------



## lv_v

Hopefully they release details on the upmixing capabilities soon. Very interested to see how they approached this particular aspect, which will hopefully put it on another level from current market offerings. The wait continues!


----------



## theobjectivist

^^wow - beautiful pieces of kit

Anyone know if the design teams are still based out of modesto, CA?

I know zapco was bought by the italians a while back and recall something about them creating a specialty group of engineers but cant recall the details.


----------



## SkizeR

theobjectivist said:


> ^^wow - beautiful pieces of kit
> 
> Anyone know if the design teams are still based out of modesto, CA?
> 
> I know zapco was bought by the italians a while back and recall something about them creating a specialty group of engineers but cant recall the details.


It's the Italians. 

Sent from my SM-G950U1 using Tapatalk


----------



## rton20s

Holmz said:


> That is pretty interesting, and looks stunning too.


OK, I went ahead and uploaded my photos of the various Zapco DSP products from the CES Suite. No new data, but there might be some products/prototypes people hadn't seen yet. Might keep a couple of you busy for a few minutes.


----------



## theobjectivist

SkizeR said:


> It's the Italians.
> 
> Sent from my SM-G950U1 using Tapatalk



That's a bit of a bummer. Not much left but the zapco name it seems


----------



## rton20s

theobjectivist said:


> That's a bit of a bummer. Not much left but the zapco name it seems


What does that even mean? 

Or is the comment just based on the fact that it is no longer US owned? 

Or is it based on the fact that Robert Zeff is no longer associated with the company?

Yes, the company has changed hands, and most everyone associated with the company has come and gone at some point. (This is probably more common in the industry, than not.) However, Zapco is currently regarded as producing some of the best performing and highest value amplifiers available.


----------



## theobjectivist

rton20s said:


> What does that even mean?
> 
> Or is the comment just based on the fact that it is no longer US owned?
> 
> Or is it based on the fact that Robert Zeff is no longer associated with the company?
> 
> Yes, the company has changed hands, and most everyone associated with the company has come and gone at some point. (This is probably more common in the industry, than not.) However, Zapco is currently regarded as producing some of the best performing and highest value amplifiers available.



Means im feeling old (37)

I too live in the valley and fondly remember zapco in the late 90's. Audio shows in sacramento had a huge zapco following due to their proximity. Sales teams and engineers were often there (all from modesto) It's a bit sad to think that doesnt exist anymore


----------



## rton20s

theobjectivist said:


> Means im feeling old (37)
> 
> I too live in the valley and fondly remember zapco in the late 90's. Audio shows in sacramento had a huge zapco following due to their proximity. Sales teams and engineers were often there (all from modesto) It's a bit sad to think that doesnt exist anymore


Yes, that Zapco team is gone. But, Zapco still has a presence in Modesto. John handles operations here in the US, while distribution is handled by Atrend.


----------



## SnakeOil

rton20s said:


> What does that even mean?
> 
> Or is the comment just based on the fact that it is no longer US owned?
> 
> Or is it based on the fact that Robert Zeff is no longer associated with the company?
> 
> Yes, the company has changed hands, and most everyone associated with the company has come and gone at some point. (This is probably more common in the industry, than not.) However, Zapco is currently regarded as producing some of the best performing and highest value amplifiers available.


I thought they got bought by Atrend?


----------



## SkizeR

SnakeOil said:


> I thought they got bought by Atrend?


Atrend is just the us distributor. They pretty much just store and ship the products.

Sent from my SM-G950U1 using Tapatalk


----------



## rton20s

SkizeR said:


> Atrend is just the us distributor. They pretty much just store and ship the products.


This.


----------



## SnakeOil

SkizeR said:


> Atrend is just the us distributor. They pretty much just store and ship the products.
> 
> Sent from my SM-G950U1 using Tapatalk


Thanks. Learn something new everyday.


----------



## bbfoto

Dustin, is that an SD Memory Card Slot on the end/side of the DRC?

...wondering how/where digital music files are stored and accessed for the "HD Player"?

Thanks for posting the photos.


----------



## rton20s

bbfoto said:


> Dustin, is that an SD Memory Card Slot on the end/side of the DRC?
> 
> ...wondering how/where digital music files are stored and accessed for the "HD Player"?
> 
> Thanks for posting the photos.


No problem. 

I don't know what the slot is on the side of the DRC. Honestly, I didn't spend much time talking with John at the suite, and didn't really ask him anything about the new DSP. I'm sure others that attended might have, and hopefully one of them (or John) sees this and chimes in.


----------



## lv_v

Hopefully these are released by CES 2019... Have they at least announced full detailed specs or leaked a user manual yet??


----------



## bassfreak

the new audison DSP with FIR just **** on this


----------



## lv_v

bassfreak said:


> the new audison DSP with FIR just **** on this


A) we don't know what full feature set the Zapco V processors will deliver, but likely will have more powerful chips and capabilities than an older chip with new firmware from Audison (no disrespect meant, just speculation at this point)

B) it appears Audison's FIR processing only allows for 5-band FIR EQ per channel (up to 9 channels), likely a limitation of the chip's power (again, only speculation on my part based on reviewing Audison's site)

So to say it "****s" on the Zapco processors is funny :laugh: :laugh:

Edit: to add to that, I think Audison's FIR EQ is an awesome feature, especially for less experienced tuners like myself. Hopefully Zapco has something similar!


----------



## bassfreak85

lv_v said:


> bassfreak said:
> 
> 
> 
> the new audison DSP with FIR just **** on this
> 
> 
> 
> A) we don't know what full feature set the Zapco V processors will deliver, but likely will have more powerful chips and capabilities than an older chip with new firmware from Audison (no disrespect meant, just speculation at this point)
> 
> B) it appears Audison's FIR processing only allows for 5-band FIR EQ per channel (up to 9 channels), likely a limitation of the chip's power (again, only speculation on my part based on reviewing Audison's site)
> 
> So to say it "****s" on the Zapco processors is funny <img src="http://www.diymobileaudio.com/forum/images/smilies/laugh.gif" border="0" alt="" title="Laugh" class="inlineimg" /> <img src="http://www.diymobileaudio.com/forum/images/smilies/laugh.gif" border="0" alt="" title="Laugh" class="inlineimg" />
> 
> Edit: to add to that, I think Audison's FIR EQ is an awesome feature, especially for less experienced tuners like myself. Hopefully Zapco has something similar!
Click to expand...

eliminating the phase **** from the eq is huge.


----------



## SkizeR

bassfreak85 said:


> eliminating the phase **** from the eq is huge.


Maybe in theory? I have an FIR DSP and IIR dsp. The difference isn't all that much. Also, a frequency response has a corresponding phase response, so in theory while eq'ing with an iir based processor you are also taking care of phase. Or am I wrong?

Ps, on paper the audison might look good. But their real world use has always proven to be, uhh, less than stellar

Sent from my SM-G950U1 using Tapatalk


----------



## Babs

It’s hopeful though that the DSP developers are looking into FIR beyond the APL unit in a multi-channel full car setup. Phase is interesting stuff though in car.. Last tune I did the “Kiser” method EQ’ing all drivers flat. Best phase coherence yet. When I move delays closely to their distance arrival times for example between mids and midbass, there’s no gray area.. It phases up really well. 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro


----------



## SnakeOil

The simple fact is if it wasn’t for Audison we wouldn’t be where we are now. 
Love or hate them.


----------



## SkizeR

SnakeOil said:


> The simple fact is if it wasn’t for Audison we wouldn’t be where we are now.
> Love or hate them.


True. If they actually made a decently working processorfrom the start no one else would have bothered 

Sent from my SM-G950U1 using Tapatalk


----------



## SnakeOil

SkizeR said:


> True. If they actually made a decently working processorfrom the start no one else would have bothered
> 
> Sent from my SM-G950U1 using Tapatalk


Didn’t Hybrid use a bit one to set the mark to beat? 
The playing feild may be a bit lopesided but it is what it is.


----------



## SkizeR

SnakeOil said:


> Didn’t Hybrid use a bit one to set the mark to beat?
> The playing feild may be a bit lopesided but it is what it is.


Yeah, like 7 years ago lol

Sent from my SM-G950U1 using Tapatalk


----------



## SnakeOil

SkizeR said:


> Yeah, like 7 years ago lol
> 
> Sent from my SM-G950U1 using Tapatalk


Has it been beat yet? It can’t be that bad if it’s held it this long.


----------



## SkizeR

SnakeOil said:


> Has it been beat yet? It can’t be that bad if it’s held it this long.


No idea. No one really follows iasca anymore

Sent from my SM-G950U1 using Tapatalk


----------



## benny z

SkizeR said:


> No idea. No one really follows iasca anymore
> 
> Sent from my SM-G950U1 using Tapatalk




Uh, sure


----------



## SnakeOil

benny z said:


> Uh, sure


That looked like he wanted to say no it hasn’t been beat but it’s using the DSP I think is junk.


----------



## benny z

SnakeOil said:


> That looked like he wanted to say no it hasn’t been beat but it’s using the DSP I think is junk.




I’m honestly not sure which DSP or car you’re speaking of. Haven’t really followed closely here, but I saw Nick say nobody cares about IASCA - and there’s a whole organization full of competitors who certainly don’t subscribe to that notion.


----------



## SnakeOil

benny z said:


> I’m honestly not sure which DSP or car you’re speaking of. Haven’t really followed closely here, but I saw Nick say nobody cares about IASCA - and there’s a whole organization full of competitors who certainly don’t subscribe to that notion.


The Scott used. With the 6th order


----------



## terryna

Very interesting!


----------



## SkizeR

Ben, I didnt say no one cares about iasca. I said not many follow it anymore. When someone brings up competition today, most assume meca

Sent from my SM-G950U1 using Tapatalk


----------



## lv_v

Back to the original topic: where the F are the details on these new DSP's!!


----------



## Dan750iL

lv_v said:


> Back to the original topic: where the F are the details on these new DSP's!!


What new DSPs?


----------



## quickaudi07

Dan750iL said:


> What new DSPs?


https://www.zapco.com/dsp-5-series

This one ! 

Too Funny!


----------



## quickaudi07

Skizker when will this be out ?


----------



## Dan750iL

quickaudi07 said:


> https://www.zapco.com/dsp-5-series
> 
> This one !
> 
> Too Funny!


I was being sarcastic because it has been soooooo long since they were announced.


----------



## quickaudi07

Dan750iL said:


> I was being sarcastic because it has been soooooo long since they were announced.


Isn't it funny how they come up with hardware, announce this bad ass dsp, but no release date and no software correction to make things work. I know things do take time.. but don't announce it when it's not done or first stages of the build. Now is all waiting game. But it does look interesting I'm looking at it as writing this 

Sent from my Pixel 2 XL using Tapatalk


----------



## shutmdown

Talked to John this past week, and it looks like a new updated Zapco Z8 IV-II is being released in the next few weeks. It will have BT capability and it looks like they've added it to the website now. Features the same AP style heatsink/case.


----------



## lv_v

Why put it on the site with zero details, let alone any probability of it releasing anytime soon?


----------



## SkizeR

lv_v said:


> Why put it on the site with zero details, let alone any probability of it releasing anytime soon?


Because that last part isnt exactly true. I dont want to be responsible for spreading any sort of time frame though

Sent from my SM-G950U1 using Tapatalk


----------



## ACJohn

*Re:Latest on the V*

Yes I know we're late and I have apologised many times, so now I'm just trying to get this puppy on the road. Here's a short update.

While I've been working with the Italians on the GUI Tiziano's been tweaking the hardware for better performance. We plan to have it at the dealers in June. 

This year we will have four modular models with upgradable hardware. 2 are 16-Ch units at 64bit/96kHz and 2 are 8-Ch units at 64bit/192kHz. The units of each pair differ in types of inputs available. All have RTA and 192kHz HD player.

For CES we will have another 4 models of the same schematic, componentry, and similar specs, but built on a single board and not upgradable. They are for the user who's main interest is the HD player. Those will still have RTA but will have lower cost so a lower price. The top modular should be right about $2,000.00 and the single board model a little over $1200.00.

Thats where we are now.

John


----------



## rton20s

Thanks for the update John. Hopefully, this will keep the wolves at bay just a little longer.


----------



## lv_v

*Re: Latest on the V*



ACJohn said:


> Yes I know we're late and I have apologised many times, so now I'm just trying to get this puppy on the road. Here's a short update.
> 
> While I've been working with the Italians on the GUI Tiziano's been tweaking the hardware for better performance. We plan to have it at the dealers in June.
> 
> This year we will have four modular models with upgradable hardware. 2 are 16-Ch units at 64bit/96kHz and 2 are 8-Ch units at 64bit/192kHz. The units of each pair differ in types of inputs available. All have RTA and 192kHz HD player.
> 
> For CES we will have another 4 models of the same schematic, componentry, and similar specs, but built on a single board and not upgradable. They are for the user who's main interest is the HD player. Those will still have RTA but will have lower cost so a lower price. The top modular should be right about $2,000.00 and the single board model a little over $1200.00.
> 
> Thats where we are now.
> 
> John


Any chance you can share any details on new features (I'm personally interested in the V's rumored upmixing capabilities)?


----------



## bbfoto

*Re: Latest on the V*



ACJohn said:


> Yes I know we're late and I have apologised many times, so now I'm just trying to get this puppy on the road. Here's a short update.
> 
> While I've been working with the Italians on the GUI Tiziano's been tweaking the hardware for better performance. We plan to have it at the dealers in June.
> 
> This year we will have four modular models with upgradable hardware. 2 are 16-Ch units at 64bit/96kHz and 2 are 8-Ch units at 64bit/192kHz. The units of each pair differ in types of inputs available. All have RTA and 192kHz HD player.
> 
> For CES we will have another 4 models of the same schematic, componentry, and similar specs, but built on a single board and not upgradable. They are for the user who's main interest is the HD player. Those will still have RTA but will have lower cost so a lower price. The top modular should be right about $2,000.00 and the single board model a little over $1200.00.
> 
> Thats where we are now.
> 
> John


John, thanks for the update! 

I have just a few simple questions:

1. Do those prices include the Remote Control/Display for the HD Player? If not, can you say how much the remote will be?

2. Regarding the HD Player, how is Music File Storage handled? What type of connections or devices can be used for music file storage? USB Thumbdrive/HDD/SSD? SD Card?

3. What File Types and Audio Codecs will be supported?


Ha, and now I know why this has taken so long...Italians are involved!  

J/K! My GF's name is Tiziana...Italian via Brasil. Slow + Slow = Fast, haha!


----------



## quickaudi07

Huckleberry Sound said:


> End of year...


Hmm just wondering which year lolzzzz

Sent from my Pixel 2 XL using Tapatalk


----------



## theobjectivist

Seems as if everything after page 5 was deleted?


Any updates as to when this will be in dealers? Last posts were from john at zapco who said he was aiming for june release


----------



## quickaudi07

To my understanding, dsp as far as hardware is ready to go,but software is being worked on. I would prefer to wait and have the right and good working software for this dsp vs, having glitchy unit.

Sent from my Pixel 2 XL using Tapatalk


----------



## lv_v

Wait until 2019? Hopefully not...


----------



## Lou Frasier2

well crap.ive been wanting to see what they are gonna come out with so i can possibly get a new one


----------



## quickaudi07

All I know is, it would be unreal unit. Wait few months once it comes out . At least to see what others have to say. 

My helix does fine job.. I don't see the need to switch... 

BTW 
These won't be cheap that's all I got to say!

Sent from my Pixel 2 XL using Tapatalk


----------



## Dan750iL

*Re: Latest on the V*



ACJohn said:


> ...We plan to have it at the dealers in June...


Still set for June? Just a few days of it left.


----------



## lv_v

*Re: Latest on the V*



Dan750iL said:


> Still set for June? Just a few days of it left.


No year was specified.


----------



## bbfoto

ACJohn said:


> Yes I know we're late and I have apologised many times, so now I'm just trying to get this puppy on the road. Here's a short update.
> 
> While I've been working with the Italians on the GUI Tiziano's been tweaking the hardware for better performance. We plan to have it at the dealers in June.
> 
> This year we will have four modular models with upgradable hardware. 2 are 16-Ch units at 64bit/96kHz and 2 are 8-Ch units at 64bit/192kHz. The units of each pair differ in types of inputs available. All have RTA and 192kHz HD player.
> 
> For CES we will have another 4 models of the same schematic, componentry, and similar specs, but built on a single board and not upgradable. They are for the user who's main interest is the HD player. Those will still have RTA but will have lower cost so a lower price. The top modular should be right about $2,000.00 and the single board model a little over $1200.00.
> 
> Thats where we are now.
> 
> John





bbfoto said:


> John, thanks for the update!
> 
> I have just a few simple questions:
> 
> 1. Do those prices include the Remote Control/Display for the HD Player? If not, can you say how much $ the remote will be, even a ballpark figure?
> 
> 2. Regarding the HD Player, how is Music File Storage handled? What type of connections or devices can be used for music file storage? USB Thumbdrive/HDD/SSD? SD Card?
> 
> 3. What File Types and Audio Codecs will be supported by the HD Player?
> 
> THANKS!




Hey John,

Well June is almost gone...time flies! No need for apologies (I know how these things go!), but I think we would all just like another update as to where things currently stand for the release of this DSP line?

Is there another/better place where you have been posting updates...Facebook, etc???

And if you have the time, I'd really be interested in knowing the answers to my questions quoted above. Thanks again.

- B.B.


----------



## theobjectivist

So not even a word from dealers on the forums? I wonder if that means zapco isnt even close to shipping inventory for stores? Bummer


Looks like zapco updated their webpage and pulled all mention of the 12ch versions too. All thats left are pics of the old HD player and the 12ch wording. I wonder what prompted them to develop and then cancel that version. 

Since its now only 16 or 8ch I guess the chipsets go in multiples thus either 96khz on the 16ch or 192khz on the 8ch, and a 12ch wouldn't make sense.



I sure wish helix or mosconi had the HD player design. Only reason I contine to wait for zapco. Dont want to use a phone/tablet or stock iDrive


----------



## quickaudi07

It's a wait just like anything else. 

Sent from my Pixel 2 XL using Tapatalk


----------



## SkizeR

theobjectivist said:


> So not even a word from dealers on the forums? I wonder if that means zapco isnt even close to shipping inventory for stores? Bummer
> 
> 
> Looks like zapco updated their webpage and pulled all mention of the 12ch versions too. All thats left are pics of the old HD player and the 12ch wording. I wonder what prompted them to develop and then cancel that version.
> 
> Since its now only 16 or 8ch I guess the chipsets go in multiples thus either 96khz on the 16ch or 192khz on the 8ch, and a 12ch wouldn't make sense.
> 
> 
> 
> I sure wish helix or mosconi had the HD player design. Only reason I contine to wait for zapco. Dont want to use a phone/tablet or stock iDrive


The dealers dont know. The distributor doesnt know. Every time we all get a date, something else changes. 

Sent from my SM-G950U1 using Tapatalk


----------



## TommyDS

theobjectivist said:


> So not even a word from dealers on the forums? I wonder if that means zapco isnt even close to shipping inventory for stores? Bummer
> 
> 
> Looks like zapco updated their webpage and pulled all mention of the 12ch versions too. All thats left are pics of the old HD player and the 12ch wording. I wonder what prompted them to develop and then cancel that version.
> 
> Since its now only 16 or 8ch I guess the chipsets go in multiples thus either 96khz on the 16ch or 192khz on the 8ch, and a 12ch wouldn't make sense.
> 
> 
> 
> I sure wish helix or mosconi had the HD player design. Only reason I contine to wait for zapco. Dont want to use a phone/tablet or stock iDrive


Maybe could check the DSP8 from RS Audio - HD player & DSP in one http://rs-audio.de/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/DSP1.pdf


----------



## fleshbone

*Re: Latest on the V*



theobjectivist said:


> So not even a word from dealers on the forums? I wonder if that means zapco isnt even close to shipping inventory for stores? Bummer
> 
> 
> Looks like zapco updated their webpage and pulled all mention of the 12ch versions too. All thats left are pics of the old HD player and the 12ch wording. I wonder what prompted them to develop and then cancel that version.
> 
> Since its now only 16 or 8ch I guess the chipsets go in multiples thus either 96khz on the 16ch or 192khz on the 8ch, and a 12ch wouldn't make sense.
> 
> 
> 
> I sure wish helix or mosconi had the HD player design. Only reason I contine to wait for zapco. Dont want to use a phone/tablet or stock iDrive





bbfoto said:


> John, thanks for the update!
> 
> I have just a few simple questions:
> 
> 1. Do those prices include the Remote Control/Display for the HD Player? If not, can you say how much the remote will be?
> 
> 2. Regarding the HD Player, how is Music File Storage handled? What type of connections or devices can be used for music file storage? USB Thumbdrive/HDD/SSD? SD Card?
> 
> 3. What File Types and Audio Codecs will be supported?
> 
> 
> Ha, and now I know why this has taken so long...Italians are involved!
> 
> J/K! My GF's name is Tiziana...Italian via Brasil. Slow + Slow = Fast, haha!





lv_v said:


> Any chance you can share any details on new features (I'm personally interested in the V's rumored upmixing capabilities)?





bbfoto said:


> Hey John,
> 
> Well June is almost gone...time flies! No need for apologies (I know how these things go!), but I think we would all just like another update as to where things currently stand for the release of this DSP line?
> 
> Is there another/better place where you have been posting updates...Facebook, etc???
> 
> And if you have the time, I'd really be interested in knowing the answers to my questions quoted above. Thanks again.
> 
> - B.B.


OK guys, I hope it will answer most of your questions as this info coming from ZAPCO distributors meeting:

The ZAPCO HD Player DSP V supports the following audio formats of mono and stereo files with sampling rate up to 192KHz.
• WAV - extension: .wav
• AIFF - extension: .aiff
• FLAC - extension: .flac
• ALAC - extension: .alac
• AAC - extension: .aac
• MP3 - extension: .mp3
For the same formats it is possible to add new extensions (eg: for AIFF .aif as well as .aiff).
Need to use an USB memory key that have to be formatted FAT32


Models and prices:

1.HDSP-Z16 V P96 PAD-A 96 KHz DSP, 192 KHz 3" TS HD Player, 8 Analog and 5 Digital Inputs & 16 Analog Outputs, wi-fi module and BT port 1,999.99$	Aug 2018

2.HDSP-Z16 V P96 PA-A 96 KHz DSP, 192 KHz 3" TS HD Player, 8 Analog Inputs & 16 Analog Outputs, wi-fi module and BT port 1,849.99$	Aug 2018

3.HDSP-Z16 V P96 PD-A 96 KHz DSP, 192 KHz 3" TS HD Player, 5 Digital Inputs & 16 Analog Outputs, wi-fi module and BT port 1,649.99$	Aug 2018

4.HDSP-Z8 V P192 PAD-A 192 KHz DSP, 192 KHz 3" TS HD Player, 8 Analog and 5 Digital Inputs & 8 Analog Outputs, wi-fi module and BT port 1,799.99$	Aug 2018

5.HDSP-Z8 V P192 PA-A 192 KHz DSP, 192 KHz 3" TS HD Player, 8 Analog Inputs & 8 Analog Outputs, wi-fi module and BT port 1,699.99$	Aug 2018

6.HDSP-Z8 V P192 PD-A 192 KHz DSP, 192 KHz 3" TS HD Player, 5 Digital Inputs & 8 Analog Outputs, wi-fi module and BT port 1,499.99$	Aug 2018

7.HDSP-Z16 V P96 PD-D 96 KHz DSP, 192 KHz 3" TS HD Player, 5 Digital Inputs & 16 Digital Ouptuts , wi-fi module and BT port 1,199.99$	Jan 2019

8.HDSP-Z16 V P96 P-D 96 KHz DSP, 192 KHz 3" TS HD Player, 16 Digital Ouptuts , wi-fi module and BT port 1,099.99$	Jan 2019

9. HDSP-Z8 V P192 PD-D 192 KHz DSP, 192 KHz 3" TS HD Player, 5 Digital Inputs & 8 Digital Ouptuts , wi-fi module and BT port 1,099.99$	Jan 2019
10.HDSP-Z8 V P192 P-D 192 KHz DSP, 192 KHz 3" TS HD Player, 8 Digital Ouptuts , wi-fi module and BT port 999.99$	Jan 2019

Hardware almost finished production and waiting for the software debugging, as I've been told should be around mid to end of August.
The best thing is the possibility to upgrade not only the software/firmware but also the hardware

If there are any more questions I guess John or myself would be more than happy to share with you guys

Best Regards


----------



## danno14

Appreciate the info!


----------



## Dan750iL

What happened to the 12 channel variants?


----------



## fleshbone

Dan750iL said:


> What happened to the 12 channel variants?


The actual production cost of the 16 and 12 Ch are more or less the same so it's not make sense to produce it in the same price level, what so ever the physical size is the same so its again make no sense to come out with 12Ch version.

That is the price list of the modules available:

1.D.INP KIT V 1 module Digital Input module: 768 Khz, To-slink, SPDIF, 3 x I2S	149.99$	Aug 2018

2.A.INP KIT V 7 modules Analog Input Kit: 1 ADC module + 4 x Analog Preampl. modules + 2 x 4 RCA modules	279.00	Aug 2018

3.DAC KIT A14 V 1 module DAC Module, BB 4ch. 24 Bit -129 dB st. Dynamic Range (Optional)	229.99$	Aug 2018

4.DAC KIT B14 V 1 module DAC Module, AKM 4ch. 32 Bit -120 dB st. Dynamic Range (Optional)	99.99$	Aug 2018

5.DAC KIT C18 V 1 module DAC Module, AKM 8ch. 32 Bit -115 dB st. Dynamic Range (Included)	49.99$	Aug 2018

6.RTA MIC A-KIT V 1 microph. Ultra linear Condenser Microphone Kit (Optional)	149.99$	Jan 2019


Another thing - the TS is included and also included the WiFi module, BT dongle ( Qualcomm chip-set) with analog and digital output is optional, the retail price should be around 100$ to end user if I can recall right.

What I've forgot to mention is that according to the info I got: "The software and the DSP software are hosts of a hardware that has a noise level at -140dB (AP measurement in the absence of signal at the inputs)".

I hope soon can have some more information to share with you guys.


----------



## BMW Alpina

fleshbone said:


> The actual production cost of the 16 and 12 Ch are more or less the same so it's not make sense to produce it in the same price level, what so ever the physical size is the same so its again make no sense to come out with 12Ch version.
> 
> That is the price list of the modules available:
> 
> 1.D.INP KIT V 1 module Digital Input module: 768 Khz, To-slink, SPDIF, 3 x I2S 149.99$ Aug 2018
> 
> 2.A.INP KIT V 7 modules Analog Input Kit: 1 ADC module + 4 x Analog Preampl. modules + 2 x 4 RCA modules 279.00 Aug 2018
> 
> 3.DAC KIT A14 V 1 module DAC Module, BB 4ch. 24 Bit -129 dB st. Dynamic Range (Optional) 229.99$ Aug 2018
> 
> 4.DAC KIT B14 V 1 module DAC Module, AKM 4ch. 32 Bit -120 dB st. Dynamic Range (Optional) 99.99$ Aug 2018
> 
> 5.DAC KIT C18 V 1 module DAC Module, AKM 8ch. 32 Bit -115 dB st. Dynamic Range (Included) 49.99$ Aug 2018
> 
> 6.RTA MIC A-KIT V 1 microph. Ultra linear Condenser Microphone Kit (Optional) 149.99$ Jan 2019
> 
> 
> Another thing - the TS is included and also included the WiFi module, BT dongle ( Qualcomm chip-set) with analog and digital output is optional, the retail price should be around 100$ to end user if I can recall right.
> 
> What I've forgot to mention is that according to the info I got: "The software and the DSP software are hosts of a hardware that has a noise level at -140dB (AP measurement in the absence of signal at the inputs)".
> 
> I hope soon can have some more information to share with you guys.



Hello,
Do you know the model and manufacturer of the DAC chip? and also the model/manufacturer of the Op-Amp?
Thanks


----------



## bbfoto

*Re: Latest on the V*



fleshbone said:


> OK guys, I hope it will answer most of your questions as this info coming from ZAPCO distributors meeting:
> .....
> 
> *Hardware almost finished production and waiting for the software debugging*, as I've been told should be around mid to end of August.
> 
> The best thing is the possibility to upgrade not only the software/firmware but also the hardware
> 
> If there are any more questions I guess John or myself would be more than happy to share with you guys
> 
> Best Regards


_fleshbone_, 

Thank you for the detailed answers!

I just have a few questions regarding the TS HD Player Remote Screen...

#1. Can you provide the mounting Dimensions or overall size measurements for this? L x W x H?

#2. What type of Cable is used to connect the TS Player Remote to the DSP unit?

#3. What is the actual Screen Size, 3" x ?", and the Horizontal & Vertical Screen Resolution?

#4. Oh, and one more...You mentioned a Qualcomm Chipset for Bluetooth, so I'm assuming that it supports Apt-X CSR?


In regards to the *BOLD Text* above, let's just say "We've heard that before", and IME and in reality this could take _considerably_ longer.  But I really hope I am proven wrong. 

My only other concern (though it's not a huge one) is the *FAT32* File Size limitation of 4GB. This might become a problem if you have a lot of extended length, Hi-Res Orchestral pieces or continuous Dance/DJ Mixes, etc.

There is also a Maximum Partition Size limitation with FAT32 of 32GB. 

https://support.wdc.com/knowledgebase/answer.aspx?ID=1287

But Thanks again for all of the info you've provided!


----------



## quickaudi07

See and wait guys that's the fun part of car audio and new bad ass product to come. 



Sent from my Pixel 2 XL using Tapatalk


----------



## fleshbone

*Re: Latest on the V*



bbfoto said:


> _fleshbone_,
> 
> Thank you for the detailed answers!
> 
> I just have a few questions regarding the TS HD Player Remote Screen...
> 
> #1. Can you provide the mounting Dimensions or overall size measurements for this? L x W x H?
> 
> #2. What type of Cable is used to connect the TS Player Remote to the DSP unit?
> 
> #3. What is the actual Screen Size, 3" x ?", and the Horizontal & Vertical Screen Resolution?
> 
> #4. Oh, and one more...You mentioned a Qualcomm Chipset for Bluetooth, so I'm assuming that it supports Apt-X CSR?
> 
> 
> In regards to the *BOLD Text* above, let's just say "We've heard that before", and IME and in reality this could take _considerably_ longer.  But I really hope I am proven wrong.
> 
> My only other concern (though it's not a huge one) is the *FAT32* File Size limitation of 4GB. This might become a problem if you have a lot of extended length, Hi-Res Orchestral pieces or continuous Dance/DJ Mixes, etc.
> 
> There is also a Maximum Partition Size limitation with FAT32 of 32GB.
> 
> https://support.wdc.com/knowledgebase/answer.aspx?ID=1287
> 
> But Thanks again for all of the info you've provided!


1. Size as I know: 111*49*16 MM

2. Cable is made by ZAPCO, so I don't got the full info but I can ask.

3.Size: 65*39 MM, resolution: 240*400

4. Correct supporting Apt-X CSR


I hope it will launch soon as well - waiting for it for long time, the best thing is that you don't need any other source when you got an HD player connected to the DSP.

I can raise this question of FAT32 but don't think that at this stage can make a change.

here is a nice thing to see:


----------



## lv_v

Any details on center/surround channel integration to put all of those 16 channels to work?


----------



## fleshbone

lv_v said:


> Any details on center/surround channel integration to put all of those 16 channels to work?


I'll ask about it, hope someone will will have a good answer 

By the way how is the DSP V i see you got in your signature :laugh::laugh::laugh:.........


----------



## lv_v

fleshbone said:


> By the way how is the DSP V i see you got in your signature :laugh::laugh::laugh:.........


:beerchug:


----------



## MrGreen83

Peter (PSSound) said these will drop Sometime this month. Time will tell 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## bbfoto

MrGreen83 said:


> Peter (PSSound) said these will drop Sometime this month. Time will tell.


In one way I hope he's right, but according to _fleshbone_ it doesn't seem as if the hardware is 100% complete, and the software is still in the beta testing stage.

I hope Zapco has the restraint to wait until at least 95% of the bugs and gremlins are worked out in both the hardware AND software before releasing these into the wild. All it will take is one person to blow one or more of their high-end drivers for the sh!t show to begin. I'm hoping for a smooth and trouble-free release, but you're right, "Time Will Tell".


----------



## fleshbone

MrGreen83 said:


> Peter (PSSound) said these will drop Sometime this month. Time will tell
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


Can't be this month, products are still not ready as they are under production, if you need also to ship them to the US so my guess is maybe around mid August you can have them in and only if they are shipped by air what will make them more expensive.



bbfoto said:


> In one way I hope he's right, but according to _fleshbone_ it doesn't seem as if the hardware is 100% complete, and the software is still in the beta testing stage.
> 
> I hope Zapco has the restraint to wait until at least 95% of the bugs and gremlins are worked out in both the hardware AND software before releasing these into the wild. All it will take is one person to blow one or more of their high-end drivers for the sh!t show to begin. I'm hoping for a smooth and trouble-free release, but you're right, "Time Will Tell".


That's the latest info I got from my source, they are waiting to finish all the firmware and software and only then to release it.


----------



## rton20s

I know it isn't nearly as exciting as the release of the DSP V for most, but there is some updated information on the DSP-Z8 IV II on the website. Looks like 8 IN - 8 OUT with an updated chipset and lower noise floor on the DSP-Z8 IV II. Based on the images, it also appears that there is an iOS app in the works. Hopefully most of the same will carry over to the amplified model, the ADSP-Z8 IV-8.

https://www.zapco.com/dsp-4-series

fleshbone, any updates you can share on the DSP/ADSP IV front?


----------



## SQBMWX1

Any updates?


----------



## Dan750iL

SQBMWX1 said:


> Any updates?


Yup...



fleshbone said:


> OK guys, I hope it will answer most of your questions as this info coming from ZAPCO distributors meeting:
> 
> The ZAPCO HD Player DSP V supports the following audio formats of mono and stereo files with sampling rate up to 192KHz.
> • WAV - extension: .wav
> • AIFF - extension: .aiff
> • FLAC - extension: .flac
> • ALAC - extension: .alac
> • AAC - extension: .aac
> • MP3 - extension: .mp3
> For the same formats it is possible to add new extensions (eg: for AIFF .aif as well as .aiff).
> Need to use an USB memory key that have to be formatted FAT32
> 
> 
> Models and prices:
> 
> 1.HDSP-Z16 V P96 PAD-A 96 KHz DSP, 192 KHz 3" TS HD Player, 8 Analog and 5 Digital Inputs & 16 Analog Outputs, wi-fi module and BT port 1,999.99$	Aug 2018
> 
> 2.HDSP-Z16 V P96 PA-A 96 KHz DSP, 192 KHz 3" TS HD Player, 8 Analog Inputs & 16 Analog Outputs, wi-fi module and BT port 1,849.99$	Aug 2018
> 
> 3.HDSP-Z16 V P96 PD-A 96 KHz DSP, 192 KHz 3" TS HD Player, 5 Digital Inputs & 16 Analog Outputs, wi-fi module and BT port 1,649.99$	Aug 2018
> 
> 4.HDSP-Z8 V P192 PAD-A 192 KHz DSP, 192 KHz 3" TS HD Player, 8 Analog and 5 Digital Inputs & 8 Analog Outputs, wi-fi module and BT port 1,799.99$	Aug 2018
> 
> 5.HDSP-Z8 V P192 PA-A 192 KHz DSP, 192 KHz 3" TS HD Player, 8 Analog Inputs & 8 Analog Outputs, wi-fi module and BT port 1,699.99$	Aug 2018
> 
> 6.HDSP-Z8 V P192 PD-A 192 KHz DSP, 192 KHz 3" TS HD Player, 5 Digital Inputs & 8 Analog Outputs, wi-fi module and BT port 1,499.99$	Aug 2018
> 
> 7.HDSP-Z16 V P96 PD-D 96 KHz DSP, 192 KHz 3" TS HD Player, 5 Digital Inputs & 16 Digital Ouptuts , wi-fi module and BT port 1,199.99$	Jan 2019
> 
> 8.HDSP-Z16 V P96 P-D 96 KHz DSP, 192 KHz 3" TS HD Player, 16 Digital Ouptuts , wi-fi module and BT port 1,099.99$	Jan 2019
> 
> 9. HDSP-Z8 V P192 PD-D 192 KHz DSP, 192 KHz 3" TS HD Player, 5 Digital Inputs & 8 Digital Ouptuts , wi-fi module and BT port 1,099.99$	Jan 2019
> 10.HDSP-Z8 V P192 P-D 192 KHz DSP, 192 KHz 3" TS HD Player, 8 Digital Ouptuts , wi-fi module and BT port 999.99$	Jan 2019
> 
> *Hardware almost finished production and waiting for the software debugging, as I've been told should be around mid to end of August.*
> The best thing is the possibility to upgrade not only the software/firmware but also the hardware
> 
> If there are any more questions I guess John or myself would be more than happy to share with you guys
> 
> Best Regards


----------



## rton20s

rton20s said:


> I know it isn't nearly as exciting as the release of the DSP V for most, but there is some updated information on the DSP-Z8 IV II on the website. Looks like 8 IN - 8 OUT with an updated chipset and lower noise floor on the DSP-Z8 IV II. Based on the images, it also appears that there is an iOS app in the works. Hopefully most of the same will carry over to the amplified model, the ADSP-Z8 IV-8.
> 
> https://www.zapco.com/dsp-4-series
> 
> fleshbone, any updates you can share on the DSP/ADSP IV front?





SQBMWX1 said:


> Any updates?


And for those not looking to drop 10-20 bills on a new processor, there is update information on the updated DSP IV line as well. 



Zapco DSP IV Product Page said:


> You can only be as good as your source material, and the DSP-Z8 IV II series greatly expands your potential for the best possible source material. The Toslink optical input accepts the digital signal from your head unit or from a portable HD player, but the IV II series doesn’t stop there. The DSP-Z8 IV II units also have digital Bluetooth streaming so you can stream digital music. An interactive digital port will expand your options even more. The port accepts the control input from the included Dash Remote so you can change input source, change memory presets, control the master volume and even control the output of your system’s bass amps. But beyond that, this special port will let you upgrade to the 3” digital touch screen remote for more control (available September 2018). And in November 2018 you will even be able to connect an external HD player, with its own integrated remote. Also available in November 2018, is the iPhone interface that will let you play up to 192kHz HD music files direct from the iPhone’s digital output.
> 
> Of course it’s the software that lets you get the results you want from all that hardware and we made some major improvements there in both control and features. First, you will now be able to control the Series IV II DSP with your PC or with your iOS or Android smartphone or tablet. Even given the size restrictions inherent in mobile devices the you can completely set up your system with Zapco’s mobile app, however the best way is with the single page PC GUI.
> 
> Here are some of the new and unique features of the PC GUI. You will see we have put the upgrade touch on just about everything:
> 
> 1 - The input choices now include Bluetooth for streaming digital music.
> 
> 2 - The input map lets you choose which input will be used for each output. The system will make default choices for you based on your choice of input source, but can be overridden as needed for your system.
> 
> 3 - Just measure the distance from the listening position to each speaker and click Delay Calc. The system does all your signal delay calculations for you, but again if needed you can re-adjust the delay as needed for your individual system
> 
> 4 - Drop-down menus for each of the 8 output channels allow you to identify each speaker by its function. When you do that, the system will apply default crossovers, so your speakers are always protected.
> 
> 5 - Linking buttons let you link channels, so you can adjust them together for crossover, delay, and gain level. Simply pick a channel then click another channel to link them together. When finished you can click any channel again and the link is broken.
> 
> 6 - We expanded the crossover type to include Linkwitz-Riley, Butterworth, and Bessel, and the slopes can range from 6dB/octave to 48dB/octave.
> 
> 7 - EQ link bar allows you to link channels together for equalization. You can link them to adjust them together, then unlink them for minor changes to one channel, then re-link them and they will maintain their relative differences.
> 
> 8 - The EQ bar tells you everything you need to know while you are tuning. The band you‘re using, the frequency, the level and the Q are all on display here and you can switch between GEQ and PEQ, you can temporarily bypass the EQ or you can reset the channel completely.
> 
> 9 - It’s easy to get ahead of yourself when tuning 8 channels with 31 bands each, so the shaded the graph portion and left highlighted only the frequencies in the channel you are working on. This will help keep you focused on the frequencies available for each channel.




















There is additional information and images on the site. That information is primarily about the Android/iOS apps as well as the ADSP-Z8 IV 8 eight channel amplifier.

https://www.zapco.com/dsp-4-series


----------



## SQBMWX1

Why did you double quote that? That was post wa month ago, so I guess there is no more information on the actually release date yet.


----------



## hdrugs

Will there be an all pass filter?


----------



## ChaseUTB

I’m sorry but that’s an absurd amount of DSP processors and pretty confusing at that ? If they used a swappable input card these would’ve already been released. Make one dsp & have the customer choose sample rate and which A/D I/O card they need..


----------



## Saturnsl2lover

I need 14 channels for my bmw so this will be perfect hehe


----------



## Saturnsl2lover

If it ever comes out. I have a feeling it wont be a huge seller i hope zapco can cope with that.


----------



## hdrugs

i think it'll be a seller if software is good, 

hardware sounds good when reading it, how it compares to the helix hardware i cant tell i haven't studied into these technicals

the way i see this these with having many options i see the positive like i never use analog inputs so i wouldn't require that unit. The hardware adjustments would be like a home pc, you can change the cpu and graphics card before considering buying a new pc


----------



## bbfoto

Yes, assuming that the actual hardware is solid and well-designed, it's the SOFTWARE that will make or break their success.

I also agree that the multitude of available DSP units and/or configurations will be very confusing and overwhelming for general consumers.


----------



## rton20s

ChaseUTB said:


> I’m sorry but that’s an absurd amount of DSP processors and pretty confusing at that ? If they used a swappable input card these would’ve already been released. Make one dsp & have the customer choose sample rate and which A/D I/O card they need..


As fleshbone posted the list of DSPs? Yes, it seems very confusing. However, I believe the way they are building the processors they will be very much in line with what you describe. Essentially, there will be two processors offered (HDSP-Z16 V and HDSP-Z8 V) with quite a few options for each one. 

Choose Output Channels: 16 Analog | 8 Analog | 16 Digital | 8 Digital
Choose Input: Analog + Digital | Analog | Digital
Choose Resolution: 192 kHz | 96 kHz

It would seem that just about any combination of these can be configured within a given case (or pair of cases) using modular daughter boards. For those that haven't seen the pics, or might need a refresher, this is what they had on display at CES.


----------



## hdrugs

For myself personally the ideal processor is a 12 channel so 16 is fine for me

I use the helix and love the software and the all pass option, hardware is really good aswell filters and everything else

I like the ps8 how you can play with op amps without soldering 

Ill keep an eye out on the zapco to see how it turns out


----------



## Dan750iL

Any new word? We're running out of August.


----------



## benny z

https://youtu.be/3gruWWy3X1g

Klif notes - Sept for the IV series II processor and amp/proc combo...fourth quarter for the series V.

We had them playing with controllers, WiFi connectivity, Bluetooth connectivity, the pc app, the Bluetooth iOS app, and playing Bluetooth streaming audio. Everything works very well.


----------



## ryanr7386

Dan750iL said:


> Any new word? We're running out of August.


Next year?


----------



## rton20s

ryanr7386 said:


> Next year?


Literally the post above yours.


----------



## Dan750iL

rton20s said:


> Literally the post above yours.


I'm seeing a tiny bit of sarcasm in the post above yours. Just a tiny bit. That I believe.


----------



## fleshbone

Dan750iL said:


> Any new word? We're running out of August.


The DSP V will be launched on September and will be available in each country according to the order of each distributor



benny z said:


> https://youtu.be/3gruWWy3X1g
> 
> Klif notes - Sept for the IV series II processor and amp/proc combo...fourth quarter for the series V.
> 
> We had them playing with controllers, WiFi connectivity, Bluetooth connectivity, the pc app, the Bluetooth iOS app, and playing Bluetooth streaming audio. Everything works very well.


+1, thanks for the info, the DSP V will be available on September as well



ryanr7386 said:


> Next year?


I know everyone is waiting (me as well) but it is better to have a well working device and not product that is not fully baked...


----------



## fleshbone

Teaser......














































It's a working prototype 16 CH unit from the pre production and the performance of the HD player is not less than amazing playing 96/48 with not any issue, the production as I understand is almost finished and it even more improved from this prototype unit.

Its still under testing and I've already wrote an initial report to ZAPCO that I'm waiting for a reply on it.

Will give more information in the next few days....

Please don't hesitate to ask question and what I know I'll answer and what I don't know will advise with the engineer and reply.


----------



## lv_v

Software/processing details?? i.e. how can we most effectively put all 16 channels to use? Center channel, etc?


----------



## Dan750iL

fleshbone said:


> Teaser......
> 
> It's a working prototype 16 CH unit from the pre production and the performance of the HD player is not less than amazing playing 96/48 with not any issue, the production as I understand is almost finished and it even more improved from this prototype unit.
> 
> Its still under testing and I've already wrote an initial report to ZAPCO that I'm waiting for a reply on it.
> 
> Will give more information in the next few days....
> 
> Please don't hesitate to ask question and what I know I'll answer and what I don't know will advise with the engineer and reply.


C'mon man we've been getting teased for over 2 years.  Thanks for the update.


----------



## fleshbone

Dan750iL said:


> C'mon man we've been getting teased for over 2 years.  Thanks for the update.


I'm sorry I can't share to much information on the HDSP now as my device here is stil
l prototype but production is finished very very soon - before the end of September should be shipped to distributors as I've been informed and the software final version should also be ready in the next few days so probably I can send more information in the next few days that will be more accurate, that once I'll have a working production unit with the final version software it's not a Hugh change but it does matter.


----------



## benny z

Quick update:

The ADSP 8ch amp/processor combo and Z8 IV II DSP are in stock at Aurigin and shipping.


----------



## quickaudi07

How much are they going for Ben?

Sent from my Pixel 2 XL using Tapatalk


----------



## benny z

MSRP is $1099 for the ADSP and $699 for the DSP Z8 IV II


----------



## MrGreen83

benny z said:


> MSRP is $1099 for the ADSP and $699 for the DSP Z8 IV II




Oh boy ??


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## ChaseUTB

Just in time for my install ?? Did you guys figure out amp distribution/ sales yet? Thanks


----------



## benny z

Yes - email [email protected] for sales info.

Cheers!


----------



## Bnlcmbcar

Any word or hint that the DSP V will have center channel processing?


----------



## benny z

Sure! It does. Center and rear differential.


----------



## benny z

You can see a glimpse of it here - in the “effects speakers” assignments...and also on the right “F Center Full”.


----------



## rton20s

benny z said:


> You can see a glimpse of it here - in the “effects speakers” assignments...and also on the right “F Center Full”.


I know it is early, but is there any chance we can get a breakdown on what the "effects" options actually do? Of particular interest for me would be the center/surround processing. (Matrix vs non-matrix upmixing, etc.) Thanks!


----------



## Bnlcmbcar

rton20s said:


> I know it is early, but is there any chance we can get a breakdown on what the "effects" options actually do? Of particular interest for me would be the center/surround processing. (Matrix vs non-matrix upmixing, etc.) Thanks!


Yes that’s what I meant too. I should have clarified that I meant does the DSP V have any center channel steering/algorithm (Dolby, DTS, Penteo, or an in-house formula) versus just a R+L mono sum under the label of ‘Center’ in a matrix.


----------



## ChaseUTB

benny z said:


> https://youtu.be/3gruWWy3X1g
> 
> Klif notes - Sept for the IV series II processor and amp/proc combo...fourth quarter for the series V.
> 
> We had them playing with controllers, WiFi connectivity, Bluetooth connectivity, the pc app, the Bluetooth iOS app, and playing Bluetooth streaming audio. Everything works very well.


Hello is the remote at the bottom of this pic the included remote with the dsp z8 IV II ( new 8 ch that matches AP amps ) or is that the upgraded remote that costs extra? I saw in one of the pics it shows voltage which would be great for me!


----------



## MrGreen83

benny z said:


> Sure! It does. Center and rear differential.




Any update on the release of the V? 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## fleshbone

ChaseUTB said:


> Hello is the remote at the bottom of this pic the included remote with the dsp z8 IV II ( new 8 ch that matches AP amps ) or is that the upgraded remote that costs extra? I saw in one of the pics it shows voltage which would be great for me!


It is an upgrade from the original RC


----------



## benny z

rton20s said:


> I know it is early, but is there any chance we can get a breakdown on what the "effects" options actually do? Of particular interest for me would be the center/surround processing. (Matrix vs non-matrix upmixing, etc.) Thanks!



As far as my understanding it is differential signal for the rear and then the opposite for the front center. So, everything minus common signal for the rear and common signal minus everything else for the front center. 



Bnlcmbcar said:


> Yes that’s what I meant too. I should have clarified that I meant does the DSP V have any center channel steering/algorithm (Dolby, DTS, Penteo, or an in-house formula) versus just a R+L mono sum under the label of ‘Center’ in a matrix.



Hopefully the answer above answers your question also...



ChaseUTB said:


> Hello is the remote at the bottom of this pic the included remote with the dsp z8 IV II ( new 8 ch that matches AP amps ) or is that the upgraded remote that costs extra? I saw in one of the pics it shows voltage which would be great for me!


It is the remote circled here. It’s a basic remote which allows basic functional control of level, sub level, and tune selection. The touch screen remote control is an upgrade option.












MrGreen83 said:


> Any update on the release of the V?



Still fourth quarter.

———————

Something else worth watching is this quick demo of the iOS native app UI:

https://youtu.be/vWgRRaEle9Q


It’s extremely usable in real world use - I was able to make quick adjustments while waiting for my food in the drive-through line yesterday. Extremely handy and easy to navigate...and real-time responsive so no lag in hearing your changes.


----------



## Bnlcmbcar

benny z said:


> As far as my understanding it is differential signal for the rear and then the opposite for the front center. So, everything minus common signal for the rear and common signal minus everything else for the front


Cool. Sounds similar to what Helix is beginning to implement with their “Real Center” algorithm.


----------



## TomT

So how much of this hardware is the same as when it was previewed 3 YEARS AGO? Have they upgraded to current model chipsets, etc.? Still hard to believe that it took them three years from working prototype at CES to (maybe) releasing them some time in late 2018.


----------



## lv_v

I'm out. Going a different direction. Can't wait any longer. This has turned into a joke.


----------



## rton20s

benny z said:


> As far as my understanding it is differential signal for the rear and then the opposite for the front center. So, everything minus common signal for the rear and common signal minus everything else for the front center.


Sounds like a pretty basic Matrix mixer. Most likely a simple L+R with a predetermined percentage (70.7%/side)? Certainly better then nothing for those wanting to use a center, but I would have loved to have seen a non-matrix mixer included. 



benny z said:


> ———————
> 
> Something else worth watching is this quick demo of the iOS native app UI:
> 
> https://youtu.be/vWgRRaEle9Q
> 
> 
> It’s extremely usable in real world use - I was able to make quick adjustments while waiting for my food in the drive-through line yesterday. Extremely handy and easy to navigate...and real-time responsive so no lag in hearing your changes.


I saw the video last night on Facebook. The app looks really well put together and quite polished. I'll be keeping an eye on the app store and the Zapco website for the public release of the app. 



lv_v said:


> I'm out. Going a different direction. Can't wait any longer. This has turned into a joke.


Just in time for the impending release.


----------



## lv_v

rton20s said:


> Just in time for the impending release.


I'll still follow the thread and think these processors are going to be some awesome pieces, but I have a gut feel that we'll still be getting the same lip service in 2019.


----------



## MrGreen83

4th quarter!!!! 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## sq2k1

Should the title for the thread be changed to: "Long Overdue Zapco Processors" considering the length of time they have been in "development"?


----------



## Babs

Yeah I think this thread timeframe may possibly have the original JBL MS-8 thread beat. Us old-timers remember that one I imagine. But glad to see it’s getting close. Finally. 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro


----------



## fleshbone

sq2k1 said:


> Should the title for the thread be changed to: "Long Overdue Zapco Processors" considering the length of time they have been in "development"?





MrGreen83 said:


> 4th quarter!!!!
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk





lv_v said:


> I'll still follow the thread and think these processors are going to be some awesome pieces, but I have a gut feel that we'll still be getting the same lip service in 2019.





Babs said:


> Yeah I think this thread timeframe may possibly have the original JBL MS-8 thread beat. Us old-timers remember that one I imagine. But glad to see it’s getting close. Finally.
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro


Guys, this DSP project had involved 5 different teams and not like most other brands the firmware, software and hardware of both HD player and DSP were designed and develop by ZAPCO engineers, these kind of projects are hard to manage and control time frame but the time had come and production already started, the product will be ready very very soon...


----------



## Babs

fleshbone said:


> Guys, this DSP project had involved 5 different teams and not like most other brands the firmware, software and hardware of both HD player and DSP were designed and develop by ZAPCO engineers, these kind of projects are hard to manage and control time frame but the time had come and production already started, the product will be ready very very soon...



No doubt.. A very daunting project. Knowing now myself, new launches with high-complexity electronics with firmware are not just a matter of sourcing the materials. It’s huge. 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro


----------



## ChaseUTB

Is The 8 channel amp dsp combo unit that is $1099 an 8 ch class D amp? How is the performance & SQ compared to the Z-II or AP amps? I know amp SQ is subjective. What level of quality to expect from this unit? I see it’s a 8 x 80W @ 4 ohm ; 8 x 120W @ 2 ohm ; 4 x 240W bridged @ 4 ohm, so plenty of power. This little beaut would save me some space in the build ?


----------



## lv_v

ChaseUTB said:


> Is The 8 channel amp dsp combo unit that is $1099 an 8 ch class D amp? How is the performance & SQ compared to the Z-II or AP amps? I know amp SQ is subjective. What level of quality to expect from this unit? I see it’s a 8 x 80W @ 4 ohm ; 8 x 120W @ 2 ohm ; 4 x 240W bridged @ 4 ohm, so plenty of power. This little beaut would save me some space in the build ?


Which model # are you referring to?


----------



## ChaseUTB

lv_v said:


> Which model # are you referring to?


The new 8ch amp and 8 ch dsp processor combo ( ADSP-Z8 IV-8) 
Does the amp compare to Z II AB series or is more equivalent to some of the class d full range studio type Zapco models? Thanks


----------



## ChaseUTB

Also is the MSRP ( ex: $699 for DSP Z8 IV-II ) what one should expect to pay from their dealer/ installer? 

I ask b/c I’m trying to finalize my gear list within budget and am considering all Zapco. A Z2kd-II + Z150.4 AP ( if in budget ) or Z150.4-II + DSP Z8 IV II + upgrade TS remote ( if n my budget ) ! Thanks


----------



## benny z

So I have the ADSP installed in my Durango. It sounds great. Yes, it’s 8ch class D. I’ve really been enjoying it. I have it running 80w x 2 to my 2.5” widebands, 120w to my 2 ohm 6x9s, and 240w to each 12” infinite baffle sub. It’s plenty of power for my enjoyment, takes very little space (under my driver’s seat), and isn’t a big draw on the battery.

I also have the AP amps (6 of the 400.2) in my car. I hadn’t heard my car in a while, but stopped by the shop to fire it up late last week. Holy crap...it makes my Durango sound like child’s play.

That isn’t a knock on the ADSP, per say - it’s good in its own right and my car is a completely different animal with tons of headroom, bigger/better drivers, optimized locations, etc, etc - it’s a dedicated competition car. It *should* sound better. It comes at the price of big equipment, more electrical needs, and a much higher budget.

I’m happy with the ADSP for the goals I have with my daily driven Durango.


----------



## KLoNe

Can the ADSP put out:
4x 80W @ 4ohm AND 
2x 240W @ 4ohm (Bridged) or is it 2x 160W @ 4ohm (Bridged)?


----------



## benny z

Yes, it can do 4 x 80 + 2 x 240 bridging the remaining four channels to a 4 ohm load.


----------



## rton20s

benny z said:


> So I have the ADSP installed in my Durango. It sounds great. Yes, it’s 8ch class D. I’ve really been enjoying it. I have it running 80w x 2 to my 2.5” widebands, 120w to my 2 ohm 6x9s, and 240w to each 12” infinite baffle sub. It’s plenty of power for my enjoyment, takes very little space (under my driver’s seat), and isn’t a big draw on the battery.
> 
> I also have the AP amps (6 of the 400.2) in my car. I hadn’t heard my car in a while, but stopped by the shop to fire it up late last week. Holy crap...it makes my Durango sound like child’s play.
> 
> That isn’t a knock on the ADSP, per say - it’s good in its own right and my car is a completely different animal with tons of headroom, bigger/better drivers, optimized locations, etc, etc - it’s a dedicated competition car. It *should* sound better. It comes at the price of big equipment, more electrical needs, and a much higher budget.
> 
> I’m happy with the ADSP for the goals I have with my daily driven Durango.


Thanks for the feedback Ben. I just got my Z150.6 AP and ZX400.2APs (x2) up and running in my car and I absolutely LOVE them. Plenty of current draw on my old tin box, but man do they sound great. They leave me wanting for nothing. 

And like you, I don't think they're practical for every kind of build. I have have every intention of taking a similar approach to yours. My car will be keeping the APs, and my wife's car will likely get outfitted with a pair of ADSP-Z8 IV-8s. The combination of power, processing and packaging is quite impressive and should be perfect the plans I have for her car.


----------



## ChaseUTB

Does anyone know When will the touchscreen remote ( z8-R IV TS ) be available for the dsp?


----------



## mrichard89

Can the ADSP-Z8 IV-8 process any external outputs if i wanted to add an external subwoofer amp?


----------



## MrGreen83

mrichard89 said:


> Can the ADSP-Z8 IV-8 process any external outputs if i wanted to add an external subwoofer amp?




Nope. Main thing that turned me off from it. My subwoofer power needs far exceed 240 watts....disappointing 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## rton20s

MrGreen83 said:


> Nope. Main thing that turned me off from it. My subwoofer power needs far exceed 240 watts....disappointing
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


That is the one thing I think could be an improvement. Additional processed channels out along with matching mono amps could capture a much greater market share. However, depending on system setup, the ADSP-Z8 IV-8 can be all the amp(s)/processor(s) that you need (as Ben demonstrated). 240W can be sufficient for IB. And you can also use 4 bridged channels to supply 240W per voice coil (480W total) on a 4 Ohm DVC subwoofer.


----------



## rton20s

One thing I hadn't thought about, but could be considered, is using the speaker level outputs to drive an external amplifier. I don't know if this is supported by Zapco/Aurigin or if it has even been a consideration. The DSP software allows you to cut levels of individual channels by up to 40dB. I would think this would be plenty low enough to get the output voltage on the speaker level outputs to feed the RCA inputs on a separate mono amp. So, you wouldn't even need an amp designed to accept speaker level input. You would use 1-2 of your DSP channels, but it would theoretically provide you the low level differential signal needed to drive a separate subwoofer amp of your choosing


----------



## kennethteng

benny z said:


> Still fourth quarter.


Any specific date on the availability/release of HDSP-V as we are into the end of month 1 of 4th quarter?


----------



## mark3004

kennethteng said:


> Any specific date on the availability/release of HDSP-V as we are into the end of month 1 of 4th quarter?


We are almost at the end of year and still nothing?? 

Sent from my LGMP450 using Tapatalk


----------



## Mad Scientist

Not that it helps you, but it looks like this German site is already selling them.

https://www.maxxcount.de/markenwelt...soren-dsp.html?___store=mce&___from_store=mcd


----------



## SkizeR

Mad Scientist said:


> Not that it helps you, but it looks like this German site is already selling them.
> 
> https://www.maxxcount.de/markenwelt...soren-dsp.html?___store=mce&___from_store=mcd


probably not even for sale. Just pics and prices uploaded


----------



## rton20s

“Final testing of software.”


----------



## benny z

rton20s said:


> “Final testing of software.”




Shhhhhhh!!!!


----------



## ckirocz28

rton20s said:


> “Final testing of software.”


Anyone know who makes those sweet looking RCA's in that photo?


----------



## benny z

Those are Stinger 9000

https://stingerelectronics.com/catalog/9000-series/


----------



## ckirocz28

benny z said:


> Those are Stinger 9000
> 
> https://stingerelectronics.com/catalog/9000-series/


Thanks, and good god! I didn't know Stinger sold anything that expensive.


----------



## bbfoto

benny z said:


> Those are Stinger 9000
> 
> https://stingerelectronics.com/catalog/9000-series/





ckirocz28 said:


> Thanks, and good god! I didn't know Stinger sold anything that expensive.


There is A LOT of margin and markup on those, so if you have a good local dealer you can get a much better deal on them. 

I still prefer to make my own RCA cables, but the actual RCA connectors on those Stinger 9000's are kind of special.

My latest install is just waiting on one of these new DSPs...the Zapco or the Helix Pro MKIII. It's anyone's guess as to which will actually become available to the public first.


----------



## ckirocz28

bbfoto said:


> There is A LOT of margin and markup on those, so if you have a good local dealer you can get a much better deal on them.
> 
> I still prefer to make my own RCA cables, but the actual RCA connectors on those Stinger 9000's are kind of special.
> 
> My latest install is just waiting on one of these new DSPs...the Zapco or the Helix Pro MKIII. It's anyone's guess as to which will actually become available to the public first.


How do you make your own cables? I've made some with RG6Q cable but I don't recommend it, they're too stiff, they are pretty good sound wise.


----------



## rton20s

benny z said:


> Shhhhhhh!!!!


Shhhhhh?


----------



## quickaudi07

I got my RCA made by Joe from WestCo. They are awesome. I don't have any ground floor noise. Every cable is tested and made sure it's fully functional before shipping. Shipping is fast and great communication as well. 

I wouldn't spend my money on anything else...
















Sent from my Pixel 2 XL using Tapatalk


----------



## benny z

Just an update that the time has come.

https://www.zapco.com/hdsp-5-news


----------



## metanium

benny z said:


> Just an update that the time has come.
> 
> https://www.zapco.com/hdsp-5-news


Glad to hear it's here, but one question after reading the literature from Zapco. Does it have an upmixer or are the effects channels simply derived from combinations of left & right?


----------



## ryanr7386

Has ANYONE been able to download the users manual yet! Password protected wtf?


----------



## cmusic

Ben,

This quote on the Zapco link you provided above has me curious: "All up to 192 KHz for a signal line that can reach the new digital Z-AP amplifiers (coming next year) through an optical SPDIF connection, also at 192 KHz."

1) Are there going to be a future option of having the 16 channel DSP V having 192 KHz digital outputs? I take it that the 8 channel version will. 

2) Will the new "digital in" AP amps have the same chassis as the current ones? 

I'm wanting a DSP that does 192 Khz but I would like to have more than 8 channels.


----------



## Mad Scientist

cmusic said:


> Ben,
> 
> This quote on the Zapco link you provided above has me curious: "All up to 192 KHz for a signal line that can reach the new digital Z-AP amplifiers (coming next year) through an optical SPDIF connection, also at 192 KHz."
> 
> 1) Are there going to be a future option of having the 16 channel DSP V having 192 KHz digital outputs? I take it that the 8 channel version will.
> 
> 2) Will the new "digital in" AP amps have the same chassis as the current ones?
> 
> I'm wanting a DSP that does 192 Khz but I would like to have more than 8 channels.


That caught my eye as well. Considering that their current offerings of class D amps is aging, they are overdue for a refresh. I suspect some of the componentry used in the AP's will migrate over to their new class D AP's. It seems likely that their new class D AP's will share the same aesthetics as the current AP's.


----------



## benny z

metanium said:


> Glad to hear it's here, but one question after reading the literature from Zapco. Does it have an upmixer or are the effects channels simply derived from combinations of left & right?


An upmixer is exactly that - combinations of left/right (+/-) and percentages thereof, in a one-button automated way. So - call it what you want...upmixer...matrix mixer...yes. This processor does give you the ability to custom dial the % to fit your needs.



ryanr7386 said:


> Has ANYONE been able to download the users manual yet! Password protected wtf?


I've been told the manual isn't yet ready for public release. Thus the pw protection. Sorry!)



cmusic said:


> Ben,
> 
> This quote on the Zapco link you provided above has me curious: "All up to 192 KHz for a signal line that can reach the new digital Z-AP amplifiers (coming next year) through an optical SPDIF connection, also at 192 KHz."
> 
> 1) Are there going to be a future option of having the 16 channel DSP V having 192 KHz digital outputs? I take it that the 8 channel version will.
> 
> 2) Will the new "digital in" AP amps have the same chassis as the current ones?
> 
> I'm wanting a DSP that does 192 Khz but I would like to have more than 8 channels.


I believe you are correct on both assumptions - perhaps John can provide some more detailed insight, but for now that's the information I've got.

Cheers!


----------



## captainobvious

I just noticed some of the interesting features of this. Like the 1 degree increment phase angle adjustment (and frequency) for all pass filters. Pretty cool.
Also 100ms of delay. In addition, the GUI is *vastly* improved over what was being used for the previous dsp IV. This was a real hindrance to the previous DSP. Setup was clunky and didn't allow flexible user assignable inputs like this and the overall flow of the gui was just bad. I actually thought the sound quality of the unit itself was damn good, but the other issues were too great to overcome.

On the new unit, I do wish it had more than 4v output, but that's not really a deal breaker for most. I'd love to play with one of these units. Nice job Zapco


----------



## cmusic

Mad Scientist said:


> That caught my eye as well. Considering that their current offerings of class D amps is aging, they are overdue for a refresh. I suspect some of the componentry used in the AP's will migrate over to their new class D AP's. It seems likely that their new class D AP's will share the same aesthetics as the current AP's.


Class D refers to the type of power supply used in the amp, not the type of audio signal going through the amps. All classes of audio amps amplify an analog signal. Class D just refers to the power supply section turns fully on and fully off while powering the output amplification stage of the amplifier, which is always analog. If the power supply can produce enough current as required by the pre-amp and output stages of the amp, the class of power supply really does not matter. The biggest problem with most class D amps today not sounding as good as class A or A/B amp is that their power supply section is smaller and not as powerful enough as needed to be in order to have a smaller physical size. 

Back in the mid '90s Pioneer had the ODR amps, which had a digital audio signal inputs. However the power supply was class A and the digital audio signal went through a DAC in the pre-amp section of the amp before it was amplified. 

Today Brax has introduced the MX4 Pro amp, which has digital audio inputs and a 24/192 DAC in its pre-amp section but the power supply is full class A/B. The amp has an internal volume control that is controlled by the new Brax DSP unit. 

My guess is Zapco is going for head to head competition with Brax. I may be wrong but my guess is the new digital input Z-AP amps will have digital signal inputs and a 24 or 32/192 DAC with volume control and a class A/B power supply. 

Then again then new digital input Z-APs might have a class D power supply like the ADSP-Z8 IV-8 DSP/amp. 

In any case I've got two Z150.4-APs and one Z400.2-AP amps ready to install in my new car along with my Helix DSP Pro MKII from my last car and now I am wondering if I should wait on the install and get the DSP V and digital in Z-AP amps when they come out.


----------



## Jscoyne2

Reading all this and all i see is $$$$$$

Sent from my XT1710-02 using Tapatalk


----------



## SQHemi

Come on over Steve, let's play. 



captainobvious said:


> I just noticed some of the interesting features of this. Like the 1 degree increment phase angle adjustment (and frequency) for all pass filters. Pretty cool.
> Also 100ms of delay. In addition, the GUI is *vastly* improved over what was being used for the previous dsp IV. This was a real hindrance to the previous DSP. Setup was clunky and didn't allow flexible user assignable inputs like this and the overall flow of the gui was just bad. I actually thought the sound quality of the unit itself was damn good, but the other issues were too great to overcome.
> 
> On the new unit, I do wish it had more than 4v output, but that's not really a deal breaker for most. I'd love to play with one of these units. Nice job Zapco


----------



## benny z

captainobvious said:


> I just noticed some of the interesting features of this. Like the 1 degree increment phase angle adjustment (and frequency) for all pass filters. Pretty cool.
> Also 100ms of delay. In addition, the GUI is *vastly* improved over what was being used for the previous dsp IV. This was a real hindrance to the previous DSP. Setup was clunky and didn't allow flexible user assignable inputs like this and the overall flow of the gui was just bad. I actually thought the sound quality of the unit itself was damn good, but the other issues were too great to overcome.
> 
> On the new unit, I do wish it had more than 4v output, but that's not really a deal breaker for most. I'd love to play with one of these units. Nice job Zapco




Thanks Steve...

One thing worth mention - the V software is a ground-up fresh piece of software...it is not simply an upgraded version of the IV software. They are two separate code bases. Zapco has gone out of their way to adapt to industry trends with his latest piece of software. ...which is now available for download. 

Cheers!


----------



## SQHemi

Upcoming Z-AP??? with Dig Coax input will not be Class D, It is also not a replacement for the current Z-AP model but a Line above.

I am not sure what DAC the MX4Pro is using but the Zapco will be using the ESS 9028 which is above the 9018 currently used in the Sony GS9 head unit.

Expect the 8channel processor to have optional coax output configuration since its designed for 192k throughput. Doubling the number of channels to 16 requires halving the throughput down to 96k



cmusic said:


> Class D refers to the type of power supply used in the amp, not the type of audio signal going through the amps. All classes of audio amps amplify an analog signal. Class D just refers to the power supply section turns fully on and fully off while powering the output amplification stage of the amplifier, which is always analog. If the power supply can produce enough current as required by the pre-amp and output stages of the amp, the class of power supply really does not matter. The biggest problem with most class D amps today not sounding as good as class A or A/B amp is that their power supply section is smaller and not as powerful enough as needed to be in order to have a smaller physical size.
> 
> Back in the mid '90s Pioneer had the ODR amps, which had a digital audio signal inputs. However the power supply was class A and the digital audio signal went through a DAC in the pre-amp section of the amp before it was amplified.
> 
> Today Brax has introduced the MX4 Pro amp, which has digital audio inputs and a 24/192 DAC in its pre-amp section but the power supply is full class A/B. The amp has an internal volume control that is controlled by the new Brax DSP unit.
> 
> My guess is Zapco is going for head to head competition with Brax. I may be wrong but my guess is the new digital input Z-AP amps will have digital signal inputs and a 24 or 32/192 DAC with volume control and a class A/B power supply.
> 
> Then again then new digital input Z-APs might have a class D power supply like the ADSP-Z8 IV-8 DSP/amp.
> 
> In any case I've got two Z150.4-APs and one Z400.2-AP amps ready to install in my new car along with my Helix DSP Pro MKII from my last car and now I am wondering if I should wait on the install and get the DSP V and digital in Z-AP amps when they come out.


----------



## mark3004

Will be sold online by woofersetc? 

Sent from my LGMP450 using Tapatalk


----------



## SQHemi

Will not be sold online by woofersect. No disrespect to them but the level of support needed by this level of a product exceeds normal internet retailers capabilities. Once landed in the US, they will be available at brick and mortar dealers primarily with internet sales support from audiointensity.com and 12velectronics.com for those without dealers in their area.





mark3004 said:


> Will be sold online by woofersetc?
> 
> Sent from my LGMP450 using Tapatalk


----------



## mark3004

SQHemi said:


> Will not be sold online by woofersect. No disrespect to them but the level of support needed by this level of a product exceeds normal internet retailers capabilities. Once landed in the US, they will be available at brick and mortar dealers primarily with internet sales support from audiointensity.com and 12velectronics.com for those without dealers in their area.


Thanks! 

Sent from my LGMP450 using Tapatalk


----------



## Bnlcmbcar

benny z said:


> An upmixer is exactly that - combinations of left/right (+/-) and percentages thereof, in a one-button automated way. So - call it what you want...upmixer...matrix mixer...yes. This processor does give you the ability to custom dial the % to fit your needs.


*Not quite the same. Upmixing a true center channel involves a lot more calculating power than a standard matrix mixer.

Here’s decent explanation from a home audio forum:*

“...extracting a centre output from a 2-channel CD. Sounds (e.g., vocals) that are exactly the same level and phase in the L/R speakers will phantom image at the centre of the soundstage. 

Those vocals can be extracted and sent to a centre speaker placed at the centre of the soundstage, where those sounds were going to image anyway. 

However, that means you'll hear the vocals in triple-mono, coming from all 3 front speakers. So, it's not enough just to send those sounds to the centre speaker”

*^that is the regular matrix way and a reasoning why it collapses the stage width. The Zapco DSP probably does Center channel this way standard matrix way as a true upmixer is something I think Zapco would definetly market due to the costs of implementing or licensing one.*

“The new centre signal has to be inverted and sent as an out of phase cancellation signal to the original L/R channels so you don't hear the vocals from your L/R speakers. So 2 input channels were turned into 3 outputs. The new centre output is obviously matrix extracted, not discrete. The new L/R outputs no longer have the vocals in them, so they are no longer the same discrete channels that were on the disc, they're as matrix extracted as the centre.”

*^this is the active steering/upmixing way that involves more powerful processor chips and complex algorithms to achieve the results. (Dolby Pro Logic, DTS Neo/Neural, Logic7, Penteo, and RealCenter(Helix).*


----------



## captainobvious

SQHemi said:


> Come on over Steve, let's play.





Hop skip and a jump...or a 6 hour plane ride. I would love to if I had the ability to do it.










FedEx is easy


----------



## bbfoto

SQHemi said:


> Come on over Steve, let's play.


I'm due east of you in the Bass Lake/Oakhurst area and will be right over. 

Seriously, we need a real Video Demo of the HD PLAYER functionality in action with the included Remote/Display, starting with plugging in the USB drive, file scan/indexing time, track access time, file search capabilities, etc. 

What Type and Size of USB media can be used for music file storage...Thumbdrive, HDD, SSD?

What File Formats are compatible? i.e. WAV, FLAC, AAC, MP3, Apple Lossless (.m4a), etc?

How much current is available on the USB port to power a storage drive? i.e. 5v @ 1.0 amp, 1.5 amps, or more?

And what drive format must be used (i.e. FAT32, NTFS, exFat, etc.)?


----------



## cmusic

SQHemi said:


> Upcoming Z-AP??? with Dig Coax input will not be Class D, It is also not a replacement for the current Z-AP model but a Line above.
> 
> I am not sure what DAC the MX4Pro is using but the Zapco will be using the ESS 9028 which is above the 9018 currently used in the Sony GS9 head unit.
> 
> Expect the 8channel processor to have optional coax output configuration since its designed for 192k throughput. Doubling the number of channels to 16 requires halving the throughput down to 96k


I just had an orgasm...

I have a Fiio X7 MKII with a ESS ES9028PRO DAC and it sounds incredible.

I wonder if there will be an audible difference between having the D/A conversion done in the DSP and have analog ran to the amp or having the D/A conversion done in the amp? 

My current system design calls for 8 channels (front 3 way w/sub) but I would always like the ability to have more channels available (center, rear) if I want to expand. I'm amassing a good sized high resolution music catalog and most tracks are 44.1, 48, and 96 KHz but more and more of them are 192 KHz, ergo the desire for a 192 KHz DSP. I could always piggy-back two DSPs if needed to I guess.

Do you know if the digital input Z-APs will have the same chassis and footprint as the current ones?


----------



## SQHemi

I do not have that information currently, but it is my understanding there will be one if not more at CES, couple more weeks and I can answer that.





cmusic said:


> Do you know if the digital input Z-APs will have the same chassis and footprint as the current ones?


----------



## GreatLaBroski

Any FIR filter support?


----------



## SQHemi

Yes Yes and Yes. 
Thumb drive and Hard Drive, ill test an ssd when I get a chance. 2TB is the limit currently but truthfully anything bigger would seem like such a waste. In theory having your music library on hand 100% at your finger tips in incredible. BUT in the real world, driving while trying to search through your library of 10 gazillion songs on a 3" screen is a recipe for disaster and someone will get hurt or killed in an accident. The standard menu options are available (playlist/album/artist/ect) Formats that I have verified are wav,flac,mp3, I know it does more but I only want to speak about verified formats that I have checked firsthand. fat32/exfat 



bbfoto said:


> I'm due east of you in the Bass Lake/Oakhurst area and will be right over.
> 
> Seriously, we need a real Video Demo of the HD PLAYER functionality in action with the included Remote/Display, starting with plugging in the USB drive, file scan/indexing time, track access time, file search capabilities, etc.
> 
> What Type and Size of USB media can be used for music file storage...Thumbdrive, HDD, SSD?
> 
> What File Formats are compatible? i.e. WAV, FLAC, AAC, MP3, Apple Lossless (.m4a), etc?
> 
> How much current is available on the USB port to power a storage drive? i.e. 5v @ 1.0 amp, 1.5 amps, or more?
> 
> And what drive format must be used (i.e. FAT32, NTFS, exFat, etc.)?


----------



## mark3004

Do you know retail price for the 8 ch? 

Sent from my LGMP450 using Tapatalk


----------



## quickaudi07

I honestly think, Zapco should have came out with AP amplifiers as well as Zapco DSP all at the same time..

Also the chance of having beautiful DSP is nice... I just don't know why they have ditched the 12ch.... I don't get it. I had 8ch Alpine DSP and that wasn't enough! For majority of people 12channel is more than enough. And for others that need more... I would keep the 16ch.


How much are these units and how much is the controller?



Sent from my Pixel 2 XL using Tapatalk


----------



## tonny

Am I missing something or does it not even have shelf filters? and no options to use custom filter Q's in the crossover section?


----------



## GreatLaBroski

quickaudi07 said:


> I honestly think, Zapco should have came out with AP amplifiers as well as Zapco DSP all at the same time..
> 
> Also the chance of having beautiful DSP is nice... I just don't know why they have ditched the 12ch.... I don't get it. I had 8ch Alpine DSP and that wasn't enough! For majority of people 12channel is more than enough. And for others that need more... I would keep the 16ch.
> 
> 
> How much are these units and how much is the controller?
> 
> 
> 
> Sent from my Pixel 2 XL using Tapatalk


My guess is that they did this because of the 8-channel DAC output stage. There was no cost-effective way to provide a 12-channel version. It would be virtually as expensive as the 16 channel.


----------



## GreatLaBroski

GreatLaBroski said:


> Any FIR filter support?


I’d also like to ask if there’s IIR support.

I kind of assumed it’d have support for IIR but I don’t see signs of it in the specs or sales materials. This is pretty important for using things like REW and a calibrated microphone, so I’m hoping it’s in there somewhere.


----------



## SQHemi

Shelf filters are something that is on the future software update list, Along with auto EQ, auto Time correction and many other features. 



tonny said:


> Am I missing something or does it not even have shelf filters? and no options to use custom filter Q's in the crossover section?


----------



## SkizeR

GreatLaBroski said:


> I’d also like to ask if there’s IIR support.
> 
> I kind of assumed it’d have support for IIR but I don’t see signs of it in the specs or sales materials. This is pretty important for using things like REW and a calibrated microphone, so I’m hoping it’s in there somewhere.


if its not FIR, its IIR.


----------



## GreatLaBroski

SkizeR said:


> if its not FIR, its IIR.


By this you mean: "If not FIR, then there will at least be IIR"?

My fingers are crossed for IIR/FIR. If it has it then it legitimately checks off all the things I’m looking for. It’ll be going on my shopping list in that case.


----------



## rton20s

Scott (SQHemi), can you explain the purpose/function of the VSEQ? 

Also, I just ran through the new software in demo mode and I really like it. As Bnlcmbcar mentioned the mixer really is a Matrix mixer which is ok, but not as advanced as a lot of the licensed tech that is out there with center steering as he described. 

And bbfoto, if you are heading back from Oakhurst and want to stop by and say high in Visalia on your way home, let me know. My car should be available for a listen if you want. And if he is available, Chris (TooStubborn2Fail) can probably meet up as well.


----------



## SQHemi

I will try to get a make a video tomorrow explaining it. It's not complicated. 1 band parametric with a starting point(low) ramping up to a secondary point(high). For simplicity think OEM vehicles that roll off the bass above 1/2 volume to avoid damaging speakers. This is to counteract that. Set low threshold at mid volume and high threshold at max volume. adjust the gain, q, freq and you can counteract the oem issue. The demo has 0 to +6 db gain, whereas the upcoming version will have +12db gain and working on changing it to a +/- 12 db gain for those of us who may need to roll off the high end or low end at extreme volumes. :laugh:

When it comes to the mixer, you're comparing it to a standard mixer. Most people have missed that you can take 2 of the output channels and bring them back in as inputs. This allows for a tremendous amount of flexibility. Think 60 band eq...yep wideband mid can now be eq'd in 1/6th oct. OR L-R + R-L output into 2 channels then brought back in and put out of phase and combined with L+R, all with adjustable %'s. Apply that same L-R and R-L to the rears and delay out up to 100ms and now we have true rear fill beyond the Hass effect threshold. 

Its setup here currently that way and playing in my showroom for anyone that wants to stop by and listen. 



rton20s said:


> Scott (SQHemi), can you explain the purpose/function of the VSEQ?
> 
> Also, I just ran through the new software in demo mode and I really like it. As Bnlcmbcar mentioned the mixer really is a Matrix mixer which is ok, but not as advanced as a lot of the licensed tech that is out there with center steering as he described.


----------



## benny z

SQHemi said:


> OR L-R + R-L output into 2 channels then brought back in and put out of phase and combined with L+R, all with adjustable %'s. Apply that same L-R and R-L to the rears and delay out to 100ms and now we have true rear fill beyond the Hass effect threshold.



See now you’re just giving away secrets and our competitive advantage 

Hush with the good stuff already!

This ****’s more powerful than predefined “brand name” upmixer tech IMHO.


----------



## bbfoto

SQHemi said:


> Yes Yes and Yes.
> 
> Thumb drive and Hard Drive, ill test an ssd when I get a chance. 2TB is the limit currently but truthfully anything bigger would seem like such a waste.
> 
> In theory having your music library on hand 100% at your finger tips in incredible. BUT in the real world, driving while trying to search through your library of 10 gazillion songs on a 3" screen is a recipe for disaster and someone will get hurt or killed in an accident. The standard menu options are available (playlist/album/artist/ect).
> 
> Formats that I have verified are wav, flac, mp3. I know it does more but I only want to speak about verified formats that I have checked firsthand.
> 
> fat32/exfat


Scott, thanks for the quick response & answers. 

Regarding PLAYLISTS:

Do we need to "pre-make" our Playlists on a computer using _.m3u_, or can Playlists be created _on-the-fly_ using the HD Player remote, and can we add songs to our Playlists on-the-fly???

OH, where do we connect the USB storage media...to the main DSP unit, or to the Remote/Display?

I'm just wondering how easy it will be to access the USB port in order to add/remove/edit files from the USB storage.

And are there multiple USB ports, or a single USB port for media file storage?

Thanks again!


----------



## SQHemi

Playlists are to be created on the computer. Single usb on the processor it self. Of course, you can add a short extension to panel mount for those of us who bury our processors. There is also the optional Bluetooth for those wanting to stream to it. 



bbfoto said:


> Scott, thanks for the quick response & answers.
> 
> Regarding PLAYLISTS:
> 
> Do we need to "pre-make" our Playlists on a computer using _.m3u_, or can Playlists be created _on-the-fly_ using the HD Player remote, and can we add songs to our Playlists on-the-fly???
> 
> OH, where do we connect the USB storage media...to the main DSP unit, or to the Remote/Display?
> 
> I'm just wondering how easy it will be to access the USB port in order to add/remove/edit files from the USB storage.
> 
> And are there multiple USB ports, or a single USB port for media file storage?
> 
> Thanks again!


----------



## fleshbone

Arrived.......





































Now need to install


----------



## Bnlcmbcar

benny z said:


> SQHemi said:
> 
> 
> 
> OR L-R + R-L output into 2 channels then brought back in and put out of phase and combined with L+R, all with adjustable %'s. Apply that same L-R and R-L to the rears and delay out to 100ms and now we have true rear fill beyond the Hass effect threshold.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> See now you’re just giving away secrets and our competitive advantage
> 
> Hush with the good stuff already!
> 
> This ****’s more powerful than predefined “brand name” upmixer tech IMHO.
Click to expand...

No doubts about the power of the DSP. Impressive hardware!

I’m doubting it’s current capabilities to actively steer a stereo signal to proper surround.

Re routing outputs to inputs is not some secret. This can be achieved using a lot of older DSP’s as well and is still attempting to use matrix upmixers to steer signals. The problem is that it is still a static setting. 

Unless your able to analyze the signal and alter your settings every moment... You’ll need some of the engineered algorithms from the previously predefined mentioned names..

Or 

Zapco puts $ into R&D to designing their own algorithms to implement in the DSP’s hardware via software update. 

Even then, in reality it is probably not that easy and would require a deeper level IO revamp at the chip level through some reflashing and firmware changes to get the chips running the math:

http://publications.lib.chalmers.se/records/fulltext/254876/254876.pdf

Walk me through how your re routing outputs to inputs playing with R+L , R-L, phase, delay, and % to achieve this:


----------



## Bnlcmbcar

Once again no doubts about the Zapco DSP’s power and fidelity. But I don’t think it’s fair to undermine the process of steering a center channel or creating a multi seat/surround upmix from stereo.



fleshbone said:


> Arrived.......
> 
> Now need to install


I’m excited to see more of the controller in action!


----------



## metanium

metanium said:


> Glad to hear it's here, but one question after reading the literature from Zapco. Does it have an upmixer or are the effects channels simply derived from combinations of left & right?





benny z said:


> An upmixer is exactly that - combinations of left/right (+/-) and percentages thereof, in a one-button automated way. So - call it what you want...upmixer...matrix mixer...yes. This processor does give you the ability to custom dial the % to fit your needs.





Bnlcmbcar said:


> *Not quite the same. Upmixing a true center channel involves a lot more calculating power than a standard matrix mixer.
> 
> Here’s decent explanation from a home audio forum:*
> 
> “...extracting a centre output from a 2-channel CD. Sounds (e.g., vocals) that are exactly the same level and phase in the L/R speakers will phantom image at the centre of the soundstage.
> 
> Those vocals can be extracted and sent to a centre speaker placed at the centre of the soundstage, where those sounds were going to image anyway.
> 
> However, that means you'll hear the vocals in triple-mono, coming from all 3 front speakers. So, it's not enough just to send those sounds to the centre speaker”
> 
> *^that is the regular matrix way and a reasoning why it collapses the stage width. The Zapco DSP probably does Center channel this way standard matrix way as a true upmixer is something I think Zapco would definetly market due to the costs of implementing or licensing one.*
> 
> “The new centre signal has to be inverted and sent as an out of phase cancellation signal to the original L/R channels so you don't hear the vocals from your L/R speakers. So 2 input channels were turned into 3 outputs. The new centre output is obviously matrix extracted, not discrete. The new L/R outputs no longer have the vocals in them, so they are no longer the same discrete channels that were on the disc, they're as matrix extracted as the centre.”
> 
> *^this is the active steering/upmixing way that involves more powerful processor chips and complex algorithms to achieve the results. (Dolby Pro Logic, DTS Neo/Neural, Logic7, Penteo, and RealCenter(Helix).*


Thanks for clearing that up and confirming my understanding on this Bnlcmbcar!


----------



## rton20s

SQHemi said:


> I will try to get a make a video tomorrow explaining it. It's not complicated. 1 band parametric with a starting point(low) ramping up to a secondary point(high). For simplicity think OEM vehicles that roll off the bass above 1/2 volume to avoid damaging speakers. This is to counteract that. Set low threshold at mid volume and high threshold at max volume. adjust the gain, q, freq and you can counteract the oem issue. The demo has 0 to +6 db gain, whereas the upcoming version will have +12db gain and working on changing it to a +/- 12 db gain for those of us who may need to roll off the high end or low end at extreme volumes. :laugh:
> 
> When it comes to the mixer, you're comparing it to a standard mixer. Most people have missed that you can take 2 of the output channels and bring them back in as inputs. This allows for a tremendous amount of flexibility. Think 60 band eq...yep wideband mid can now be eq'd in 1/6th oct. OR L-R + R-L output into 2 channels then brought back in and put out of phase and combined with L+R, all with adjustable %'s. Apply that same L-R and R-L to the rears and delay out up to 100ms and now we have true rear fill beyond the Hass effect threshold.
> 
> Its setup here currently that way and playing in my showroom for anyone that wants to stop by and listen.


Thanks Scott! The software is certainly impressive, and I look forward to seeing your video walk through. And you're right. I completely missed that L-1 and L-2 on the I/O window allowed you to use one of the output channels as additional inputs. The VSEQ function looks like something that could quickly simplify and complicate the build in my wife's car.


----------



## subterFUSE

Checking out the demo software now.

Graphically, it looks pretty good. The responsiveness of mouse clicks is sluggish on my machine. Not sure if this is the software or my computer, but when I click on things it takes several seconds for the software to respond.

Is there an Input EQ section? I see the output EQ but can't find an Input EQ yet.

I see the VSEQ, which appears to be an Input EQ although it's limited to just a single Frequency and Gain adjustment per input that I can see.

I like that there seems to be 2 Delay sections, and that one of them has 100ms of Delay available.

In the EQ section, there are Gain and Q windows at the bottom but it does not allow me to type over the numbers in them. This might be a good upgrade for the future.

I would also suggest adding a 3rd text window below each band to show the EQ frequency for each band, and allow that to be typed over. This will be much more precise than attempting to click and drag the dot on the EQ graph to change frequency.


----------



## bbfoto

^Good insights. I need to give the software a go as well when I can find the time.



First world problems...

Are the knobs on the HD Player Remote/Display interchangeable? That copper-ish knob and "nameplate" look cool but will not match most OEM interiors.

Is there any type of manual or auto brightness adjustment for the display?


----------



## rton20s




----------



## LumbermanSVO

subterFUSE said:


> Checking out the demo software now.
> 
> Graphically, it looks pretty good. The responsiveness of mouse clicks is sluggish on my machine. Not sure if this is the software or my computer, but when I click on things it takes several seconds for the software to respond.
> 
> Is there an Input EQ section? I see the output EQ but can't find an Input EQ yet.
> 
> I see the VSEQ, which appears to be an Input EQ although it's limited to just a single Frequency and Gain adjustment per input that I can see.
> 
> I like that there seems to be 2 Delay sections, and that one of them has 100ms of Delay available.
> 
> In the EQ section, there are Gain and Q windows at the bottom but it does not allow me to type over the numbers in them. This might be a good upgrade for the future.
> 
> I would also suggest adding a 3rd text window below each band to show the EQ frequency for each band, and allow that to be typed over. This will be much more precise than attempting to click and drag the dot on the EQ graph to change frequency.


Were you running the software in a VM? I tried it with Win10 in Fusion on a 2017 MBP and had the same lag. I haven't booted into Win10 to see if the lag is still there.


----------



## GreatLaBroski

I want to bump my question regarding IIR / FIR filters.

The horsepower is there, it’s a matter if and when the software is ready.


----------



## subterFUSE

GreatLaBroski said:


> I want to bump my question regarding IIR / FIR filters.
> 
> The horsepower is there, it’s a matter if and when the software is ready.




It does IIR filters only. No FIR.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## subterFUSE

LumbermanSVO said:


> Were you running the software in a VM? I tried it with Win10 in Fusion on a 2017 MBP and had the same lag. I haven't booted into Win10 to see if the lag is still there.




Yes I ran it in Parallels on a MacPro.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## LumbermanSVO

subterFUSE said:


> Yes I ran it in Parallels on a MacPro.
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


It's seems crazy to me that such a simple app could cripple a VM, it's not really doing that much, especially in demo mode. I'll boot into Win10 this weekend and try it out.


----------



## bbfoto

bbfoto said:


> First world problems...
> 
> Are the knobs on the HD Player Remote/Display interchangeable? That copper-ish knob and "nameplate" look cool but will not match most OEM interiors.





rton20s said:


>


^Definitely an option.  But IME not all paints last when it's on something like the sole system volume knob that's handled every day...as compared to a standard brushed or anodized aluminum, or S-S. But yeah, minor issue in the scheme of things. :blush:

Would still like to know if there is some type of brightness control for the display? Most likely it would have at least a screen backlight timeout I would think...just like our smartphones.

Interested in reading more hands-on impressions of both hardware & software. Specs at least dictate that it should sound fantastic.


----------



## subterFUSE

Does the media player support gapless playback?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## iovi66

HDSP-V Main Features

​
- Player & DSP: All-in-one dual core processor

- Modular device: High-end solution with 18 indipendent PCB

- Total Power main processor: 912 MHz (456 MHz + 456 MHz)

- Player power: 450 Mhz - Arm 9 32 Bit

- Audio formats: WAV, AIF, AIFF, FLAC, ALAC, AAC, MP3

- Directories: File/Artist/Album/Title

- DSP Power: 450 MHz - 32 Bit (till 64-bit/IEEE double precision)

- DSP Processor Point: Fixed & Floating

- DSP Sampling Rate: 96 KHz (16 ch.), 192 KHz (8 Ch.)

- *ADC Processor (standard): AK4458, 32 Bit, 784 KHz, 115 dB DNR
*
- *ADC Processor (option B): AK4478, 32 Bit, 784 KHz, 121 dB DNR

*- *DAC Processor (standard): AK4458 32 Bit 784 Khz, 115 dB DNR*

- *DAC Processor (option B): ES9028 32 Bit 784 Khz, 129 dB DR*

- *DAC Processor (option A): ES9038PRO 32 Bit 784 Khz, 140 dB DR
*


Any comments/thoughts on these ADC and DAC options vs Standard?


----------



## GreatLaBroski

iovi66 said:


> Any comments/thoughts on these ADC and DAC options vs Standard?


The Sabre ES9038 and ES9028 should be the best IF they were very careful with their power supply and output stage designs. They can product fantastic audio, frankly the best in the market, but their sensitive to the implementation circuit. That includes cap selection and opamps. Plus you typically need a different output setup to handle the higher current from the 9038 chips.

I’m not sure how this was achieved with a interchangeable dac design to be honest. Maybe it’ll be clearer when I can look over a couple of the daughterboards. If they’re fully isolated boards with multiple voltage regulators and the full output stage on the board, then kudos to Zapco. That’ll probably kick ass.

If not well Implemented the Sabre DACs have a tendency to detailed but in a harsh and plastic sort of way. Not natural.

The AKM’s are not as hyper detailed but still excellent and natural sounding. They’re used in the Helix’s and new v2.0 MiniDSP C-DSP.

The best ones *should* be the Sabre chips. But that depends on how well designed the implementation is. If the design work is “okay, but compromised for the sake of interchangeably” then they might not be best in the end.


----------



## captainobvious

subterFUSE said:


> The responsiveness of mouse clicks is sluggish on my machine. Not sure if this is the software or my computer, but when I click on things it takes several seconds for the software to respond.





I am thinking this may be related to you using VM...
or Windows 10. 

I am running the demo software on my Windows 7 Pro laptop and it is very responsive. No delay issues.


----------



## Drewc2014

When is the hd player coming out for the adsp


----------



## casualgolfer

SQHemi said:


> Playlists are to be created on the computer. Single usb on the processor it self. Of course, you can add a short extension to panel mount for those of us who bury our processors. There is also the optional Bluetooth for those wanting to stream to it.


Does the Bluetooth connection play 24/96 high resolution files from my Cayin N8 DAP? Is there a support for playback of DSD files?


----------



## Brules

BT will do APTX which is as high res as BT goes I think.


----------



## mark3004

Brules said:


> BT will do APTX which is as high res as BT goes I think.


According with specs bluetooth should stream in Aptx HD, higher resolution than standard Aptx!


----------



## bbfoto

casualgolfer said:


> Does the Bluetooth connection play 24/96 high resolution files from my Cayin N8 DAP?
> 
> Is there a support for playback of DSD files?





Brules said:


> BT will do APTX which is as high res as BT goes I think.



There actually is a newer _Apt-X *HD*_ codec that is available when devices use the latest Qualcomm chipset, though I haven't looked into whether or not the Zapco DSP/HD Player supports it.

And I didn't see support for playback of DSD files in the list that was previously posted (post #341).


I'd still like answers to the following questions regarding the HD Player and Display/Controller:

1. Does the HD Media Player support Gapless Playback?

2. Is there any type of automatic or manual BRIGHTNESS CONTROL for the Remote Display?


----------



## Brules

Too bad Apple does not support any form of APTX.


----------



## ryanr7386

So what's up with the release of this DSP in the US? Is there a target date yet? The Aurigin Site doesn't appear to be even set up yet!


----------



## kennethteng

casualgolfer said:


> Does the Bluetooth connection play 24/96 high resolution files from my Cayin N8 DAP? Is there a support for playback of DSD files?


Bluetooth connection will be able to playback any file format the DAP can support so for Cayin N8, it will have no problem to playback a 24/96 file over bluetooth.

The problem lies with the bluetooth codec being supported.
16/44.1 PCM will have a bitrate of 1,411.2kbit/s. A 24/96 will have a higher bitrate of 4,608kbit/s (assuming PCM).
The best bluetooth codec, which currently is LDAC, will have a bitrate of only 990kbit/s. This means that all high res audio when transmitted thru bluetooth will need to be re-encode to reduce the bitrate, i.e. compression.

Luckily, N8 supports LDAC & aptx (352kbit/s) but not aptx HD (576kbit/s).
Regardless, sound quality will be affected when transmitted via bluetooth.

Same goes for DSD files (5,644.8kbit/s), it has to go thru re-encoding to transmit via bluetooth.



mark3004 said:


> According with specs bluetooth should stream in Aptx HD, higher resolution than standard Aptx!


Currently the best is LDAC, which has the highest bitrate.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LDAC_(codec)


----------



## bbfoto

SQHemi said:


> *Shelf filters* are something that is on the future software update list, Along with *auto EQ*, *auto Time correction* and *many other features*.


Cool. Shall we need to wait another ~2+ or so years for these additional WIP features? :blush:

IOW, does Zapco have _any_ sort of "road map" for when each of these features will be added?




The software looks and works really nice overall, at least in "Demo" mode.


And Zapco gets a big :thumbsup: for having scale-able/resize-able windows.


I think that the Channel # in the vertical column on the far Left of the software window could use a decent increase in size.


And it definitely needs to add _Direct Numerical Input_ via keyboard for several parameters. Using the Sliders and Up/Down Arrows are "okay" but certainly not ideal.


I also experienced some unexpected lag using a newer MacBook Pro via Parallels VM, but responsiveness was _almost_ perfect via a late model Core i7 Windows PC running native Win 7 Pro and Windows 10 Pro. I'm interested to see how or if that changes when connected to an actual unit in real time.


And I'm interested to see how fast & smooth (or not) the HD Player operates with thousands of large files on a USB drive.




STILL NEED TO KNOW...

1. Gapless Playback Support via the HD Player?

2. Any Backlight Timeout and Dimming/Brightness Control for the HD Player's Remote Display?







rton20s said:


> ...And bbfoto, if you are heading back from Oakhurst and want to stop by and say hi in Visalia on your way home, let me know. My car should be available for a listen if you want. And if he is available, Chris (TooStubborn2Fail) can probably meet up as well.


Dustin, I'm a bit late, but really appreciate the offer and would love to hookup with you gents sometime. :thumbsup: Would love to hear your setup, and/or Chris', and it'd really be great to get your ears and input on any of my systems as well.


----------



## LexusLover

Did this product ever get released in the USA yet or not? I'm confused


----------



## BMW Alpina

On the main unit of the Zapco HDSP Processor, I see the Audio USB Input Port. Will that port work as USB DAC to accept input from an iPhone (the iPhone acting as High Res Audio Player)?















Also below is the list of the ADC and DAC option available:


ADC Processor (standard): AK4458, 32 Bit, 784 KHz,115 dB DNR
 ADC Processor (option B): AK4478, 32 Bit, 784 KHz,121 dB DNR


 DAC Processor (standard): AK4458, 32 Bit, 784 KHz, 115 dB DNR
 DAC Processor (option B): ES9028, 32 Bit 784 KHz, 129 dB DNR
 DAC Processor (option A): ES9038PRO, 32 Bit, 784 KHz, 140 dB DNR

I notice they have Option A and Option B available for the DAC Processor,
but why they only have Option B but no Option A for the ADC Processor?


and can customer choose Option B (AK4478) for the ADC with Option A for the DAC ES9038Pro ?


NOTE: after looking into the part number further in AKM website, I think Zapco mistype... because AK4458 is a DAC chip and NOT ADC...
and I can't find any info on AK4478 model...
So, I wonder what is the real available options for ADC chip...


----------



## Elektra

BMW Alpina said:


> On the main unit of the Zapco HDSP Processor, I see the Audio USB Input Port. Will that port work as USB DAC to accept input from an iPhone (the iPhone acting as High Res Audio Player)?
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Also below is the list of the ADC and DAC option available:
> 
> 
> ADC Processor (standard): AK4458, 32 Bit, 784 KHz,115 dB DNR
> ADC Processor (option B): AK4478, 32 Bit, 784 KHz,121 dB DNR
> 
> 
> DAC Processor (standard): AK4458, 32 Bit, 784 KHz, 115 dB DNR
> DAC Processor (option B): ES9028, 32 Bit 784 KHz, 129 dB DNR
> DAC Processor (option A): ES9038PRO, 32 Bit, 784 KHz, 140 dB DNR
> 
> I notice they have Option A and Option B available for the DAC Processor,
> but why they only have Option B but no Option A for the ADC Processor?
> 
> 
> and can customer choose Option B (AK4478) for the ADC with Option A for the DAC ES9038Pro ?
> 
> 
> NOTE: after looking into the part number further in AKM website, I think Zapco mistype... because AK4458 is a DAC chip and NOT ADC...
> and I can't find any info on AK4478 model...
> So, I wonder what is the real available options for ADC chip...




Is this out yet? And do you order it with these options? And could you spec other options not listed as option A and B? 

Looks interesting if you consider the cost of the Brax... if you can spec a higher spec dac section it may be viable 

But I do know the Brax uses a different architecture than the Helix Pro so even if the Dacs aren’t the “best” the architecture may prove to be decisive 

I wonder what sort of architecture the Zapco runs and if it’s similar to the Helix or the Brax... 

But specifying top Dacs on paper may not sound better than “lessor” Dacs on paper as it’s all about the implementation rather than jamming in all the best components... 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## GreatLaBroski

Elektra said:


> But specifying top Dacs on paper may not sound better than “lessor” Dacs on paper as it’s all about the implementation rather than jamming in all the best components...
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


Especially with the Sabre ES9038’s. They can be difficult to implement due to their power requirements and the current handling requirements when implemented into an I/V output stage. I’m curious to see how good of a job they actually did on these daughter boards.


----------



## LilJonny16

The support page with the Owner's Manual, Control Program and Firmware Update just became available today for the HDSP-V


----------



## GreatLaBroski

LilJonny16 said:


> The support page with the Owner's Manual, Control Program and Firmware Update just became available today for the HDSP-V


Sweet, I see some really nice features here. Volume-dependant EQ could really unlock some possibilities too. Hmm, this would literally be the perfect DSP if it had FIR.


----------



## LilJonny16

GreatLaBroski said:


> Sweet, I see some really nice features here. Volume-dependant EQ could really unlock some possibilities too. Hmm, this would literally be the perfect DSP if it had FIR.


Hopefully that's something they can add later on through a firmware update.


----------



## fleshbone

It is out!!! I got mine few days ago, now I'm waiting to install it very soon


----------



## bbfoto

Hmmm...

...Crickets...

...Any news?


----------



## SQHemi

The first production units are on the way to the US arriving this week. The first order is all spoken for. Secondary order has been placed and being processed by zapco for shipment. 

-Scott


----------



## ErinH

SQHemi said:


> The first production units are on the way to the US arriving this week. The first order is all spoken for. Secondary order has been placed and being processed by zapco for shipment.
> 
> -Scott


I saw the post on facebook last week stating the 16 channel version was coming... I assume this is the one you're talking about? 

I'm definitely interested in the 8 channel version. The software and feature set look really intriguing. I'll have to stay tuned to this convo.


----------



## bbfoto

SQHemi said:


> The first production units are on the way to the US arriving this week. The first order is all spoken for. Secondary order has been placed and being processed by zapco for shipment.
> 
> -Scott


Thanks Scott. Great to hear. I'm not on Facebook so I didn't see the news there. :blush:

Are all of these (both the 8 & 16 channel HD versions) only being produced & assembled on a pre-order basis through dealers, or will there be extra backstock for "walk-in" purchases?

Thanks again.


----------



## SQHemi

bbfoto said:


> Thanks Scott. Great to hear. I'm not on Facebook so I didn't see the news there. :blush:
> 
> Are all of these (both the 8 & 16 channel HD versions) only being produced & assembled on a pre-order basis through dealers, or will there be extra backstock for "walk-in" purchases?
> 
> Thanks again.


Right now its all about filling back orders, with as long as this took to come to market, (yes it frustrated me as well), there are hundreds on backorder worldwide. Zapco is furiously producing to cover the demand but At 2k selling price, I would not expect most local dealers to keep them in stock. 

-Scott


----------



## Analog Values

So the only way to take advantage of the "Player & DSP: All-in-one dual core processor" is to insert a thumb drive into the back of the DSP unit? It appears one can connect a player or use bluetooth, but that would not take full advantage of the architecture. So I'll need to remove the back seat of my truck each time I want to update the thumb drive? Am I thinking about this right?


----------



## SQHemi

Analog Values said:


> So the only way to take advantage of the "Player & DSP: All-in-one dual core processor" is to insert a thumb drive into the back of the DSP unit? It appears one can connect a player or use bluetooth, but that would not take full advantage of the architecture. So I'll need to remove the back seat of my truck each time I want to update the thumb drive? Am I thinking about this right?


 Panel Mount 3-6ft usb extension solves this problem. Accelle, Aamp, Metra all have them.


----------



## SQHemi

The first round of 16ch units have arrived and filling backorders has begun.

-Scott


----------



## bbfoto

SQHemi said:


> The first round of 16ch units have arrived and filling backorders has begun.
> 
> -Scott


Can I be put "next in line" to purchase one of the 16 channel units once the backorders are fullfilled or if there is a cancellation?

Also, are all of the different ADC/DAC module options available???


And I'm still interested to see how fast & smooth (or not) the HD Player operates with thousands of large files on a USB drive....AND...


STILL NEED TO KNOW...

1. Gapless Playback Support via the HD Player?

2. Any Backlight Timeout and Dimming or Brightness Control for the HD Player's Remote Display?





Analog Values said:


> So the only way to take advantage of the "Player & DSP: All-in-one dual core processor" is to insert a thumb drive into the back of the DSP unit? It appears one can connect a player or use bluetooth, but that would not take full advantage of the architecture. So I'll need to remove the back seat of my truck each time I want to update the thumb drive? Am I thinking about this right?





SQHemi said:


> Panel Mount 3-6ft usb extension solves this problem. Accelle, Aamp, Metra all have them.



While this _usually_ works, some USB extension cables may cause a loss of voltage over the length of cable to the point where a USB HDD or SSD will not function, where it otherwise would if plugged directly into the main USB port. USB Thumbdrives are usually not a problem, but even some of these require quite a bit of power to work reliably.

Does the USB port on the DSP supply at least 1.5 Amps @ 5 VDC?


----------



## SQHemi

bbfoto said:


> Can I be put "next in line" to purchase one of the 16 channel units once the backorders are fullfilled or if there is a cancellation?
> 
> Also, are all of the different ADC/DAC module options available???
> 
> 
> And I'm still interested to see how fast & smooth (or not) the HD Player operates with thousands of large files on a USB drive....AND...
> 
> 
> STILL NEED TO KNOW...
> 
> 1. Gapless Playback Support via the HD Player?
> 
> 2. Any Backlight Timeout and Dimming or Brightness Control for the HD Player's Remote Display?
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> While this _usually_ works, some USB extension cables may cause a loss of voltage over the length of cable to the point where a USB HDD or SSD will not function, where it otherwise would if plugged directly into the main USB port. USB Thumbdrives are usually not a problem, but even some of these require quite a bit of power to work reliably.
> 
> Does the USB port on the DSP supply at least 1.5 Amps @ 5 VDC?


Damnit Billy, just when I thought I could sleep 


There is manual dimming/brightness on the controller. I have asked for auto dimming via illumination wire not possible currently. 

No Gapless Playback that I have seen or know of in the works.

Using a 6ft extension I have had no issues with a portable HDD. I never got the SSD to work but that may be more on me than anything and free time is very short in my world at the moment.

Upgrade ADC/DAC modules are not yet shipping.

Yes, there is an all-digital in and all digital out unit (8 ch and 16ch)which displayed at CES to start shipping Q4 for the hardcore audiophile along with Z-APD line up with all digital in and ESS 9028 DAC in the amp. 


-Scott


----------



## Analog Values

Zapco literature indicates the player's sampling rate is 96 KHz for 16 channel and 192 KHz for 8 channel. 8 channels is adequate for my current set-up, but am leaning towards the 16 channel for future flexibility. However, in a situation wherein the 16 channels aren't being utilized, is the 8 channel actually a superior sounding unit? If I do get the 16 channel, should I limit my FLAC file purchases to 96 KHz? I'm trying to understand the implications of this sampling difference, and whether or not it should affect my purchase decision.


----------



## bbfoto

Analog Values said:


> Zapco literature indicates the player's sampling rate is 96 KHz for 16 channel and 192 KHz for 8 channel. 8 channels is adequate for my current set-up, but am leaning towards the 16 channel for future flexibility.
> 
> However, in a situation wherein the 16 channels aren't being utilized, is the 8 channel actually a superior sounding unit? If I do get the 16 channel, should I limit my FLAC file purchases to 96 KHz? I'm trying to understand the implications of this sampling difference, and whether or not it should affect my purchase decision.


If I'm not mistaken, the 8-channel unit should theoretically avoid SRC (Sample Rate Conversion) when playing your 24 bit/192kHz files by not having to down-sample them to 96kHz, but that really depends on how the Zapco engineers designed the throughput of the DAC and DSP stages. The system may already convert (upsample or down-sample) ALL files to a base bit depth & sample rate for processing throughput. ???

SRC isn't necessarily or always a bad thing, but there is more *potential* for errors and artifacts to occur. This is one reason why the DSD format was created. It is a 1-bit, _continuous_, uninterrupted data stream at a set sample frequency, unlike PCM where the data is sent in perfectly-timed (theoretically) packets or blocks of data.

When purchasing Hi-Res files, you also might want to consider if the files that you purchase were NATIVELY captured, mixed, and mastered at 24/192? IME, very few recordings are done in 24/192 because the vast majority of studios and engineers work at a maximum (industry standard) of 24/96 for nearly all _popular_ music.

It is only the specialty record labels, usually in the jazz and classical genres, that actually capture and mix + master at 24/192, and even fewer in regards to true DSD.

So basically, what I'm saying is that many of the "24/192" files that you have purchased and downloaded *may* have already been _upsampled_ from a 24/96 master or even from 24/48.  You can't really know for sure unless the label specifies what format and bit depth + sample rate the tracks were originally captured, mixed, and mastered at.


What *may be* also be a consideration is that (IIRC) the 16-channel Zapco HDSP unit also has a few less EQ bands available on *some* of the channels since the overall DSP power must be divided between more channels compared to the 8-channel version.

If you just need those extra channels for "Rear Fill" it may not matter much, but for a 2-way front L&R + center-channel + subwoofer, or a 3-way L&R front stage + subwoofer, you may prefer to have the extra EQ Bands, or use Two of the 8-channel units for larger channel counts. Of course, that is getting a bit crazy tho'! 

I need to investigate the real differences between the 8 & 16 channel versions.


----------



## ErinH

Scott,
Can you give some info on the "option B" versions of these DSPs? Namely, is the availability time-frame the same and what is the price differential?


----------



## tonny

Analog Values said:


> Zapco literature indicates the player's sampling rate is 96 KHz for 16 channel and 192 KHz for 8 channel. 8 channels is adequate for my current set-up, but am leaning towards the 16 channel for future flexibility. However, in a situation wherein the 16 channels aren't being utilized, is the 8 channel actually a superior sounding unit? If I do get the 16 channel, should I limit my FLAC file purchases to 96 KHz? I'm trying to understand the implications of this sampling difference, and whether or not it should affect my purchase decision.


It's not only the input side, but from what I did understand also the DSP it self runs on a higher sample rate, which would mean smaller steps and more precision with tuning. If that's needed depends on your needs...


----------



## Analog Values

"Yes, there is an all-digital in and all digital out unit (8 ch and 16ch)which displayed at CES to start shipping Q4 for the hardcore audiophile *along with Z-APD line up with all digital in and ESS 9028 DAC in the amp."*

Can you tell me more about the new Zapco digital input amplifier series? Will it process at a 192 KHz sampling rate, or _"merely"_ 96 KHz? Trying to factor this into my 8 channel versus 16 channel decision. I didn't see it on the Zapco website. _So many things to think about; my head is swirling._


----------



## Analog Values

I spoke with an Aurigin representative, and he recommended the 16 channel over the 8. Although the latter does have higher sampling rate (192 vs. 96), he said the 16 channel is the way to go even if I don't need the extra channels. For 8 channel set-up, he said I can double team each channel. Set frequencies for channels 1 and 2, and then overlay that with channels 9 and 10. Instead of tuning 30 frequencies per channel, it's possible to tune 60 per channel.

I'm technically challenged and don't pretend to understand how all of this works, but there seems to be a lot to consider.


----------



## Dan750iL

Analog Values said:


> I spoke with an Aurigin representative, and he recommended the 16 channel over the 8. Although the latter does have higher sampling rate (192 vs. 96), he said the 16 channel is the way to go even if I don't need the extra channels. For 8 channel set-up, he said I can double team each channel. Set frequencies for channels 1 and 2, and then overlay that with channels 9 and 10. Instead of tuning 30 frequencies per channel, it's possible to tune 60 per channel.
> 
> I'm technically challenged and don't pretend to understand how all of this works, but there seems to be a lot to consider.


I don't have a lot of experience tuning with DSPs but it seems to me that if you need 60 bands of EQ there is some other issue with your speaker. I've heard that double processing can also create some issues. Hopefully someone more experienced can chime in on that.


----------



## ckirocz28

Dan750iL said:


> I don't have a lot of experience tuning with DSPs but it seems to me that if you need 60 bands of EQ there is some other issue with your speaker. I've heard that double processing can also create some issues. Hopefully someone more experienced can chime in on that.


You are correct about not needing 60 bands, but, as I understand it, it's not double processing, it's more like reassigning bands from one channel to another.


----------



## benny z

I can’t say I’ve ever “needed” more than 30 bands for a driver. On the other hand, I’ve never had 60 bands to play with before to see what’s possible.


----------



## bbfoto

benny z said:


> I can’t say I’ve ever “needed” more than 30 bands for a driver. On the other hand, I’ve never had 60 bands to play with before to see what’s possible.


Haha...crazy.  Honestly, my head starts spinning and I start to get "lost in the tune" after having applied anything over 10-12 bands per driver. Luckily, that's been very rare, and I usually end up somewhere in the neighborhood of 2-6 bands of correction.

If used properly, some of the newer functions & capabilities of our modern DSPs are incredibly powerful & highly effective when applied correctly. I've learned a lot about this stuff just in the last few years from studying & using studio recording and mixing techniques with some of the amazing plug-ins and tools that are available in that realm.

Of course, you have learn how to translate/correlate what's happening or what's different and applicable in our near-field, highly reflective vehicle environment, not only in the mids & treble, but especially in regards to the midbass & low bass frequencies, which if not optimized can really mask and affect what we are able to hear in the mids and highs!

I'm still old skool and think that it's really important to try and get the acoustic side of things as good as possible via actual install practices...physical driver placement & selection in regards to pathlengths, angling/dispersion/reflections/power response, and creating optimum baffles & enclosures for specific drivers when called for.

Luckily, I think that some of the OEM auto manufacturing engineers in more recent vehicles (even trucks & SUVs) have actually done a lot of the work for us and a really good job of optimizing the basic stock speaker locations to provide really good overall response.

Take for instance Nick Wingate's Silverado that's using only the stock dash & door speaker locations (except for the subwoofer) and it's able to compete in some aspects with vehicles such as Steven Head's Blazer that's a completely custom modified dash & firewall/kickpanel install. Of course, modern DSP really helps to make this possible, but still.

I'd really hope that I'd never have to use even as many as 30 bands, let alone 60! As mentioned, at that point IMO some thing(s) are wrong and I would scrap my install and start fresh again with a different approach.

But it's definitely a great time to be in car audio (and audio in general) in regards to DSPs, and also in having a plethora of really excellent performing drivers available!

Unfortunately, all of this cool stuff usually translates to big $$$$$! But even the low-cost DSPs and some of the relatively inexpensive drivers have become incredibly good.


----------



## bbfoto

ErinH said:


> Scott,
> Can you give some info on the "option B" versions of these DSPs? Namely, is the availability time-frame the same and what is the price differential?


I would like to know the pricing for these options as well???

In a previous response to one of my posts, I believe that Scott mentioned that the other ADC & DAC options are not currently shipping.

But I would also like to know if there is a known timeframe for those being available???

I'm thinking now that I will hold out for those optional DAC & ADC modules to be available...I'd like to avoid spending more money after the fact, and I doubt that others would be interested in buying my unused "standard" modules separately.

I'm also thinking of just going with the 8-channel unit as well now. I can always add rear fill with another small inexpensive DSP + small pico amp if I feel like I'm really missing it.

Don't get me wrong, I feel that the current price for a 16 channel DSP of this quality and features is well within reason, but I also don't really need...8 MORE Channels.

I still feel that a single 10-12 channel unit would have been the more ideal price/performance sweet spot and would've been more desirable overall, but yeah...it is what it is. The options are still fantastic.


----------



## cmusic

bbfoto said:


> Haha...crazy.  Honestly, my head starts spinning and I start to get "lost in the tune" after having applied anything over 10-12 bands per driver. Luckily, that's been very rare, and I usually end up somewhere in the neighborhood of 2-6 bands of correction.
> 
> If used properly, some of the newer functions & capabilities of our modern DSPs are incredibly powerful & highly effective when applied correctly. I've learned a lot about this stuff just in the last few years from studying & using studio recording and mixing techniques with some of the amazing plug-ins and tools that are available in that realm.
> 
> Of course, you have learn how to translate/correlate what's happening or what's different and applicable in our near-field, highly reflective vehicle environment, not only in the mids & treble, but especially in regards to the midbass & low bass frequencies, which if not optimized can really mask and affect what we are able to hear in the mids and highs!
> 
> *I'm still old skool and think that it's really important to try and get the acoustic side of things as good as possible via actual install practices...physical driver placement & selection in regards to pathlengths, angling/dispersion/reflections/power response, and creating optimum baffles & enclosures for specific drivers when called for.*
> 
> Luckily, I think that some of the OEM auto manufacturing engineers in more recent vehicles (even trucks & SUVs) have actually done a lot of the work for us and a really good job of optimizing the basic stock speaker locations to provide really good overall response.
> 
> Take for instance Nick Wingate's Silverado that's using only the stock dash & door speaker locations (except for the subwoofer) and it's able to compete in some aspects with vehicles such as Steven Head's Blazer that's a completely custom modified dash & firewall/kickpanel install. Of course, modern DSP really helps to make this possible, but still.
> 
> *I'd really hope that I'd never have to use even as many as 30 bands, let alone 60! As mentioned, at that point IMO some thing(s) are wrong and I would scrap my install and start fresh again with a different approach.*
> 
> But it's definitely a great time to be in car audio (and audio in general) in regards to DSPs, and also in having a plethora of really excellent performing drivers available!
> 
> Unfortunately, all of this cool stuff usually translates to big $$$$$! But even the low-cost DSPs and some of the relatively inexpensive drivers have become incredibly good.


I absolutely agree with the bold statements. DSPs are great tools to have but proper install methods is a better way to go. I know some installers that think if they are not using every adjustment on a DSP then they are not getting good sound. The opposite is true, the less you have to rely on DSP the better the system is designed and installed from the beginning. Richard Clark said back in the early '90s, and before the advent of modern DSPs, that if he saw a 30 band eq with every band adjusted and/or large adjustments from channel to channel, then there is something wrong with the design of the system. Same can be said of DSPs. 

I do agree with getting a DSP with as many adjustments as possible, but only so they will be there if they are needed. But never feel that you need to use all the adjustments.


----------



## benny z

I saw this on fb.


----------



## bbfoto

ErinH said:


> Scott,
> Can you give some info on the "option B" versions of these DSPs? Namely, is the availability time-frame the same and what is the price differential?


*Still want to know when these ADC/DAC options will be Available & Pricing???*




SQHemi said:


> *Shelf filters are something that is on the future software update list*, Along with auto EQ, auto Time correction and many other features.


*The Shelf Filter capability is kind of a big deal to me! Any estimate on when these will be implemented in the software???

And when will the 8-Channel units drop???*




benny z said:


> I saw this on fb.


Thanks Ben!

Do you have any information on when the optional ADC/DAC modules will be available???

And are the Wi-Fi modules available now as well???


----------



## captainobvious

My understanding is that there will be a little wait on the 8 channel units. Could be 2-3 months before they are here. 16 channel units were the priority to get out.


I may be interested in an 8 channel as well.


----------



## cmusic

captainobvious said:


> My understanding is that there will be a little wait on the 8 channel units. Could be 2-3 months before they are here. 16 channel units were the priority to get out.
> 
> 
> I may be interested in an 8 channel as well.


Ditto....


----------



## bbfoto

captainobvious said:


> My understanding is that there will be a little wait on the 8 channel units. Could be 2-3 months before they are here. 16 channel units were the priority to get out.
> 
> I may be interested in an 8 channel as well.


Thanks Steve. Yeah, that's what I figured and was afraid of since all of the talk and info coming from Zapco peeps has focused on the 16 channel.

Oh well, just another several months after waiting for several years, right? 

It also would've been nice if the 8-channel unit was a physically smaller form factor, but I can understand both the advantages (& trade-offs) with their modular approach.


*Still would like answers to my other Questions in my Post Above (#384).*

Paging Scott Welch...White Courtesy Telephone Please...  


I know information would be way easier to come by if I'd succumb to the dark side and use Facebook, but that ain't gonna happen anytime soon  so I greatly appreciate the Gents who cross-post that info here. :thumbsup:


----------



## benny z

Guys, I can’t answer all the questions here, but I do have one now installed and will be showing it for anyone interested at our SQOLOGY event this Saturday at Mobile Audio Plus here in Illinois.










^ temporary mounting location to get it up and going for this weekend


----------



## MrGreen83

Get that voltage up


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## Brules

Would love some quick vids showing features etc like you did with the v8 DSP. I saw one of these today and it is a hell of a nice unit. Can’t wait to see what they can do especially as software matures. The controller looks nice and I like the knob, it actually has detente!!!!! (Cough Helix director get with it caugh).


----------



## Lou Frasier2

I have a question about the bluetooth part of this unit, if I dont wan to have a deck in my pickup anymore and just want to use the bluetooth from my phone or I think it is called a fiios 5 or 7 ,is this something that I can do or am I misunderstanding this stuff?im not real knowledgeable so help me out if you can


----------



## benny z

Yes, you can play Bluetooth or other digital players directly to it. But with the USB input for its own player, I’m not sure why you’d need an external player, excect for maybe streaming/convenience from a phone...


----------



## benny z

Brules said:


> Would love some quick vids showing features etc like you did with the v8 DSP. I saw one of these today and it is a hell of a nice unit. Can’t wait to see what they can do especially as software matures. The controller looks nice and I like the knob, it actually has detente!!!!! (Cough Helix director get with it caugh).




Yes, I can make a video soon.


----------



## Lou Frasier2

benny z said:


> Yes, you can play Bluetooth or other digital players directly to it. But with the USB input for its own player, I’m not sure why you’d need an external player, excect for maybe streaming/convenience from a phone...


awesome,i appreciate it,im planning on taking the deck out of my pickup and putting a. pieces 1/4 thick plastic to cover the hole,


----------



## bbfoto

benny z said:


> Guys, I can’t answer all the questions here, but I do have one now installed and will be showing it for anyone interested at our SQOLOGY event this Saturday at Mobile Audio Plus here in Illinois.
> 
> ^ temporary mounting location to get it up and going for this weekend


Looks sweet, Ben, even if it's temporary. :thumbsup:



MrGreen83 said:


> Get that voltage up


^What he said. 



Lou Frasier2 said:


> I have a question about the bluetooth part of this unit, if I dont wan to have a deck in my pickup anymore and just want to use the bluetooth from my phone or I think it is called a fiios 5 or 7 ,is this something that I can do or am I misunderstanding this stuff?im not real knowledgeable so help me out if you can.





benny z said:


> Yes, you can play Bluetooth or other digital players directly to it. But with the USB input for its own player, I’m not sure why you’d need an external player, excect for maybe *streaming/convenience from a phone*...


Yeah, depending on the particular DAP, I'm guessing that the UI *might* be easier/better, though I haven't actually used the Zapco's HD Player & Remote myself yet, so I'll STFU and leave that to Ben to describe or do.a video. 

Ben, will this unit also take a USB input from your iPhone + CCK3 like you did with the Helix in your Durango I think??? Most of the upper-end DAPs will output via USB as well. Though I do like Zapco's built-in USB HD Player implementation which means it is "Direct-To-DAC" on the PCB.

One advantage/convenience of using a Smartphone via BT is that you have the Voice Commands via Siri or Google Assistant to just say, "_Play In The Air Tonight, Live by Holly McNarland_", etc.

With most Android devices (or any Android Smartphone using Android 9.0+), you'll be able to stream BT via APT-X or APT-HD for CD Quality+. Even my 8" Samsung Tab S2 Hi-Res display WiFi/LTE Phablet has BT APT-X, so you can choose from a plethora of music player apps and have a much larger UI.

I also saw something where the updates for the new Kenwood "XR" DD HUs *might* incorporate Google's "Alexa" functionality via Android Auto. :surprised: So on your way home from a night out with your lady, you can start playing some Barry White or Nelly's "_It's Gettin' Hot in Here_", and pre-dim the lights at home before you arrive. 

I'm going to purchase miniDSP C-DSP 8x12 v2 just to get me up and running with my new install while I patiently wait for the Zapco HDSP 8-Channel units and the Optional ADC/DAC boards to be available....

and to wait for Ben's review/verdict & Demo vids before pulling the trigger!


----------



## zamboy1

recently installed dsp @ mobile audio plus. was using a PS8

oem integration but my primary source is a fiio x7 mark2 using digital optical into the dsp


----------



## benny z

Hopefully this settles everyone’s voltage OCD.


----------



## benny z

benny z said:


> Yes, you can play Bluetooth or other digital players directly to it. But with the USB input for its own player, I’m not sure why you’d need an external player, excect for maybe streaming/convenience from a phone...




I need to correct myself here - there’s no Bluetooth out of the box... will be an add-on module.

Bluetooth *is* standard out of the box with the DSP IV-II. My fault.


----------



## benny z

Also, connecting lighting cable from iPhone directly to the USB input doesn’t play. Might work with the camera kit adapter, but I didn’t have it with me to try today.


----------



## bbfoto

benny z said:


> I need to correct myself here - there’s no Bluetooth out of the box... will be an add-on module.
> 
> Bluetooth *is* standard out of the box with the DSP IV-II. My fault.



Copy that. But it _does_ come with the WiFi module, right???

And do you Wirelessly connect to the HDSP to make Tuning Adjustments via WiFi, OR Bluetooth???


From the bottom of the Zapco HDSP 5-series product web page at https://www.zapco.com/hdsp-5-series ...

"*Included Wi-Fi and optional HD BT*_ allow the HDSP to connect to all auxiliary “smart” devices.

The HDSP have wi-fi port plus the cable extension kit, which is supplied together with the product, provided with a 1 meter extension cable to allow an optimal wireless signal even when the HDSP is installed in remote places and without signal inside the car.

The *HD Bluetooth Module (optional)* is a Qualcomm CSR8675 premium tier single-chip solution with 80 MHz DSP, delivering high quality wireless audio performance over Bluetooth and *aptX HD* making it an ideal choice for premium audio products"._


----------



## benny z

you connect to the dsp over wifi to control the unit/software...and play music over bluetooth... my understanding is they did it that way so you can play music over bluetooth and tune over wifi at the same time... all wirelessly... theoretically.


----------



## bbfoto

benny z said:


> you connect to the dsp over wifi to control the unit/software...and play music over bluetooth... my understanding is they did it that way so you can play music over bluetooth and tune over wifi at the same time... all wirelessly... theoretically.


:thumbsup: 

Thanks for the confirmation. That's what I was thinking.


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## benny z

As promised...

https://youtu.be/nCW3jXHGf14


----------



## Brules

Thanks! I love the way they are going with the media player. Next year or 2 will be huge with DSPs taking over for HU's!!!

Zapco needs to make some tuning vids showing how the software works - Ie: like Josiah did with the Helix stuff!


----------



## bbfoto

benny z said:


> As promised...
> 
> https://youtu.be/nCW3jXHGf14


Awesome Ben. Thanks for your time in testing & demo'ing this. :thumbsup:

RTFM, LOL! Yeah, that gets us every time. 

I think I posted my concerns way back in the thread on the probability of the HD Player being limited to FAT32. Kind of a bummer, but it is what it is. I suspect that you are correct when wanting to use a larger than 32GB capacity Thumbdrive/HHD/SSD in that it will require multiple 32GB partitions on the drive.

But I'm really happy to hear that the SQ with the HD Player is at least as good, if not better, than other digital playback interfaces.  I think this *might* need a true A/B/X blind test to be proven due to possible confirmation bias and the McGurk effect, but I'm sure that your ears aren't lying to you either.  If it was worse, you'd surely notice lost or masked details that you are familiar with.

Notes on the HD Player Interface & Display:

Overall it looks really nice, responds quick enough, an the UI with the screen & rotary commander seem well thoughtout.

A small nitpick, but I'd like to see just a little bit faster Scrolling of the filenames/track titles, etc, especially for those long filenames. If it's not user-adjustable, I'm sure it could be modified in a firmware update.

I also suspected that the HD Player would not make use ID3 Tags or Album Artwork, so what you get is a basic Folder/File/Filename structure & hierarchy, & subsequent display. While not the most convenient or flashy, it is solid, reliable, & predicable.

Is there any way to randomly "Shuffle" ALL of the tracks, whether globally (the entire drive) or within a single Folder? Or you would have to manually create a "mixtape" Folder with the tracks you prefer? 

I think Scott or someone else mentioned that you can use Playlists, but you would have to manually create them outside of the HD player interface, i.e. on your computer, then load onto your USB drive.

Due to the size of the touchscreen, from a convenience & safety aspect, I can't really see using this as my "Daily Driver" playback interface. Your hands & fingers looked massive in comparison to the HD Player remote. I think it would be a bit cumbersome while driving. Though I'm sure it works fine for use in competitions and demo'ing while static.

Ultimately, sound quality is obviously the most important aspect for all of us, and it looks as if Zapco has nailed it in that regard, so a huge :thumbsup:

Thanks again for taking the time to record the video.


----------



## nirschl

Many thanks for the video, Ben! Looks like they really did their homework with this one. I am patiently waiting for mine to arrive to me and get it installed. Comp season over here is starting up soon. 

Cheers


----------



## Analog Values

Uh, oh. I feel really stupid. I read the manual regarding FAT32 format, bought a 1TB flash drive, and used third party software to reformat the flash drive from NTFS to FAT32. My Zapco unit has not arrived yet, but am now concerned about the flash drive. Is it also necessary to partition the flash drive into 32g partitions? Can anyone out there provide additional FAT32 insight? Thanks!


----------



## ckirocz28

Analog Values said:


> Uh, oh. I feel really stupid. I read the manual regarding FAT32 format, bought a 1TB flash drive, and used third party software to reformat the flash drive from NTFS to FAT32. My Zapco unit has not arrived yet, but am now concerned about the flash drive. Is it also necessary to partition the flash drive into 32g partitions? Can anyone out there provide additional FAT32 insight? Thanks!


No files larger than 4GB, no partitions larger than 2TB. Those are the fat32 filesystem limitations. There may be others imposed by the Zapco hardware. I've never had any problems with exceeding supposed hardware limitations, as long as the filesystem is correct.


----------



## captainobvious

Ben- nice video. Can you use the rotary knob to scroll through tracks? Can you press and hold the up/down arrows to scroll through tracks? Or do you need to press each time?
How about preset selection in the dsp, is that an instant change like on the Z8 IV models, or does it take some time to load, like the Helix?
What does the output level go to on the rotary volume controller? 0db? Or higher?




Thanks


----------



## benny z

Knob doesn’t control scrolling.

You *can* hold down the arrow buttons to quickly scroll (thanks, hadn’t tried that yet).

Idk about switching tunes yet - I’ve only got one tune loaded. I’d assume/hope it’s instant like the IV...

And the volume goes to 0.


----------



## bbfoto

SQHemi said:


> ...
> 
> -Scott





bbfoto said:


> *I'd still like to know WHEN the ADC/DAC options will be Available & Pricing???*
> 
> *Shelf Filters. Any estimate on when these will be implemented in the software??? Ben, are these working now in your unit?
> 
> Are the BLUETOOTH Modules available now?
> 
> And WHEN will the 8-Channel units drop???*


TIA!


----------



## benny z

https://youtu.be/jpzGwMKrROE


----------



## oabeieo

Ben, your a stud! 

Thanks for sharing that. My buddy wants that player and that helped a ton


----------



## benny z

No problem - glad it helped someone.

Happy to make more to answer any specific questions as needed.


----------



## nirschl

Am I correct in assuming the HDSP-V series will also have an downloadable iOS app coming soon like the DSP series?


----------



## BubbaMc

Does anyone know which sample rate converter algorithm is used for the player when playing sample rates other than 48kHz?


----------



## ryanr7386

benny z said:


> No problem - glad it helped someone.
> 
> Happy to make more to answer any specific questions as needed.


So with the Dash Board Control, are you able to control the volume of your Sub channels separately?


----------



## nirschl

I got the HDSP “installed” last night. Ran in to some issues along the way. Most of them were related to the supplied USB cable. It says in the manual that you should use a shorter USB cable for initial set-up as the supplied longer one may not work properly with certain PCs. This seemed to be the case for me. It would start to load and then and error message would pop up. I’m new to this type of DSP software and newish to the work of PC as well. Been a Mac guy for some years...another topic. 

Now I need to learn this software. I’m having an issue where most of the sound is coming out of the right side and the balance L to R doesn’t really do anything. It’s got to be something with my settings, so I’ll keep at it...


----------



## nirschl

nirschl said:


> I got the HDSP “installed” last night. Ran in to some issues along the way. Most of them were related to the supplied USB cable. It says in the manual that you should use a shorter USB cable for initial set-up as the supplied longer one may not work properly with certain PCs. This seemed to be the case for me. It would start to load and then and error message would pop up. I’m new to this type of DSP software and newish to the work of PC as well. Been a Mac guy for some years...another topic.
> 
> Now I need to learn this software. I’m having an issue where most of the sound is coming out of the right side and the balance L to R doesn’t really do anything. It’s got to be something with my settings, so I’ll keep at it...


Ok, all is right in the world again. My HDSP is up and running flawlessly. When in doubt...RTFM...as Ben said in his video. Once you get the hang of it, the software is easy to work with. I actually had to purchase a PC laptop to run this thing. 15inch screen FTW. I can't imagine running that software off of anything much smaller. 

Incredible unit. First listening impressions are extremely pleasing.


----------



## nirschl

ryanr7386 said:


> So with the Dash Board Control, are you able to control the volume of your Sub channels separately?


That would be a negative sir.


----------



## offbrandracing

The lit says it has sub control. Total bs if it does’t. My unit shut off today during the drive home and i was greeted w 30 mins of engine wine.....after an hour sitting in the driveway i went out to check and it came back on.....




Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## nirschl

offbrandracing said:


> The lit says it has sub control. Total bs if it does’t. My unit shut off today during the drive home and i was greeted w 30 mins of engine wine.....after an hour sitting in the driveway i went out to check and it came back on.....
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


I’ll have to have a closer look. All I saw was basic audio controls: Balance, Fader, bass, middle and treble


Mine gave me trouble during initial set-up but, once I swapped out the supplied USB cable to a shorter one it went smoothly. Still learning it.


----------



## offbrandracing

Agreed ok the sub. Lit doesn’t show it but on the web it does. I am trying to check on it now. Would be a miss if they didn’t include it. Sound quality is improved over my twek. Hopefully my issues will get resolved in short order. 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## adriancp

Let me apologize in advance if this has been covered, but I skimmed over 400 posts & didn't catch it. 

Does the DSP IV II have All Pass phase eq?

Sent from my SM-G965U using Tapatalk


----------



## rton20s

adriancp said:


> Let me apologize in advance if this has been covered, but I skimmed over 400 posts & didn't catch it.
> 
> Does the DSP IV II have All Pass phase eq?
> 
> Sent from my SM-G965U using Tapatalk


----------



## adriancp

rton20s said:


>


Umm...why do I get the feeling I just asked a really stupid question? Yes I looked at the site & stuff. Just wanted to make sure I wasn't missing anything. 

Sent from my SM-G965U using Tapatalk


----------



## captainobvious

Hahaha, he is just responding in memes (it's his thing). The answer is no.


----------



## ryanr7386

nirschl said:


> I’ll have to have a closer look. All I saw was basic audio controls: Balance, Fader, bass, middle and treble
> 
> 
> Mine gave me trouble during initial set-up but, once I swapped out the supplied USB cable to a shorter one it went smoothly. Still learning it.


I haven't found it yet but haven't looked thoroughly yet. The money this thing costs it should be able to control the Weather


----------



## ryanr7386

benny z said:


> As promised...
> 
> https://youtu.be/nCW3jXHGf14


Benny, so how did you setup the HD player on the I/O page? Is it my understanding you need to create some Loop Backs to Channels 1 & 2?

Thanks


----------



## Analog Values

My Zapco HDSP was installed yesterday, and there are four problems for which I’d very much appreciate your advice. I’m not doing this myself, but am working with a professional installer, and here’s my story:

•	I have a 2017 GM Sierra for which I’m using a NAV-TV M650-GM front-end interface. This has fiber optic connection capability, which I chose to use instead of the analog cables. I knew I would only be able to control volume with the factory unit (and not the Zapco director), but I’m disappointed in the result. It sounds as if the fiber optic connection is choking my amplifier, and I’m not hearing the full robust sound I expected. It’s not simply a question of volume, but a sense that I want to hear………..more. Of course, perhaps he turned down the amplifier more than I would have liked, and it’s not really the fiber optic connection at all. In any event, what experiences have you had with fiber optic connections, and what should I expect?

•	Secondly, he said he had trouble tuning in a center sound stage (I don’t have a physical center speaker), and ended up using the looping capability to achieve this. However, it compressed the sound stage to being center centric, instead of the center simply being centric for vocals. When I listen to the setting time phased for the driver, it’s inferior to the non-time phased setting tuned as a compromise for all passengers. Is this looping something he should have done? Perhaps I need some remedial DSP 101 education as to what objective tuning is striving to achieve. I want a broad soundstage where I hear distinct instruments coming from different places, but don’t appreciate compression towards the center. I’m beginning to second guess my own expectations.

•	He could not get my flash drive to work (subject of next bullet), and tuned the unit entirely from the fiber optic feed. I then returned home, loaded some music on another flash drive, and got it to work with the HD player. Sort of. To my amazement, all tracks exhibited massive low and mid-bass, with more than a fair amount of distortion. The sound stage dropped vertically below the dashboard, and it is absolutely unlistenable! Should it be my expectation that the front-end feed (whether that be optical or analog) has to be tuned with its own presets different from tuning presets for the HD Player? Perhaps going to RCA cables would bring the front-end and HD player closer into alignment, but I’m left with a suspicion they need to be tuned separately. What are your thoughts?

•	Now to the flash drive that won’t work. I bought a Corsair 1 TB flash drive, and formatted it to FAT32. It works when I simply plug it into a USB port connected to the factory head unit, but won’t work with the HD player. Is this because of its semi-solid state design? Is it because I have not partitioned it? I see a message something along the lines of my folders or files are not yet available. Does that mean it simply takes a long time to organize all the music I have on the flash drive, and will eventually work? Also, perhaps my folders are too deep. I have genre, artist, album and song title. Is that too many folders? It’s kind of driving me crazy.

Thank you very much for your advice.


----------



## MrGreen83

Need a new installer. Sounds like he had a lot of issues! U sure it’s the Zapco DSP and not just him?? Lol 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## truckguy

Analog Values, you might need to start a new thread so you don’t muddy this one up. I have a 17 GMC Canyon with the NavTV unit. I went analog using some Stinger 8000 at first. I then went to upgrade to Stinger 9000 and had them shipped directly to the installer which was quite a ways away from where I live. When I got there the cables that arrived were not what I ordered which really sucked. Back story is I ordered a prior pair to my home and they were wrong too. I thought maybe the second round shipped to an installer would be correct but nope. Anyway, I had a digital cable already installed so I told the installer to go ahead and give it a try instead of the analog. I was trying to fix an issue with the NavTV unit. I had a low noise but only when my headlights were on and my truck was on. With my lights off I had no issues with noise. Running digital fixed the issue. I couldn’t tell a difference between analog and digital. Is it because of “lower” quality Stinger 8000? No idea but I’m pretty happy with the way it sounds on digital. 

I can’t help with the tuning situation.


----------



## Analog Values

I appreciate your point about contaminating this thread with unrelated issues, as I have several. However, back to the HD player. Last night, I got a flash drive to work with just a few songs on it. This morning, I then loaded it with more music, and now it has the same issue as the original flash drive. I receive a message to the effect files not yet ready. I then loaded yet another flash drive with just a couple of songs and it works. Is this simply a matter of the HD player not being able to handle too much content? Any thoughts?


----------



## tonny

Analog Values said:


> My Zapco HDSP was installed yesterday, and there are four problems for which I’d very much appreciate your advice. I’m not doing this myself, but am working with a professional installer, and here’s my story:
> 
> •	I have a 2017 GM Sierra for which I’m using a NAV-TV M650-GM front-end interface. This has fiber optic connection capability, which I chose to use instead of the analog cables. I knew I would only be able to control volume with the factory unit (and not the Zapco director), but I’m disappointed in the result. It sounds as if the fiber optic connection is choking my amplifier, and I’m not hearing the full robust sound I expected. It’s not simply a question of volume, but a sense that I want to hear………..more. Of course, perhaps he turned down the amplifier more than I would have liked, and it’s not really the fiber optic connection at all. In any event, what experiences have you had with fiber optic connections, and what should I expect?
> 
> •	Secondly, he said he had trouble tuning in a center sound stage (I don’t have a physical center speaker), and ended up using the looping capability to achieve this. However, it compressed the sound stage to being center centric, instead of the center simply being centric for vocals. When I listen to the setting time phased for the driver, it’s inferior to the non-time phased setting tuned as a compromise for all passengers. Is this looping something he should have done? Perhaps I need some remedial DSP 101 education as to what objective tuning is striving to achieve. I want a broad soundstage where I hear distinct instruments coming from different places, but don’t appreciate compression towards the center. I’m beginning to second guess my own expectations.
> 
> 
> Thank you very much for your advice.


when connecting an head unit with an optical cable to the dsp you have to use the volume control on the dsp to control the volume, if you do that on the head unit it won't work on 99% off the units, and if it work over the optical cable it will reduce the bit rate and there for the SQ off the system.... with a good head unit there is nothing wrong with an analog connection if done right it will still sounds very good! 

as for the center problem, if everything is connected the right way in a stereo setup just delay the driver side speakers will give you a centre in between the drivers, if that is not working something is not connected right....


----------



## ryanr7386

Question for All? Would it be Wise to start a New Thread now that These New Processors are out now to deal with the Installation, Tuning of this new Processor etc?


----------



## hdrugs

Not enough people buying it no reviews out yet,


----------



## Analog Values

I’d like to provide a heads-up on problems I’m experiencing with respect to flash drive folder / file compatibility with the HD player. As I sit here writing this note, my truck is in the driveway with the stereo stuck to on, producing a dudududududu………static that won’t cease. The director froze up. It won’t turn off or change status. I then unplugged the director, with no change. My truck is sitting in the driveway turned off, continuing to produce static that is no doubt draining my battery. _Life has its trials and tribulations_.

How did I get here? My installer could not get my flash drive to work with the HD player, so I loaded some music on a different flash drive when I got it home, and was successful. I’ve since been working with the original flash drive (containing my music library) to bring it in line with whatever constraints the HD player operates within (which I still don’t know). Prior to disaster striking, I thought I was making progress. My music library was arranged with folders for genre, artist, album, and titles. This clearly didn’t work, so I removed the genre and artist folders, leaving only a single album folder containing titles. I also broke up some large FLAC albums that were still too large. All of this proved successful on my ‘test’ flash drive. _So far, so good._

When I reconstructed my library flash drive to this convention, my initial message was something like ‘files not yet available’. I then went back and discovered I needed to clean the flash drive to remove files I had deleted. I had to empty the trash. After that, there was apparent progress. All of my folders appeared on the menu, and the first folder actually played a song. However, I could not scroll to a different song within the same album, or down to a different album. In going back to pick out different folders, I experienced one of two responses. Either the touch screen would fail to check a folder I touched, or I would receive an error message ‘bad format’.

I then scrubbed my library of content, removing all FLAC files and reducing overall data volume by about two thirds. I thought I’d regroup with a much smaller profile and then add files a few at a time to see what would work. This time, to my amazement, I experienced the static-that-won’t-turn-off condition. Although this is amazing in and of itself, I’m further confused by the fact I was in downsizing mode. I had removed two thirds of the data previously used, and remembered to empty the trash of deleted files. _Shock and dismay._

On a different topic, I’ve never gotten the presets to remain after turning off the director. Every time I restarted the truck, I’ve had to reset those presets. Is this simply a design flaw, or another problem with my unit?

_Someday, I’ll get through all of this, and laugh in retrospect. Right? That is right, isn't it?
_


----------



## bbfoto

Analog Values said:


> I’d like to provide a heads-up on problems I’m experiencing with respect to flash drive folder / file compatibility with the HD player. As I sit here writing this note, my truck is in the driveway with the stereo stuck to on, producing a dudududududu………static that won’t cease. The director froze up. It won’t turn off or change status. I then unplugged the director, with no change. My truck is sitting in the driveway turned off, continuing to produce static that is no doubt draining my battery. _Life has its trials and tribulations_.
> 
> How did I get here? My installer could not get my flash drive to work with the HD player, so I loaded some music on a different flash drive when I got it home, and was successful. I’ve since been working with the original flash drive (containing my music library) to bring it in line with whatever constraints the HD player operates within (which I still don’t know). Prior to disaster striking, I thought I was making progress. My music library was arranged with folders for genre, artist, album, and titles. This clearly didn’t work, so I removed the genre and artist folders, leaving only a single album folder containing titles. I also broke up some large FLAC albums that were still too large. All of this proved successful on my ‘test’ flash drive. _So far, so good._
> 
> When I reconstructed my library flash drive to this convention, my initial message was something like ‘files not yet available’. I then went back and discovered I needed to clean the flash drive to remove files I had deleted. I had to empty the trash. After that, there was apparent progress. All of my folders appeared on the menu, and the first folder actually played a song. However, I could not scroll to a different song within the same album, or down to a different album. In going back to pick out different folders, I experienced one of two responses. Either the touch screen would fail to check a folder I touched, or I would receive an error message ‘bad format’.
> 
> I then scrubbed my library of content, removing all FLAC files and reducing overall data volume by about two thirds. I thought I’d regroup with a much smaller profile and then add files a few at a time to see what would work. This time, to my amazement, I experienced the static-that-won’t-turn-off condition. Although this is amazing in and of itself, I’m further confused by the fact I was in downsizing mode. I had removed two thirds of the data previously used, and remembered to empty the trash of deleted files. _Shock and dismay._
> 
> On a different topic, I’ve never gotten the presets to remain after turning off the director. Every time I restarted the truck, I’ve had to reset those presets. Is this simply a design flaw, or another problem with my unit?
> 
> _Someday, I’ll get through all of this, and laugh in retrospect. Right? That is right, isn't it?
> _


I hope that is right, considering the amount of money & time invested.

Really sorry to hear of your troubles with the unit! But thank you for posting your real-world experiences so far.

Have you or the installer contacted Zapco for technical support regarding these issues?

Doesn't the User Manual cover the required size, formatting, and folder/file structure limitations and heirarchy for the USB file storage & playback for the HD player?


----------



## kennethteng

Analog Values said:


> I’d like to provide a heads-up on problems I’m experiencing with respect to flash drive folder / file compatibility with the HD player. As I sit here writing this note, my truck is in the driveway with the stereo stuck to on, producing a dudududududu………static that won’t cease. The director froze up. It won’t turn off or change status. I then unplugged the director, with no change. My truck is sitting in the driveway turned off, continuing to produce static that is no doubt draining my battery. _Life has its trials and tribulations_.
> 
> How did I get here? My installer could not get my flash drive to work with the HD player, so I loaded some music on a different flash drive when I got it home, and was successful. I’ve since been working with the original flash drive (containing my music library) to bring it in line with whatever constraints the HD player operates within (which I still don’t know). Prior to disaster striking, I thought I was making progress. My music library was arranged with folders for genre, artist, album, and titles. This clearly didn’t work, so I removed the genre and artist folders, leaving only a single album folder containing titles. I also broke up some large FLAC albums that were still too large. All of this proved successful on my ‘test’ flash drive. _So far, so good._
> 
> When I reconstructed my library flash drive to this convention, my initial message was something like ‘files not yet available’. I then went back and discovered I needed to clean the flash drive to remove files I had deleted. I had to empty the trash. After that, there was apparent progress. All of my folders appeared on the menu, and the first folder actually played a song. However, I could not scroll to a different song within the same album, or down to a different album. In going back to pick out different folders, I experienced one of two responses. Either the touch screen would fail to check a folder I touched, or I would receive an error message ‘bad format’.
> 
> I then scrubbed my library of content, removing all FLAC files and reducing overall data volume by about two thirds. I thought I’d regroup with a much smaller profile and then add files a few at a time to see what would work. This time, to my amazement, I experienced the static-that-won’t-turn-off condition. Although this is amazing in and of itself, I’m further confused by the fact I was in downsizing mode. I had removed two thirds of the data previously used, and remembered to empty the trash of deleted files. _Shock and dismay._
> 
> On a different topic, I’ve never gotten the presets to remain after turning off the director. Every time I restarted the truck, I’ve had to reset those presets. Is this simply a design flaw, or another problem with my unit?
> 
> _Someday, I’ll get through all of this, and laugh in retrospect. Right? That is right, isn't it?
> _


Maybe I can offer some insight to your flash drive problem as I have done some trial & error and below is what I have achieve till date. Sadly I cannot fully eliminate the problem that I have with the flash drive.

I have just gotten my Zapco processor (HSDP-Z16v) installed yesterday by my installer, replacing my Helix DSP Pro which is just a temporary solution while waiting for the Zapco to arrive. The Z16v is also temporary as I'll be using Z8V instead, which will only arrive next month.

I have gotten a 256GB Sandisk flash drive loaded with WAV & FLAC files in structured folders and it can't read any of the files on the flash drive. The HDplayer icon pop out but when click on it, it show as no file listed.
I was then told by my installer that the the flash drive need to be "conditioned" before Zapco can read it properly.
If you have flash drive that Zapco can't read, re-format it to FAT32 again cos the Zapco need to be the first device to read the flash drive. If after you format and you plug into another playback device before Zapco, Zapco will not be able to read the flash drive.

My installer has numerous demo flash drive and all doesn't work with Zapco. Need to go thru the re-format process, plug into Zapco first and it works. Then you can plug into other playback device and back to Zapco and it still work.

I went home, re-format an old Sony 16GB flash drive, loaded some music sorted with folders by Artist Name & Album Name, totaling 5 albums. It works!!!

Do the same on the 256GB Sandisk flash drive, load it with 150GB worth of music but it fail. 
Did some investigation work and found that the Allocation Size setting when doing re-format was different between Sony and Sandisk. I reformat it again using 32KB allocation size (recommended by ppl online), loaded 3 music file to test and now Zapco can read it. 
I plug Sandisk back into my computer and there are 2 new hidden files, possibly created by Zapco.
1) metadata_ls
2) metadata_ls.md5
The above 2 files can also be found on each folder that has music files on the Sony flash drive.

After which, I took the tedious task of loading 150GB worth of music in structured folders into the Sandisk and it fail... 
What the heck???

Looks like format Allocation Size might not be affecting the readability of the flash drive by Zapco.
Can it be that there's a limit in number of files/folders on flash drive?
Zapco literature that came with the DSP did not mention anything on any limitation. My installer, who went to the product launch also did not hear anything from Zapco regarding any limitation. Zapoco even comment that they did not receive any feedback on issue regarding flash drive from USA since launch.
To me the brand/type of flash drive is not the cause of the problem. Some other stuff is causing the problem.

On my Alpine headunit, even if the flash drive exceed the file/folder count, it will still be able to read and show those within the count limit and those outside the count limit will not be visible.

I will keep trying and hopefully I can find a solution for it. I have a 1TB portable SSD arriving this week so I will test it out too.



Other than the flash drive problem, the Zapco DSP sound much better than my Helix DSP. It sound much fuller and more full body with bigger depth in soundstage, whereas Helix sound thin in my opinion.
I'm hoping Zapco can improve on the HDplayer via future firmware updates as currently it can only select, view and play. No repeat, no shuffle, no gapless. It don't remember last play once it turn off.


----------



## Analog Values

Wow. Zapco accepts nothing but virgins! I didn't read that in the instructions. Thanks for the help, and I'll do as you suggest and start from scratch. I'll reformat the flash drive, use it first on the Zapco, and then start adding files a few at a time.

On my 'test' flash drive, folder / file size was critical. If you have several albums per a single artist, or large FLAG files, that may be too large. My test drive worked if I spoon fed it small files / folders.

Good luck!


----------



## kennethteng

Just a quick update on what I have discovered for the past days.

The metadata files that I found are embedded into every folders that had music files. It seems to be created by Zapco HDSP-V when it access the flash drive.
The metadata files are classified as "hidden system files" so need to go to file explorer to change setting to make it visible.

Using the Daft Punk "Random Access Memories" album, which I purchased from HDtracks as test subject, this is what I found in the metadata files.

metadata_ls is a text files that seems to list the songs details in the folder. Here's the content of metadata_ls.
_"v2
8F0D2722389ED535A9B20DE3CE4AA802
/Daft Punk/Random Access Memories_High Res/01-Give Life Back to Music.wav
ARTIST UNKNOWN
ALBUM UNKNOWN
01-Give Life Back to Music.wav
/Daft Punk/Random Access Memories_High Res/02-The Game of Love.wav
ARTIST UNKNOWN
ALBUM UNKNOWN
02-The Game of Love.wav
/Daft Punk/Random Access Memories_High Res/03-Giorgio by Moroder.wav
ARTIST UNKNOWN
ALBUM UNKNOWN
03-Giorgio by Moroder.wav
/Daft Punk/Random Access Memories_High Res/04-Within.wav
ARTIST UNKNOWN
ALBUM UNKNOWN
04-Within.wav
/Daft Punk/Random Access Memories_High Res/05-Instant Crush (feat. Julian Casablancas).wav
ARTIST UNKNOWN
ALBUM UNKNOWN
05-Instant Crush (feat. Julian Casablancas).wav
/Daft Punk/Random Access Memories_High Res/06-Lose Yourself to Dance (feat. Pharrell Williams).wav
ARTIST UNKNOWN
ALBUM UNKNOWN
06-Lose Yourself to Dance (feat. Pharrell Williams).wav
/Daft Punk/Random Access Memories_High Res/07-Touch (feat. Paul Williams).wav
ARTIST UNKNOWN
ALBUM UNKNOWN
07-Touch (feat. Paul Williams).wav
/Daft Punk/Random Access Memories_High Res/08-Get Lucky (feat. Pharrell Williams).wav
ARTIST UNKNOWN
ALBUM UNKNOWN
08-Get Lucky (feat. Pharrell Williams).wav
/Daft Punk/Random Access Memories_High Res/09-Beyond.wav
ARTIST UNKNOWN
ALBUM UNKNOWN
09-Beyond.wav
/Daft Punk/Random Access Memories_High Res/10-Motherboard.wav
ARTIST UNKNOWN
ALBUM UNKNOWN
10-Motherboard.wav
/Daft Punk/Random Access Memories_High Res/11-Fragments of Time (feat. Todd Edwards).wav
ARTIST UNKNOWN
ALBUM UNKNOWN
11-Fragments of Time (feat. Todd Edwards).wav
/Daft Punk/Random Access Memories_High Res/12-Doin' It Right (feat. Panda Bear).wav
ARTIST UNKNOWN
ALBUM UNKNOWN
12-Doin' It Right (feat. Panda Bear).wav
/Daft Punk/Random Access Memories_High Res/13-Contact.wav
ARTIST UNKNOWN
ALBUM UNKNOWN
13-Contact.wav"_

"8F0D2722389ED535A9B20DE3CE4AA802" might be the MD5 Hash for the folder, which I cannot verify.


As for metadata_ls.md5, it's also a text file containing the MD5 Hash of metadata_ls file. Here's it's content.
_"CF08CDEEF8A35A5C4DAB64DB68D4F765"_
I have verify it using HashMyFiles app.


My 1TB SSD from Sandish came in yesterday and I load all my music into the SSD after reformat it to Fat32 but HDplayer can't pull any music files from it. When I plug it back to my computer I did not find any metadata files.

My guess is that Zapco HDSP-V created the metadata files and uses the metadata files to load music files


I'm currently ran out of idea of what I can do now.


----------



## SQHemi

Hello all. 

I see people are having issues with the file structure so let me shed some light on what is working for me.

First off. The file structure has to be FAT32, it has already been said multiple times but let's start there. I use the following 3rd party program to do it on my hard drives. Ridgecrop Consultants Ltd super quick and easy. No need to change any setting tell it which drive location and let it do its thing.

Secondly. Don't load music files other than what it will play. No DSD, No M3u, No M4a... nothing other than what it was designed to play. It will display "bad format" and then reset and put you back on the top level of the file structure. Be patient go thru your library and the get it correct. You will only have to do it once.

Third. REMOVE THE ARTWORK from your file structure. If you're like me, you just copied all the files from your computer as they were including all album artwork. Well, that locks up the unit and causes an issue with the player as it was not designed to read those files. Remove them, I realize it sucks to go thru folder after folder to remove them but do it. You'll only have to do it once. I am using 2 separate hard drives one Seagate and one WD, both are 2TB and both have no issues. The Seagate has 1.2g and the HD has 1.7g of music.

Lastly, there will be future updates that will make life easier with the file structure and using the controller.


----------



## kennethteng

Did some test after advice from SQHemi.

Did a clean-up on my 1TB Portable SSD, removing all the un-necessary files and now it left with only FLAC, WAV & MP3. It has 300GB worth of music and only 3 folders deep, Genre > Artist > Album Title.
Plug it back into Zapco, HPplayer appears but it still show as no file listed. Very disappointed and demoralizing. 

Mind you that my Sony Flash Drive (16GB) also has some non-music files in it, like album artwork, PDF, CUE, etc and Zapco can retrieve the music files.
It's 2 folders deep (Artist > Album Title) and has a total of 6 albums.
I did a clean-up as precaution and added 3 more albums into it. Zapco can read it!!!

Is the folder structure too deep, causing the problem?

Once I have the time, I'm gonna do some additional test listed below.
1) 2 folders deep vs 3 folders deep
2) Load 10 albums at a time until reaching 50 albums then 50 albums at a time until issues found. Check for any folders/music files limit, if any.
3) Check music file names for any unusual character in it, which might be causing some issues.
4) Put the same metadata files on the Sony flash drive into the Sandisk SSD and test whether it works or not.

Feel free to let me know what other test you're interested in so that I can give it a shot.


Another point to note on the HDplayer for those who might want to install HDSP-V. It only listing the names of folders with music files in it. It's not like other music player that let you "scroll" thru the folders and user can select it down to the folders with music.
For example, you won't see the Artist Name folder but the Album Name folder only even though you structured to Artist Name > Album Name.


----------



## kennethteng

Did some further testing during the past days and here's what I discovered.

Testing Tools Details
1) Sony 16GB USB3.0 Flash Drive - only flash drive to read without fail till date

291 Files, 22 Folders, 12.5GB worth of music files
2 folders deep only, Artist Name > Album Name
Have never fail when plugged into Zapco, even after adding more albums
2) Sandisk 256GB Ultra Fit USB 3.1 Flash Drive

Test Tool#1 (TT1) is the benchmark and all testing done on Test Tool#2 (TT2).


Test 1
TT2 having same content as TT1 except that there's a parent directory to test 3 folders deep file structure.
Results: Fail. DIR shows the folder name but ARTIST/ALBUM/TITLE shows "List Empty". 
At DIR, when select a song to play, it pop up "BAD FORMAT!". Subsequently no songs can be selected to play

Test 2
TT2 re-formatted after Test 1 and now having exactly same content as TT1.
Results: Pass. Can read and can play.
Conclusion: HDplayer has problem supporting folders more than 3 folders deep.

Other Findings & Observations

1) Do not support special character, like "dot", in folder or file name. It will mess up HDplayer when displaying in DIR/ARTIST/ALBUM/TITLE.

2) Can display English, Chinese (Simplfied/Tranditional) and Japanese character. Not able to display Korean character, showing a rectangular box for each character.

3) In Dir view, the folders name are not sorted totally by alphabetical orders.
Example:
A1 > A1A, A1B, A1C
A2 > A2A, A2B
B1 > B1A, B1B, B1C
DIR View: A1A, A1B, A1C, A2A, A2B, B1A, B1B, B1C

4) When a "bad" flash drive is installed, the volume control will stop working after 5-10 secs from power up. Change selection from " HDPlayer" to "Radio/CD" doesn't help. All other menu selection works.


For now, I will stick to the Sony 16GB flash drive to use until Zapco release updated firmware to resolve some of the issues, bugs and limitations that the HDplayer has.


----------



## SQHemi

I have confirmed your 3 layers deep issue on my unit and reported to the Zapco engineer handling this issue which he confirmed as they are currently working on a firmware update to fix that. I also have a new software version that's not on their site yet that I can send if you pm me your email.




kennethteng said:


> Did some further testing during the past days and here's what I discovered.
> 
> Testing Tools Details
> 1) Sony 16GB USB3.0 Flash Drive - only flash drive to read without fail till date
> 
> 291 Files, 22 Folders, 12.5GB worth of music files
> 2 folders deep only, Artist Name > Album Name
> Have never fail when plugged into Zapco, even after adding more albums
> 2) Sandisk 256GB Ultra Fit USB 3.1 Flash Drive
> 
> Test Tool#1 (TT1) is the benchmark and all testing done on Test Tool#2 (TT2).
> 
> 
> Test 1
> TT2 having same content as TT1 except that there's a parent directory to test 3 folders deep file structure.
> Results: Fail. DIR shows the folder name but ARTIST/ALBUM/TITLE shows "List Empty".
> At DIR, when select a song to play, it pop up "BAD FORMAT!". Subsequently no songs can be selected to play
> 
> Test 2
> TT2 re-formatted after Test 1 and now having exactly same content as TT1.
> Results: Pass. Can read and can play.
> Conclusion: HDplayer has problem supporting folders more than 3 folders deep.
> 
> Other Findings & Observations
> 
> 1) Do not support special character, like "dot", in folder or file name. It will mess up HDplayer when displaying in DIR/ARTIST/ALBUM/TITLE.
> 
> 2) Can display English, Chinese (Simplfied/Tranditional) and Japanese character. Not able to display Korean character, showing a rectangular box for each character.
> 
> 3) In Dir view, the folders name are not sorted totally by alphabetical orders.
> Example:
> A1 > A1A, A1B, A1C
> A2 > A2A, A2B
> B1 > B1A, B1B, B1C
> DIR View: A1A, A1B, A1C, A2A, A2B, B1A, B1B, B1C
> 
> 4) When a "bad" flash drive is installed, the volume control will stop working after 5-10 secs from power up. Change selection from " HDPlayer" to "Radio/CD" doesn't help. All other menu selection works.
> 
> 
> For now, I will stick to the Sony 16GB flash drive to use until Zapco release updated firmware to resolve some of the issues, bugs and limitations that the HDplayer has.


----------



## bbfoto

kennethteng said:


> Did some further testing during the past days and here's what I discovered....


Kenneth, thanks for all of your time in testing this!

Do any of your music files have Embedded Artwork??? If so, will they play okay or does this cause problems for the HD Player?




SQHemi said:


> I have confirmed your 3 layers deep issue on my unit and reported to the Zapco engineer handling this issue which he confirmed as they are currently working on a firmware update to fix that. I also have a new software version that's not on their site yet that I can send if you pm me your email.


Joe, thanks for your response to these problems. Is there any timeline for the fixes & HD Player update? Are we talking a few days, a week, a month, or?

As above, will the HD Player handle FLAC, AAC, or MP3 files that have EMBEDDED ARTWORK (not a separate picture file that is kept in the same folder with the music files, but album cover artwork that's actually embedded into the music file)???

ALL of my Music Library of over 10,000 songs that are in FLAC, MP3, or AAC have Embedded Artwork in each actual music file. Only my WAV files do not have Embedded Artwork, but instead have a separate Album Art image placed in each folder along with the corresponding music files.

Every other Computer-based or SmartDevice-based music player program or app that I've used (A LOT) has had no problem displaying the Embedded Album Art or playing these files...

Will the HD Player support music files with Embedded Art?


Also, can you please ask your engineering/development team if they could provide a dedicated HDSP Update/Download Page on the ZAPCO website that includes a DATED CHANGE LOG with VERSION #'s for any & all of the Software/Firmware Downloads?

The Change Log with Date & Version # should state exactly what bug fixes have been made and what features have been added, etc.

A separate, but corresponding PDF document that outlines the Update Process for each update file would be advisable to reduce tech support inquiries.

In addition, a downloadable User Manual that is updated to reflect the added features and improvements would be great as well. I think that this is especially important to outline the File/Folder Hierarchy and any limitations (as noted above) in regards to using the HD Player with USB storage.

The above is "industry standard" & common practice, and pretty much expected for any & all software/firmware products.

Is there another Blog/Vlog/Forum that is dedicated to information regarding the new HDSP processors?

Thanks again for all of your time and attention here!

Billy B.


----------



## kennethteng

bbfoto said:


> Kenneth, thanks for all of your time in testing this!
> 
> Do any of your music files have Embedded Artwork??? If so, will they play okay or does this cause problems for the HD Player?
> 
> Billy B.


FLAC/MP3/AAC support embedded artwork/metadata and they all can play very well in HDplayer when I tested it.
WAV don't support embedded artwork/metadata so should not cause any problem.

My original Sony flash drive also have JPEG Album Artwork in every music folders and they did not cause any issues. I have removed them as a precaution since it was mentioned it may cause issue to HDplayer.


I'm requesting the new Zapco firmware from SQHemi and hopefully it solve the folder 3 layers deep issue. I will test it out on my Sandisk Extreme SSD, which has close to 300GB of high res music (791 folders, 9566 files).


----------



## bbfoto

bbfoto said:


> Kenneth, thanks for all of your time in testing this!
> 
> Do any of your music files have Embedded Artwork??? If so, will they play okay or does this cause problems for the HD Player?





kennethteng said:


> FLAC/MP3/AAC support embedded artwork/metadata and they all can play very well in HDplayer when I tested it.
> WAV don't support embedded artwork/metadata so should not cause any problem.
> 
> My original Sony flash drive also have JPEG Album Artwork in every music folders and they did not cause any issues. I have removed them as a precaution since it was mentioned it may cause issue to HDplayer.
> 
> I'm requesting the new Zapco firmware from SQHemi and hopefully it solve the folder 3 layers deep issue. I will test it out on my Sandisk Extreme SSD, which has close to 300GB of high res music (791 folders, 9566 files).


Thanks for confirming that files with Embedded Art worked in the HD Player. :thumbsup: That's a big relief.

Please keep us posted on how the updated firmware handles the multi-layer subfolder issue.

.


----------



## SkizeR

Analog Values said:


> I’d like to provide a heads-up on problems I’m experiencing with respect to flash drive folder / file compatibility with the HD player. As I sit here writing this note, my truck is in the driveway with the stereo stuck to on, producing a dudududududu………static that won’t cease. The director froze up.
> [/I]


Just a heads up, the director is the name of a controller for another brands dsp, so this might be a bit confusing for others


----------



## kennethteng

bbfoto said:


> Thanks for confirming that files with Embedded Art worked in the HD Player. :thumbsup: That's a big relief.
> 
> Please keep us posted on how the updated firmware handles the multi-layer subfolder issue.
> 
> .


I have received the new firmware but have yet to test it as I need to attend some urgent personal matters for the past days.
My personal matters had been settled so I will test the new firmware this weekend.


Something did happened on my Zapco HDSP-V. It died on me while I was using it for approx 2+ hrs continuously during my drive up to Malaysia. The HDPlayer sudden goes blank and I can't power up again.

While I came back home, I went down to my installer and was told that Zapco just sent them replacement Power Supply Modules to replace those 1st Gen HDSP-V that my installer had installed.
Mine being one of them, my installer replaced the Power Supply Module and everything is back to normal.

Only visible changes is the heatsink color is now black and a black "jumper" wire is now moved to the back of the PCBA.
Sound wise, my installer is commenting that the sound is now less harsh after the upgrade.


My HDSP-Z8V & Z-400.2AP (for my sub) also arrived but will have to wait till end-Jul before they can be installed on my ride.


----------



## SQHemi

Zapco has been adding to their support page with a FAQ section and has released updated software. Check it out


https://www.zapco.com/hdsp-5-support


----------



## bbfoto

kennethteng said:


> I have received the new firmware but have yet to test it as I need to attend some urgent personal matters for the past days.
> My personal matters had been settled so I will test the new firmware this weekend.
> 
> 
> Something did happened on my Zapco HDSP-V. It died on me while I was using it for approx 2+ hrs continuously during my drive up to Malaysia. The HDPlayer sudden goes blank and I can't power up again.
> 
> While I came back home, I went down to my installer and was told that Zapco just sent them replacement Power Supply Modules to replace those 1st Gen HDSP-V that my installer had installed.
> Mine being one of them, my installer replaced the Power Supply Module and everything is back to normal.
> 
> Only visible changes is the heatsink color is now black and a black "jumper" wire is now moved to the back of the PCBA.
> Sound wise, my installer is commenting that the sound is now less harsh after the upgrade.
> 
> 
> My HDSP-Z8V & Z-400.2AP (for my sub) also arrived but will have to wait till end-Jul before they can be installed on my ride.



Thanks again, Kenneth. I'm happy that your power supply problem was solved quickly and that nothing else was damaged as a result of the 1st Gen power supply crapping out. Will your new HDSP-Z8V also need the updated PSU swap?


----------



## SQHemi

The HDSP-Z8 comes with the updated power supply.



bbfoto said:


> Thanks again, Kenneth. I'm happy that your power supply problem was solved quickly and that nothing else was damaged as a result of the 1st Gen power supply crapping out. Will your new HDSP-Z8V also need the updated PSU swap?


----------



## kennethteng

Just a quick update. The "firmware" that I received was actually the beta version of DCP Software v.2.9.2 rc3, which is also available at Zapco Support page.
I installed the software, hook up the USB and run it but I don't think it make any changes to the functionality of HDPlayer.

One thing that I notice is that if you let the HDPlayer turn off by itself when you switch off the ignition, it will resume playback from where it stops when you turn on the ignition.
If you mute it prior switching off the ignition, HDPlayer will not resume playback. It just turn on and you will have to select a song to play.


----------



## Analog Values

Although I encountered problems with an early production unit, I’d like to offer this optimistic note regarding the outstanding product support I’ve received from Aurigin. Like many of you, I was captivated by early development Zapco advertising, and eagerly awaited production release (foregoing competing products). Then, presented with an opportunity to finally purchase that for which I had waited so long, I faced the same dilemma as yourselves. Should I jump in and buy an early production unit, or wait until the bugs have been worked out? Should I invest in immature technology, or take a more prudent path? I wanted to let you know that although I didn’t choose the more prudent path, I’ve landed in a good place. 

I experienced early issues, and Zapco is still in the process of resolving problems. That said, there is good news. I discovered Aurigin has my back. My issues have been addressed, I’m listening to great music, and have well founded faith that production updates are forthcoming. Those of a prudent nature should probably wait a bit longer before jumping in. However, I doubt prudence is prevalent among followers of this thread, or members of this mobile audio community for that matter! For what it’s worth, I’ve been very pleased with Aurigin service support. Good luck in your future endeavors!


----------



## nirschl

Analog Values said:


> Although I encountered problems with an early production unit, I’d like to offer this optimistic note regarding the outstanding product support I’ve received from Aurigin. Like many of you, I was captivated by early development Zapco advertising, and eagerly awaited production release (foregoing competing products). Then, presented with an opportunity to finally purchase that for which I had waited so long, I faced the same dilemma as yourselves. Should I jump in and buy an early production unit, or wait until the bugs have been worked out? Should I invest in immature technology, or take a more prudent path? I wanted to let you know that although I didn’t choose the more prudent path, I’ve landed in a good place.
> 
> I experienced early issues, and Zapco is still in the process of resolving problems. That said, there is good news. I discovered Aurigin has my back. My issues have been addressed, I’m listening to great music, and have well founded faith that production updates are forthcoming. Those of a prudent nature should probably wait a bit longer before jumping in. However, I doubt prudence is prevalent among followers of this thread, or members of this mobile audio community for that matter! For what it’s worth, I’ve been very pleased with Aurigin service support. Good luck in your future endeavors!


I absolutely second the above statement. Ran in to some early on issues myself and the Aurigin Team stepped up immediately. Top notch customer service and support. 

Cheers


----------



## kennethteng

New firmware version 1.0.8 is now available at HDSP-V Support Page.
https://www.zapco.com/hdsp-5-support

Here's are the old vs new software version:
HDSP-16V Factory
Dash - v1.1.1r
Main - v1.2.0d
HD Player - v1.0.4r
DSP - v1.6.2r

HDSP-8V Factory
Dash - v1.1.1r
Main - v1.2.0d
HD Player - v1.0.4r
DSP - v1.6.2r

HDSP-8V After Firmware Upgrade
Dash - v1.1.1r
Main - v1.2.0d
HD Player - v1.0.*5*r
DSP - v1.6.*3*r

No function or audible difference. All the limitations listed previous not resolved.
Hopefully Zapco can share the Change Log.

Some new bugs/limitations discovered before the firmware upgrade.
1) Happens on HDSP-8v but not HDSP-16v. When the HD Player boot up and start playing song from where it last stop, it will play for a few seconds and then it will stutter for a few seconds and then went back to normal but with a knocking sound in the background. Have to switch track for the knocking sound to go away. It's quite annoying.
To prevent it from happening, I have to pause the music for at least 5 secs when it started to play music so that the knocking sound will not appear.

2) After loading some new songs into the USB drive, user must power up the HDSP once without the USB drive before turning it off and then plug in the USB drive. I presume doing that HDSP will be able to recognize the changes to the USB Drive.
If you did not do the above sequence and plug in the updated USB Drive and do the first boot up, it will shows "Bad Format" when trying to play any selected tracks. After which the HD Player will not work. Need to perform the above sequence to get the system back to normal.


----------



## ryanr7386

kennethteng said:


> New firmware version 1.0.8 is now available at HDSP-V Support Page.
> https://www.zapco.com/hdsp-5-support
> 
> Here's are the old vs new software version:
> HDSP-16V Factory
> Dash - v1.1.1r
> Main - v1.2.0d
> HD Player - v1.0.4r
> DSP - v1.6.2r
> 
> HDSP-8V Factory
> Dash - v1.1.1r
> Main - v1.2.0d
> HD Player - v1.0.4r
> DSP - v1.6.2r
> 
> HDSP-8V After Firmware Upgrade
> Dash - v1.1.1r
> Main - v1.2.0d
> HD Player - v1.0.*5*r
> DSP - v1.6.*3*r
> 
> No function or audible difference. All the limitations listed previous not resolved.
> Hopefully Zapco can share the Change Log.
> 
> Some new bugs/limitations discovered before the firmware upgrade.
> 1) Happens on HDSP-8v but not HDSP-16v. When the HD Player boot up and start playing song from where it last stop, it will play for a few seconds and then it will stutter for a few seconds and then went back to normal but with a knocking sound in the background. Have to switch track for the knocking sound to go away. It's quite annoying.
> To prevent it from happening, I have to pause the music for at least 5 secs when it started to play music so that the knocking sound will not appear.
> 
> 2) After loading some new songs into the USB drive, user must power up the HDSP once without the USB drive before turning it off and then plug in the USB drive. I presume doing that HDSP will be able to recognize the changes to the USB Drive.
> If you did not do the above sequence and plug in the updated USB Drive and do the first boot up, it will shows "Bad Format" when trying to play any selected tracks. After which the HD Player will not work. Need to perform the above sequence to get the system back to normal.


What if anything have you heard about Sub Control coming in an Update to the firmware?


----------



## ryanr7386

Why am I Only hearing Crickets??????????????


----------



## kennethteng

ryanr7386 said:


> Why am I Only hearing Crickets??????????????


I don't think anyone has the answer to your question, as myself do not have an answer. And it seems like not many people using HDSP-V in their ride.

I'm currently having speakers & amplifier issues so I have not been using HDSP-V for the past months. Hopefully I can find time (been tied up with something called LIFE) to resolve the issue so that I can get back to enjoy my music.


----------



## Elektra

So who is a Zapco dealer here - I would like to ask some questions about there DSP’s....


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## bbfoto

Elektra said:


> So who is a Zapco dealer here - I would like to ask some questions about there DSP’s...


Contact Scott Welch, aka *SQHemi* here on DIYMA...









New Zapco Processors


Hmmm... ...Crickets... ...Any news?




www.diymobileaudio.com


----------



## barracuda777

ryanr7386 said:


> Why am I Only hearing Crickets??????????????


Probably because when you have a good setup and/or tuning, you dont have to boost or decrease the sub level...?


----------



## SQHemi

Almost ready for public consumption.


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## ryanr7386

Ohhh Baby! I see, I like!


----------



## bbfoto

SQHemi said:


> View attachment 260633
> 
> Almost ready for public consumption.



Is this an iOS and/or Android app, or just the screenshot of the HD Player Controller?

New features?


----------



## ryanr7386

barracuda777 said:


> Probably because when you have a good setup and/or tuning, you dont have to boost or decrease the sub level...?


I was referring to why this Thread was so quite.


----------



## quickaudi07

Maybe the hype of this DSP is over. 

Sent from my Pixel 4 XL using Tapatalk


----------



## MrGreen83

ryanr7386 said:


> I was referring to why this Thread was so quite.


Lmao pretty much when u have Helix covering all the basis for much cheaper 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## ryanr7386

SQHemi said:


> View attachment 260633
> 
> Almost ready for public consumption.


Any release date info on the Bluetooth Module?


----------



## barracuda777

ryanr7386 said:


> Any release date info on the Bluetooth Module?


They are ready


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## ryanr7386

barracuda777 said:


> They are ready


Through whom?


----------



## barracuda777

ryanr7386 said:


> Through whom?


Just fresh from the oven, so ask to your local dealer (I am not in US)


----------



## ryanr7386




----------



## ryanr7386

$112 bucks shipped to States.


----------



## kennethteng

It's available in Singapore and my installer have a working product to show. I don't know about the pricing.

Below are some of the photos my installer shared and after installed it will show as "Z.COM1".


----------



## ryanr7386

kennethteng said:


> It's available in Singapore and my installer have a working product to show. I don't know about the pricing.
> 
> Below are some of the photos my installer shared and after installed it will show as "Z.COM1".


I ordered one through Maxxcount.de, $112 bucks shipped. Let's see if it gets Here! ?


----------



## ryanr7386




----------



## K-pop sucks

I can't be the only one who thinks this hd player and new Bluetooth player is a gimmick right?


----------



## kennethteng

K-pop sucks said:


> I can't be the only one who thinks this hd player and new Bluetooth player is a gimmick right?


From a user who switch from Helix DSP Pro Mk.2 to Zapco HDSP-Z8, I don't think the HD Player is a gimmick.

When I'm on Helix, I need to run an additional cable (USB) from the back of the car to the front to hook-up to a DAP (Digital Audio Player) to listen to high-res music. As the USB cable out from the DSP does not have charging capability, I will need to un-plug my DAP for battery charging almost once a week. This will put a strain to the micro-USB port on the cable and the DAP from the constant plugging in & out.

Now on the Zapco, I just plug-in a Thumb-drive or a portable Harddrive to listen to high-res music. I don't need to run additional long cable. I don't need to bother about battery issues. And being on a full-size USB, it will be more robust and the port will not fail over time.

I understand there's still some bugs & imperfections on the HD Player as compared to a DAP, but I believe that Zapco will continue to release updates to improve the HD Player. [_I'm still waiting for the updates_]

As for the Bluetooth module, with many users currently on Tidal or Spotify, they will want to have the option to stream their favorite music from their mobile phone so this Bluetooth module will be a great add-on for these users.


----------



## ryanr7386

SQHemi said:


> View attachment 260633
> 
> Almost ready for public consumption.


What's the Latest on this Update?


----------



## theobjectivist

kennethteng said:


> I understand there's still some bugs & imperfections on the HD Player as compared to a DAP, but I believe that Zapco will continue to release updates to improve the HD Player. [_I'm still waiting for the updates_]



can you expand on the issues youve observed with respect to the player's behavior? 

e.g - is the interface slow, buggy, or anything which makes you think a dedicated DAP would have been the better choice?

One of my concerns is that the 3" display is small. Do you feel it large enough to use whilst the car is in motion? 
Does the entire interface wake up right when you start the car or is there a delay before you can start adjusting volume, skipping tracks etc?


----------



## kennethteng

theobjectivist said:


> can you expand on the issues youve observed with respect to the player's behavior?
> 
> e.g - is the interface slow, buggy, or anything which makes you think a dedicated DAP would have been the better choice?
> 
> One of my concerns is that the 3" display is small. Do you feel it large enough to use whilst the car is in motion?
> Does the entire interface wake up right when you start the car or is there a delay before you can start adjusting volume, skipping tracks etc?


Some of the issues/behavior are documented in this thread.
One new finding from another user is that it has a 200 folders limit and 500 artist limit.

DAP interface is definitely much better than HD Player but since HD Player is Zapco first product in music playback control & interfacing so they have much room for improvements. Hopefully the upcoming firmware update can resolve much of the issues listed.

DAP disadvantage is that you will have a long USB cable if your DSP is at the rear and most if not all DSP can't charge a DAP when plug-in. Plug-in & out of the DAP will cause long term wear and tear to the USB port on the DAP and USB cable.

To me the the 3" display is still alright. Most important is where you put the display.
Boot up time is approx. 10 secs before the last played music starts playing.


----------



## ChaseUTB

Yikes this DSP flagship product launch went south ... quick...

Any updates On these Zapco DSP V ???

Aurigin told me they aren’t the distributor anymore about 2 weeks when I called for info regarding DSPV series. The end of this thread kinda scaring me away honestly. 

I had issues with my Zapco Z8 IV II, it to my knowledge never got swapped out For a diff one. My installer switched to a Hertz H8 which I’ve had nothing but issues with the whole install so my issues with the Zapco Z8 IV II could have very well been installed related.

The Zapco sounded night and day better than the Hertz H8 & that’s what made me interested in the upgraded V8.


----------



## ryanr7386

SQHemi said:


> View attachment 260633
> 
> Almost ready for public consumption.












Who can provide Updates?


----------



## R&C

.


----------



## R&C

Hello all, new to this forum but not new to Zapco or car electronics.

I recently acquired, updated, setup and installed an HDSP-V 8 channel and every aspect seems to be working nicely, EXCEPT , unfortunately there is one issue with the HD Player that is baffling me at this point, this issue has been mentioned at least in part by some of you, however, it appears to remain unresolved.

I have tried the things that Scott suggested, no luck here, I have run surface tests on flash drives with no problems found, I have run integrity checks through Windows 10 CMD prompt and no issues were discovered, further, the flash drive in question has been formatted to FAT32 and it works perfectly on two different computers, my Sony RSX-GS9, OPPO BDP-103 Blu-ray player and Marantz SR7008 AVR.

I get it to work at times but I mostly get the following:
1. "Empty list" under Album & Artist, unit won't play.
2. "Bad Format", unit won't play.
3. Still showing “Unknown” on some files.
4. The v2.9.2 or it's interaction with the HDSP seems to have a habit of "Timing Out", this causes the HDSP to stop the sound signal (no sound output), shutting down and restarting the software and the HDSP seems to temporarily rectify this.

While working with the software, this happened two or three times in one session, very disturbing, the first time this happened I "fortunately" had the volume very low, it caused a pop through one of my $500 tweeter, again fortunately, this did not kill my tweeter...😰😰

I have not been able to get a response from Zapco in over a week and a half, I find nothing online related to these specific issues, I have not read every single post on this forum so it is possible that I missed something.

Hopefully a resolution to these issues is forth coming, sooner rather than later ...🙏


----------



## nirschl

Just in case anyone missed it, there is a new beta firmware update on the Zapco page. I installed it today and it does address a few things. You read the fix log as well to see the bits they’ve changed. The sub level button also now exists on the controller. Still loving this processor and learning its potential. Cheers


----------



## ryanr7386

nirschl said:


> Just in case anyone missed it, there is a new beta firmware update on the Zapco page. I installed it today and it does address a few things. You read the fix log as well to see the bits they’ve changed. The sub level button also now exists on the controller. Still loving this processor and learning its potential. Cheers


Can you offer any feedback on the Sub Level feature that was added?


----------



## R&C

It is very possible that I am missing something, but, regarding the HD-BT Module I find no specific information stating whether any of the three ports can be used or if a specific port should be used.

There seems to be no information as to which or if any of the three ports can be used, I am not one to guess, especially when dealing with an $1800 component.

It would be nice to have information included which states what is required to properly install, pair and activate the this module.


----------



## ryanr7386

R&C said:


> It is very possible that I am missing something, but, regarding the HD-BT Module I find no specific information stating whether any of the three ports can be used or if a specific port should be used.
> 
> There seems to be no information as to which or if any of the three ports can be used, I am not one to guess, especially when dealing with an $1800 component.
> 
> It would be nice to have information included which states what is required to properly install, pair and activate the this module.


You need to Load it into Z-Com 1 and you'll also need to initiate this port in the I/O drop down. Instructions should have came with the BT module as mine did.


----------



## ryanr7386




----------



## R&C

ryanr7386 said:


>





ryanr7386 said:


> You need to Load it into Z-Com 1 and you'll also need to initiate this port in the I/O drop down. Instructions should have came with the BT module as mine did.


Nope, no instructions were included, a Zapco box with the BT sealed in it, and air, that’s it!!

I did have time to figure it out the day after receiving it though.

In any case, thank you for responding ...👍🏽


----------



## Brian_323

R&C said:


> Nope, no instructions were included, a Zapco box with the BT sealed in it, and air, that’s it!!
> 
> I did have time to figure it out the day after receiving it though.
> 
> In any case, thank you for responding ...👍🏽





R&C said:


> Nope, no instructions were included, a Zapco box with the BT sealed in it, and air, that’s it!!
> 
> I did have time to figure it out the day after receiving it though.
> 
> In any case, thank you for responding ...👍🏽




Where did you connect the BT module too? 


How are things working with it


----------



## R&C

I connected it to Z-Com 1.


----------



## trunks9_us

So I have a question about the Bluetooth module option? I am currently using a ASP-L2 BT. When I connect to this I only have the ability to do audio but there is no way for me to use my phone to talk using my amps and speakers since I am running bt and not a loc from the hu. Is there a way for me to use this to hook up a mic and get the phone to recognize this?

Now my question about the hdsp.. does the bt on here have the ability to do what I am asking to do above? Because I really dont see a real reason to have such a dsp these days with out being able to talk on my phone using ny esotar2 speakers and not my cheap stock speakers running off the stock radio bt for phone calls...


----------



## trunks9_us

Bump to the previous comment and are the zapco ap digital inputs and HDSP gonna have multiple digital outputs ever come out or is this not a thing anymore?


----------



## honpan

Sorry for digging up this old post. Streaming media is so popula these days. Since the Z16 has DAC on board already, any chance Zapco would develop a WiFi module so as to make the HDSP a streaming player?


----------



## ryanr7386

honpan said:


> Sorry for digging up this old post. Streaming media is so popula these days. Since the Z16 has DAC on board already, any chance Zapco would develop a WiFi module so as to make the HDSP a streaming player?


They did make one!


----------



## Huckleberry Sound

It’s included in the box. 


trunks9_us said:


> Bump to the previous comment and are the zapco ap digital inputs and HDSP gonna have multiple digital outputs ever come out or is this not a thing anymore?


no Wi-Fi streaming.


----------



## honpan

Huckleberry Sound said:


> It’s included in the box.
> 
> no Wi-Fi streaming.


That's rather pity. I sorta believe that was the vision of Zapco to build a DSP with built-in Player. When I acquired the HDSP V16 8-channels, I was hoping to get rid of the need for an external Wi-Fi player, bridge, DAC, etc. based on Zapco's promotion:

“*All-in-one Dual Core Processor - Why a Player with on-board DSP?*
_Players (portable or not), often have a DSP inside, either simple or sofisticated, but it is a DSP. Zapco has been inspired by this to offer its customers a professional DSP with the Player inside. What are the advantages of our integrated solution compared to that of connecting a Player to the DSP? First, it must be said that not all portable players have a digital output. If analog, even if it’s of excellent quality, it would always result in a degradation of quality due to the presence of two more converters on the signal path. Therefore a coupling of an external player to an analogue input is strongly inadvisable. If, on the otherhand, the external player has a digital output, then the situation is much better, but still there is the limit of an SPDIF connection. The SPDIF protocol has a maximum resolution of 24 bits and a maximum sampling rate of 192 KHz. Another limitation of the SPDIF connection is that the receiver does not control the speed of data, so it is possible to have connection problems. In any case, the maximum integration of the two products, DSP and Player inside the same chipset, protects from any issues of connection whatever the nature of the problem may be._”

It seems that the HDSP has all the pieces needed to perform Wi-Fi streaming (built-in Wi-Fi module, stellar DSP and ESS9038Pro DAC chipsets), but falls short in integrating these capabilities.

Looks like an external Wi-Fi bridge is now inevitable, despite Zapco's vision.


----------



## 916ness

one of the main issues I had with the Zapco Z8IV II was the app and Bluetooth... the app had a hard time connecting to my Samsung s21 and the remote would work when it wanted to.. I tried to reach out to Zapco with no response.. finally threw in the towel and got a helix dsp.3s


----------



## bigjig

Can any zapco hdsp users comment on their ownership?

overall would you recommend this product? Anyone running an upgraded dac, either the 9038pro or AK4490?

general thoughts?

I am strongly considering this route but seems there’s an overall lack of enthusiasm for what should be a strong competitor to helix and other top shelf dsp’s


----------



## honpan

I can testify that with the ESS9038pro DAC, the SQ improves quite a lot. Abstract description would be higher frequencies go a bit higher, lower frequencies go a bit lower. It gives you an overall impression that my set-up sounds more three-dimensional and more vibrant. Despite the background noise control in the original HDSP is superb, with the 9038pro DAC, the background is a tack darker and quieter, too.


----------



## Mullings

bigjig said:


> Can any zapco hdsp users comment on their ownership?
> 
> overall would you recommend this product? Anyone running an upgraded dac, either the 9038pro or AK4490?
> 
> general thoughts?
> 
> I am strongly considering this route but seems there’s an overall lack of enthusiasm for what should be a strong competitor to helix and other top shelf dsp’s


Even in stock form, this processor sounds faaaaar better than any other processor that I’ve worked with, and that is almost all of them. Once you hear this processor, you’ll never look back. Sure there’s processors with great UI and all kinds of features, but a 1/6 octave tune with proper time alignment and it’ll walk over any other car audio processor available.


----------

