# ARC AUDIO PS8 Review.... BOAT has not left YET!!!!



## matdotcom2000 (Aug 16, 2005)

First of all let me say that this is no way being pushed by Arc Audio or anyone else this is just something that I decided to do on my own because this my opinion I just feel like talking. 

So about 3 years ago I had found an awesome deal on a PS8 in our for sale section from one of Arcs mad customers so I snatched it up because I was honestly at that point just buy random equipment at great prices. At that time I was running the CDSP which I thought was the greatest thing since sliced bread because I just gotten rid of my bigass RANE (which I loved)... Sooo I changed the opamps to the lm49720 and there was a sound that I had heard when I had the RANE audio bliss but after testing it had lottttts of ground noise, turn on pop etc (I had zero with the CDSP), I kinda threw it in the closet and left it there to be along with my other audio equipment that I sometimes hoard... So fast forward to the beginning of this year... I want to try something different so I went to closet and took out the PS8, along with Bitone (from a friend), CDSP, DSP Pro, and my left over DSP6... PUT them all on a bench and tested them one by one.. The PS8 stood head and shoulders above the rest when connecting it fullrange two channel OUTPUT... It sound Exactly like HOME AUDIO... Its sound signature was JUST like the RANE but in a SMALL Box... SOOOO hooked it up and there was the ground noise again... SOOOOO I had nothing to loose I kept working at it to get the ground noise to stop... I had to get that SOUND back!!!! IT was like begging the Most beautiful girl to go out with me.... Soooo She did.. I got the ground noise fixed after 2 full days of just testing the ground and where to put it... I ended up using both grounds that included using the signal ground.... Honestly it was just pure bliss... I found out on my journey that the more you boooost the volume out the more clear it gets I have mine now set at 8. NOW let me say this Would I prefer to have the remote... Absolutely but even with the digital input on the DSP Pro it still cant touch the PS8 sonically... TRUST when I say this because I have tried and I have had the opportunity to have alll of the processors but I just stuck with the PS8 because it does sound like heaven!!!!


Now that doesnt go with out saying it does have its issues...IT kinda of like owning a TurboGraphic 16... IT has all of this potential but will the company ever release the upgrades???? I got plugs and lights that I may never use.. BLUETOOTH (mosconi got that and it works flawlessly), Aux input worthless without a remote, digital input worthless with out a remote... There is no manual how to even potentially try to wire up your own remote (HELIX got that) I have had Turn off pop at times (not now)... Along with a few other issues.... But I do Love her because when I get her setup right ohhhh she does me soooo good.... I am holding on to this little piece of equipment because it sounds great, unlimited amount of tuning, and its potential.... BECAUSE THERE IS NOTHING THAT CAN TOUCH IT, once its unlocked... UNLESS someone leaps ahead with a remote this is the best thing smoking!!!


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## fcarpio (Apr 29, 2008)

EDIT: After reading what I wrote I decided that there was nothing constructive there, so I deleted it.


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## matdotcom2000 (Aug 16, 2005)

I figure that I would elaborate a little more and describe the sound of the PS8 vs the other units and why I liked the PS8 soo much. When I upgraded a few years ago to the Rane there was a stark difference between the Rane and everything else. It sounded more open with more resolution is the best way to describe the sound. IT was head and shoulders better than the bitone at that time. When I decided to dust off the PS8 and really compare it to the other processors that I had earlier this year (helix CDSP, DSP Pro, BitOne, and 6to8) the sound was just like the Rane open with more resolution. When comparing the analog input of the PS8 to the digital inputs of both of the Helix units the PS8 still sounded better. In what way??? Well the PS8 had the perfect blend of detail, warmth, and ambiance. The Helix units with the Digital input had detail but they just lacked that warmth and ambiance of the PS8. To be honest with the DSP pro it was pretty hard to tell the difference between digital and analog but the CDSP there was a big difference between the digital and analog. Either way they did not reach the level of the PS8 and also the flexibility of the unit.


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## thehatedguy (May 4, 2007)

Being a former Rane user and owner myself...I know EXACTLY what you are saying comparing other DSP units.


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## SouthSyde (Dec 25, 2006)

thehatedguy said:


> Being a former Rane user and owner myself...I know EXACTLY what you are saying comparing other DSP units.


Touche J!


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## matdotcom2000 (Aug 16, 2005)

SO after the review I have gotten some IM's wondering about how I go the noise out of the PS8. Wellllll....

Think of it this way the PS8 very much so a Diva (2004 Maria Carey). She will not cater to you. You gonna have to do what she says to get it right. With that being said here are some tips about the PS8 that most people may already know and some you may.

How to get rid of the Ground..
So first of all what I did was I went to home depot and got some of the really good copper wire around 18 gauge I believe. The PS8 has two grounds one for power and one for signal. So what I did was I started off with the power ground first and about 10 to 15 feet of the good old copper wire and I grounded the wire to my grounding point for distro block for my amps. From my experience the grounds for the PS8 do not like to be tied to a Distro block they like to be grounded to the actual ground point itself. There was still some noise but not as much noise as other grounding spots and the distro block. 
Some people may have no noise at this point and some people my still have a little noise. I would still check other grounding points to make sure to find the quietest ground. 
Next I did the same thing as before I took 10 to 15 feet of copper wire and I looked for the next ground until I had no noise. Both of my grounds are located in the same point as my distro block, it may work for you and it may not. I tried to make a short wire connection from the signal ground to the power ground but that did not work. NO SHORT CUTS remember Diva. 

Tips
Well what I found is that the more you increase the volume on the PS8 the better sounding it was. Currently my input volume is at 0 and my output volume is at 7. I just turned my tweeters down a bit and floor noise dissappeared mine is at -9... 

The Eq.. So if you are in advanced mode and decide to use the Eq you cannot flip and flop between parametric and 1/3 octave. If you decide to use the Eq you can first used 1/3 octave then parametric but you cant go back... If you start in parametric you have to stay there.. 

The ps8 likes a high voltage input. I am currently using the Tru line driver to give around 7 volts to it. In my previous application I found that 4 volts ended up some of a noise floor.

Swapping out the opamps I will post some pictures on how I did it and what to look for when swapping them out.


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