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Im not really sure! Im afraid I'm not much of an expert on the HT side of things, I'm strictly 2 channel music. Hopefully this user guide might help... cheersCSA150 User guide (3).pdf

Whipped up a pair of Markaudio MAOP 11 speakers using spare ply and powered by a pair of minidsp pwr ice amps I have had lying around. I anticipate adding a big bass unit to this. They do sound good! Not as sensitive as I expected. Bass is understandably ight in the small 20litre seaped cabinets, but pretty good to about 60hz. I anticipate adding a big bass units to this, leveraging the two way capabilities of the amps.

It turns out to be the location of the database file. It seems thst due to a previous installation of an older version of HFD it was pointing to the "D:" drive. Once I inserted a usb drive so there was something to point to, it worked. Phew!

Just to say I'd consider a swap for a nice pair of stand-mount speakers, passive or active eg Harbeth, ATC, PMC, Falcon, Proac or active like Genelec, Adam, Focal

**withdrawn ** Further Information: Further Information: Beautifully made and gorgeous sound. Very versatile unit. It has volume control and have used it as a preamp direct to powered speakers, as well as just a dac to a dedicated pre. Both ways sound beautiful. I used this after having an RME ADI2 dac and was blown away by the big sound stage, holographic imaging and solid impactful bass. I imported this unit from the US. It is 110v and I will include a 1000w isolated stepdown transformer and xindak power cable. I have just had it serviced to replace a capacitor that had gone out of spec and impacted the channel balance and the same Capacitor on both channels have been professionally replaced The RRP for this model was approx $6900 in Australia in 2016/17 Features Full-featured true balanced Top Loader CD-Player Real Class-A triode vacuum-tube output stage for single-ended & balanced operation 4 x 6H30 triodes tubes / Russia High quality tube sockets with gold pins Purist design and shortest possible analog signal paths Gold industrial PCB Warm up function – extends tube life time Burr Brown D/A converter ( 2 x 1704 ) Upsampling 24bit/192kHz ( NPC SM 5847 ) and on/off switchable Modified suspension system to isolate the CD-transport from mechanical vibrations Anti-vibration magnetic integral CD-clamp system combined with dark acrylic CD-cover High selected, fine quality passive components used in all applications 10 separate voltage regulators MOS-FET's for tube anode-voltage regulation Superior capacitors ( MKP 2% ) 2 separate noiseless R-core power transformer for digital & analog Separate analog output stage for left and right channel AC Phase control indicator Digital input - S /PDIF (RCA) Digital output - S/PDIF (RCA) & AES/EBU (XLR) Fully hand assembled to insure the highest level of craftsmanship Beautifully crafted high grade aluminium-brushed and anodized chassis Backlit function buttons Front panel description – is engraved Display dimmer & mute function Variable output volume level control Heavy duty RCA gold-plated output jacks Absorber aluminium feet with superior damping characteristics Metal remote commander ( brushed & anodized ) Chassis finish : black Components The type of parts used therefore must have a synergistic relationship to the circuit they are placed in. It is this relationship of which type of part to use where, that ranks our products apart from the mass. Selected, premium quality passive components used in all applications High speed & high quality audiophile grade coupling capacitors High quality Special tube sockets with gold pins Superior capacitors ( MKP 2% ) High quality – RCA & XLR jack Gold-plated industrial grade PCB Mechanical Construction The high grade aluminum chassis impart a richer, more lustrous tonality with a cleaner back-ground and less hash and grain. All brushed anodized anti-vibration-resonance and non-magnetic chassis’s are fully hand assembled to insure the highest level of craftsmanship. Backlit function buttons Modified suspension system to isolate the CD-transport from mechanical vibrations Anti-vibration magnetic integral CD-clamp system combined with dark acrylic CD-cover Front panel descriptions are engraved AC phase polarity control indicator The aluminium feet are resonance absorbing types Metal remote commander Chassis finish: black / chrome

Further Information: I will be sad to see this lovely amp go., but I have gone to active speakers so this is no longer required. This unit was.bought new from the dealer in June 2021. Comes with original box. Free shipping included. I'd also consider trade/swap for good active speakers/monitors from genelec, ATC, Adam, Neumann, JBL, dynaudio or similar. The CSA-150 is a hybrid design offering 150 watts into 8 ohms and 230 watts into 4 ohms. It utilizes a 6922 Vacuum Tube in the preamp section. The CSA-150 has a DAC capable of working with 32-bit files with 384kHz signal frequency. From the manufacturer: The CSA150 integrated amplifier is the latest development from Copland. The device is based on the synectic design concept, which has brought widespread acclaim to Copland hybrid amplifiers, combining the advantages of tube and transistor amplifiers. The CSA150 amplifier is equipped with a 2 x 150 W semiconductor stage with current feedback of the power stage, and the signal is supplied from the preamplifier operating on a double triode. One tube is responsible for the linear amplification of the CSA150. The applied solution is distinguished by amazing efficiency. The dual triode operates at high voltage in a configuration for maximum linearity, taking care only of the voltage amplification. The MOS-FET circuit, in turn, provides a powerful force that drives the linear stage output and feedback circuit, thus facilitating the collaboration between the world of voltage-controlled electronic tubes and current-controlled transistor technology. If you want the warm and colorful charm of older tube designs, the CSA150 tube linear stage will give you that experience. In this case, the tube creates life, space and dynamics that are difficult to find in amplifiers based solely on solid state technology. With the vinyl enthusiast in mind, the designers have equipped the CSA150 with a RIAA-corrected input for MM cartridges. The amplifier also uses an excellent DAC with multiple S / PDIF, PCM and DSD inputs, based on the 32-bit ES9018 Reference chip in a quad-mono configuration, 8 mono to 2 stereo configuration. The original binding posts have been replaced with WBT 0703 Cu Binding Posts purchased from Krispy Audio. The black metal chassis cover has 3M Damping Sheets (Music Direct product)fitted internally to reduce vibration.A new Genalex 6922 Gold Lion (unused) is included. A Herbies Audio Lab tube damper is fitted. All the original packaging and accessories are included.

Hi, just setting up a pair of hypex fusion 253 for a new project I'm embarking on. For now I'm just using them to power an old pair of bookshelf speakers. I'm getting stuck when starting a new filter design. Basically I just get a message saying "initializing new configuration..." but I dont get the screen with the graph and the map. Am I missing a step? Any help would be greatly appreciated! Thanks Sam

Further Information: I bought these direct from March audio in November 2023 to power my JBL 1400 array speakers, which required an absolute whack of power. They did this superbly well. I made.an impulsive purchase of.some active speakers soon after so no longer need them. Per the March audio site: The P501 is a mono block power amplifier based on the new Purifi 1ET7040SA module. This simply elegant product is milled from solid aluminium with a tough anodized treatment. Exceptional fit, finish and build quality. Dont have the original boxes but I'm happy to pack and ship them.

Further Information: I have active speakers now thst have digital input so no need for this DAC at the moment. Works really well, and has the remote. A couple of marks on the chassis as shown in pics. Superb measured performance on this dac. Review of this unit here:https://audiosciencereview.com/forum/index.php?threads/smsl-su-9-balanced-dac-review.16150/

Further Information: Bought this as a second amp in a bi-amping setup, but I've gone in a different direction so this is no longer needed. Looks like new with packaging and accessories. Review of this unit here:

Ive heard from Alan, he says "Yes it's in progress, but we're are concentrating on finishing off our new flagship power amp pre amp. Both to be ready for the Sydney hifi show in April. As such the low power amp won't be ready for a few months. It will be around 15 watts but importantly extremely low noise and distortion aimed at very high sensitivity speakers."

I had a good chat with @frednorkthe other day about the possibilities of audiolens so that is definitely something I'll be investigating. I've also sent a query to Basil Martion himself to see if he has any recommendations

Ive just contacted him via the forum on his site, I'll report back what he says

Thanks, there are no passive crossovers in these speakers, they were originally sold as "active monitors" with crossover in a dbx driverack. Someone later has swapped the dbx for minidsp. I didn’t know about that, but it sounds like exactly the sort of thing I'd be after! Any more info about this?

After many years I have managed to get these speakers back! I'm still interested in possibilities to update the front end. The crossover and DAC is currently a minidsp 4x10hd. The amp is a img sta1000 for the bass, 2x10w class A amp boards for the treble. Frontend: I'm thinking of using a minidsp flex digital or shd studio for the crossover and dsp, okto research for the dac. Or, audiolense or camilla in a pc then okto dac. Amplification: i have a pair of march p501 that could be great for the bass. Thinking of hypex nc52 for treble, or the class a amps selected by Martion himself. Or: a just pair of hypex 503, bridged for the bass. Just thinking....

This is diy adjacent...but I guess that this part of the forum has the best expertise in this area. I am seeking some help for the crossover settings for my speakers. I have a pair of martion bullfrogs that came from the manufacturer as 2way active, powered by a dbx360, and a customised IMG stageline power amp with 2x10w amps for hf and 2x350w for lf. At some point the dbx was swapped for a minidsp. The config files are gone, but a very helpful former owner noted down some parameters: BASS 200hz LR12db +0db HORN 730hz LR24db -9db EQ 1500 -5.2db Q1.4 4000 -4.5db Q3 6500 -3db Q5 8300 +2db Q3 13100 +3.7db Q3.5 Am I right in thinking that I should set the lowpass filter at 200hz with a slope of 12db and the highpass at 730hz with 24db? I believe the drivers are modified RCF CX15N351. thanks!

Yes, the JBL have better and clearer mids and treble. The Martions do have slightly more energy in the bass, playing techno hits you in the chest like in a club. I think the Martions need to have the crossover tuned a bit because there is slight boxiness in the mids. The JBLs do everything straight up and down from 32hz to beyond my hearing. Playing them with the Ayon DAC was spine tingling. The Martions don't quite have that level of magic at the moment but I think I can bring them closer with tweaking. I am in love with the aesthetics and pure energy of the Martions, but I'll miss the magical coherence and dynamics of the JBL.

Martion Bullfrogs, not necessarily a step up, but a step sideways.

Thanks, yes that has been mentioned by prospective buyers as a concern. They aren't super sticky, yet but they are on the way there. I'll see how it goes, but that contact could be very handy thank you

An opportunity to compare 2 iconic speakers while still have both in house The Martion Bullfrog and JBL 1400 array. The Bullfrog needs some tuning in the dsp crossover, but it hits you with absolute force. The jbl has plenty of bass too, and a bit more refinement. Martion mids and highs a little veiled by comparison.

Thanks!, would be great to see them go to an enthusiast!

I am the second owner of these speakers, I bought them from a fellow member last year. Astonishingly good speakers, the best I've had and I have had quite a few! Producing deep bass, clear highs and a very engaging midrange. Huge soundstage and image. They seem to like a fair bit of power and I've had best results with purifi class D monos. I'm only selling because something else arrived here on the classifieds that I have been chasing for a few years, and I didn't want to let them get away this time. I'm not sure this is a good idea, I will probably never have speakers this good again. These speakers are really heavy, and challenging to shift. Due to a recent health event I can't really shift them myself so you will probably need a couple of people, or a pro to help to transport them. 3-way 14" Floor standing Frequency response - 32hz-40khz Crossover frequencies - 750hz/8khz Power handling - 300w Sensitivity - 89db Nominal impedance - 8 ohm Dimensions - 1191mm x 394mm x 483mm Weight - 52kg RRP was around A$17500 (usd$11500) Here is an extract from the Stereophile review of these: "JBL's Synthesis 1400 Array BG impressed me with its three-dimensional imaging, impressive transparency, ambience retrieval, capacity to "disappear," and fine timbral detail. It gave my similarly priced reference speakers, the electrostatic Quad ESL-989s, a run for their money for its excellent balance across the audioband, its good timbral retrieval, and its three-dimensional imaging—and it exceeded the bass-shy Quad in its reproduction of pipe organ and percussion and its ability to play much louder. On the other hand, the Quads excelled in soundstage depth and resolution of musical detail. I was also impressed with the JBL's naturalness and lack of distortion, qualities I'd heretofore thought were the exclusive province, in this price bracket, of Quads. I even grew to like the 1400 Array's unusual appearance. Because of these excellent qualities, the Synthesis 1400 Array BG deserves a top-rank recommendation in Stereophile's "Recommended Components." The JBL has the smooth frequency response, the bass extension, the wide soundstaging, and the unique ability to render voices that I've heard only from far more expensive loudspeakers. Even with a retail price of $11,500/pair, the 1400 Arrays' width of soundstage, wide dynamic range, and accuracy in reproducing realistic male voices—all as good as I've heard in my listening room from other more expensive floorstanders—makes them an audiophile bargain. No wonder Greg Timbers is so proud of them." https://www.stereophile.com/floorloudspeakers/jbl_synthesis_1400_array_bg_loudspeaker/index.html

It's true, and my interest is piqued!

Sounds like a great idea, and an amazing location for doing it

Had a friend over to test some options with the 1400s. Compared Copland csa150 with ps audio 300w digital. Also compared holo audio dac with ayon dac. Everything sounded goog but the winning combo was Ayon + class D. Class D really made the bass tighter and faster, but the ayon added some special quality of imaging. I've ordered some purifi monos with the 40amp modules.