JamesDean59
Well-Known Member
Hey everyone,
I was just curious what everyone thought about these units? Anyone still use them?
I was just curious what everyone thought about these units? Anyone still use them?
DBX 3BX, anyone still use/have them?
- Thread starter JamesDean59
- Start date
JamesDean59
Well-Known Member
Its billed as a "3 range dynamic expander"
Heres a review of one:
http://community.klipsch.com/forums/p/23707/195646.aspx
Heres a review of one:
http://community.klipsch.com/forums/p/23707/195646.aspx
JamesDean59
Well-Known Member
Heres some pics I just took of my dad's:
I had one and very sadly it developed problems. Great sounding unit and very usefull on pretty much every source except for a well recorded cd. Now I use Pioneer's version, the ex9000 which to my ears does just as well and isn't as flaky.
JamesDean59
Well-Known Member
I had taken it out of the system a while ago and was using it else where but the one channel was spotty, if you twisted the wire in the right orientation on the jack it worked fine. I took it a part to resolder/fix that.
I was looking at those vertical boards. I didnt see them on other pics of this model after a google search. Those (I think) are VCA (voltage controlled amp) and they are modular in this unit versus all on the main board in the others I've seen.
I'm not all that up on VCA but it looked the blue pots where adjusted at some point.
Any idea what they do ?
I was looking at those vertical boards. I didnt see them on other pics of this model after a google search. Those (I think) are VCA (voltage controlled amp) and they are modular in this unit versus all on the main board in the others I've seen.
I'm not all that up on VCA but it looked the blue pots where adjusted at some point.
Any idea what they do ?
Arkay
Lunatic Member
Every once in a while you will run across a DBX-encoded vinyl LP. You can't even play them back right (they'll sound weird!) without one of those DBX units, but with one, Wow! - those records can sound very dynamic. The DBX is great for tape recording; if you use a reel-to-reel, it's worth hunting down a DBX unit. Just don't make the usual beginner's mistake, and OVER use it. The DBX magic works best when it's just barely applied.
timblade68
Active Member
Hi, I saw your post and would like to answer it but, instead with the 'dbx 4bx' model. And yes, still use it, would not want to lose it or be without it, it adds very real 'feel' to the souce. see here for my project:
http://www.audiokarma.org/forums/showthread.php?t=368377
Since then, I did indeed complete the recap of the Yamaha GE60 and the Yamaha E1000........guess what? None of these will ever make it to ebay out of my accord, they stay right here!
http://www.audiokarma.org/forums/showthread.php?t=368377
Since then, I did indeed complete the recap of the Yamaha GE60 and the Yamaha E1000........guess what? None of these will ever make it to ebay out of my accord, they stay right here!
I use both this model (original 3BX with optional 3BX-R remote) and the next version, the series II 3BX. I like both but the older system sounds better to me.
You can get the service manual here (it may be in the AK archives too, can't remember):
http://vintagedbx.free.fr/service manual/3bx.pdf
The pots are used to align the various stages of the expander circuits. The manual covers that process.
You have what I think is the best of these units sonically (up to maybe the much later 4BX). These original 3BX when used with the 3BX-R have additional flexibility for user adjustment, there are more pots under the little steel panel on the rear of the remote. I usually find 3BX are too sensitive on the HF band, but you can dial that back a little on the 3BX-R. To do that on my series II models requires screwing with the factory alignment internally, so I usually leave those stock and the highs get boosted a little more than I prefer.
Do a search of the forum, should find a really nice thread detailing a complete overhaul of one of these original models.
John
You can get the service manual here (it may be in the AK archives too, can't remember):
http://vintagedbx.free.fr/service manual/3bx.pdf
The pots are used to align the various stages of the expander circuits. The manual covers that process.
You have what I think is the best of these units sonically (up to maybe the much later 4BX). These original 3BX when used with the 3BX-R have additional flexibility for user adjustment, there are more pots under the little steel panel on the rear of the remote. I usually find 3BX are too sensitive on the HF band, but you can dial that back a little on the 3BX-R. To do that on my series II models requires screwing with the factory alignment internally, so I usually leave those stock and the highs get boosted a little more than I prefer.
Do a search of the forum, should find a really nice thread detailing a complete overhaul of one of these original models.
John
carcrazy
Well-Known Member
I used to use a RG-16 Dynamic Range Expander but it has been in storage for a while. It worked really well with FM and LP's but since I upgraded my turntable I don't feel like I need it. And FM has pretty much gone away from where I am located in the sticks.
I am using a Sony NR-335 Dolby Noise Reduction unit with my r2r. It works well with noisier tapes but I only use it for maybe 1/5 of my tapes.
I am using a Sony NR-335 Dolby Noise Reduction unit with my r2r. It works well with noisier tapes but I only use it for maybe 1/5 of my tapes.
How exactly do you use it and hook it up?
sKiZo
Hates received: 92644 43.20°N 85.50°W
I use mine daily - bought it new back in the day and I use it with all source material, even the shiny new SACD and DVD/A stuff. Granted, I'll crank it down a bit for those.
Adds an amazing amount of depth to the music. Dynamic range is basically the difference between how quiet and loud the music is. Low, midrange, and highs are enhanced independently as needed (up to 50%) to add POP at the top and silence at the bottom of the scale without altering the original source material. One slider controls the amount of enhancement, and another the center of the effect. Simple enough to set that by going for an equal amount of plus or minus LEDs on the display. There's a very definite point where it's right.
It really shines on orchestral stuff - a ho-hum crescendo really hits you right in the brain with the dbx engaged. Was just listening to some Tomita (Pictures) and the silence was deafening, while the peaks were ... well ... deafening. <G>
The 4bx was one step up in that it had separate sliders to control each band of expansion. The 3bx has "smart" chips that do it all with one slider.
One bit of confusion - dbx recycled the model numbers for the newer models, so you'll see two different versions with a whole lot of changes.
Here's mine working hard on some Porcupine Tree ...
<edit> Some potential confusion here also. There were never any records made specifically for the 3bx or any of the dbx expanders. Those work with ANY source material. There WERE records made that used a specific algorithm that required a dbx 224 for decoding. Kind of a bastard cousin of dolby and some of the other compression options available back then. I've got a few of the dbx encoded disks and the 224, but that's currently in storage. I decoded the disks and ripped them to the HTPC, so really don't need it in the rack anymore. The original vinyl sounds really thin without it. </edit>
Adds an amazing amount of depth to the music. Dynamic range is basically the difference between how quiet and loud the music is. Low, midrange, and highs are enhanced independently as needed (up to 50%) to add POP at the top and silence at the bottom of the scale without altering the original source material. One slider controls the amount of enhancement, and another the center of the effect. Simple enough to set that by going for an equal amount of plus or minus LEDs on the display. There's a very definite point where it's right.
It really shines on orchestral stuff - a ho-hum crescendo really hits you right in the brain with the dbx engaged. Was just listening to some Tomita (Pictures) and the silence was deafening, while the peaks were ... well ... deafening. <G>
The 4bx was one step up in that it had separate sliders to control each band of expansion. The 3bx has "smart" chips that do it all with one slider.
One bit of confusion - dbx recycled the model numbers for the newer models, so you'll see two different versions with a whole lot of changes.
Here's mine working hard on some Porcupine Tree ...
<edit> Some potential confusion here also. There were never any records made specifically for the 3bx or any of the dbx expanders. Those work with ANY source material. There WERE records made that used a specific algorithm that required a dbx 224 for decoding. Kind of a bastard cousin of dolby and some of the other compression options available back then. I've got a few of the dbx encoded disks and the 224, but that's currently in storage. I decoded the disks and ripped them to the HTPC, so really don't need it in the rack anymore. The original vinyl sounds really thin without it. </edit>
Last edited:
Coytee
Super Member
Just to clarify your comments to anyone who might not realize....the 1bx/3bx/4bx/5bx are NOT intended to be used when decoding the dbx encoded disks (or tape).
(edit to clarify my own comment: the 'bx' units can be used with encoded disks but they are not what decode the disk, they would be used in conjunction with the decoding unit)
They had the 224 unit which was an encoder/decoder and it was the 224 unit which would decode disks or encoded tape.
I had one of those too (I presume they had other models of same thing that might only decode or might only encode (???))
regardless, the item worked great in my experience.
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