shoping for a DSP/SSP to put in my car.

InternetBoy · 04-13-2004, 05:15 PM

I am looking for a DSP(Digital Signal Processor) / SSP(Surround Sound Processor) for my car,
The main use will be for my mp3 players(Archos Jukebox MultiMedia 20gb and Jukebox Recorder 10gb w/RockBox os),
Thay have 2ch RCA out puts,
So the DSP / SSP would need to DSP 2Ch(rca) up to 5.1Ch(and be under $500)

The only DSP/SSP I have found that dose not require a "head" unit is Panasonic's CYAC-300 (MSRP $999)
The unit only costs $199 (reconditioned with a 90 day manufacturer's warranty)
or $100~$150 used.
It amps the center ch 30watts so you only need a 4ch amp(or two 2ch amps) and a sub amp(or 2 or 3 or 4.... :-)

If any one here has a CYAC-300 or any other good DSP in thare car;
Please post any info you can give me about the CYAC-300 or any other car DSPs/SSPs.

And for all you mini ITX in the car ppl the CYAC-300 has a toslink input, but its only for Panasonic DVD players :-(

A link to the refurb CYAC-300 (found via

):http://store.yahoo.com/discountsonli...cyaccarst.html

antimatter · 04-13-2004, 11:58 PM

Are you sure that the TOSLINK is only for the panasonic DVD player. Why wouldn't it accept another Optical Digital Input.... for instance optical digital from a carpc (after a coax-->optical conversion)? I just bought one if these suckers and am about to pay for it tomorrow. If it doesn't accept any optical digital input then i will back out on the deal. DAMN I thought i found the right processor finally.

antimatter · 04-14-2004, 12:02 AM

I think that There is a clarion unit that will do this. What you are looking for is any DSP with proLogic / proLogicII. As I understand it that is what does the upmixing for an analog source. THere is also an Alpine Unit PXA-H510 and PXA-H700 but they are both expensive and the 510 doesnt do the upmixing. Good luck on the under 500 bucks part.

antimatter · 04-14-2004, 12:14 AM

Quote:

Digital Inputs
A digital audio-in (optical) as well as analog audio-in (RCA x 2) are available for a variety of audio connections.

This was quoted from their website. I don't see anything that says that the toslink is specifically for the panasonic DVD play ONLY. WHere did you get that idea?

Edit:I have contacted cutomer support on this and will report what i find. I doubt my email will be promtly responded though so a call may need to be in order tomorrow moring. So far i have seen nothing to indicate that it wont accept any TOSLINK capable device

InternetBoy · 04-14-2004, 01:44 AM

Quote:

I don't see anything that says that the toslink is specifically for the panasonic DVD play ONLY. WHere did you get that idea?

I got that idea from a review,
Some one bought it trying to use it with a toslink dvd player and found out it only works with a few panasonic dvd players(thare is a list someware, I will try and find it again)

If you have a computer in your car you want 5.1 out of:
Some motherboards have 5.1 rca output(via 3 mini "head-phone" plugs on the board that run in to 6(3 par) rca cables)

If your sound card has 5.1 rca outputs(6 plugs), just plug it in to your amps
If it dose not get a USB sound card with 5.1 rca outputs(6 plugs), than just plug it in to your amps.

You will need one 4ch amp(L/R/SL/SR) and two mono amps(C/LFE)

EDIT: about toslink:
When your computer outputs coax or toslink(or you change your coax to toslink) its in S/PDIF format and will need a decoder.
Every PC I have seen runing 5.1 has benn useing S/PDIF, but not every DVD player with toslink has benn useing S/PDIF.
This might be why (I really dont know).

Cryogen97 · 04-14-2004, 03:11 AM

something like this? http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eB...category=38642

antimatter · 04-14-2004, 11:00 AM

Yea if you could post a list of compatable dvd players that would be great. Looks like I am not going to buy that damn thing. I hate to back out of a deal though.

antimatter · 04-14-2004, 11:43 AM

I just got off the phone with the Customer Support at Panasonic Car audio division. He told me that the oiptical toslink input on the CY-AC300 is compatable with spdif and that i could connect it to any dvd player and that it wasn't a proprietary protocol.

So who was this that tried it and failed and are you sure they werent doing something wrong?

You can't always trust the knowledge of tech support but he did take the time to ask some knowledgable engineers.

InternetBoy · 04-14-2004, 12:35 PM

I would go with tech support on this.

I found the review on some web site(I guse thay were doing something wrong).

I was thinking it should take any toslink format,
If you do get it tell us if ti works :-)

antimatter · 04-14-2004, 01:04 PM

If you could possibly find the review. I would like to look at it. I plan on going and getting it later today. I will post my findings but i really would like to read that review

InternetBoy · 04-14-2004, 02:28 PM

Quote:

Title: Very Important missed fact
By: Ivan Jones, PhdJonesvette@aol.com
On: January 20, 2002
Review: this product will not decode dts or 5.1 surround sound from any optical source! the decoder only works with panasonics mobile dvd player. all other sources/brands of optical input are interpited as PCM linear signals which is the essentially stereo.

From http://www.techtronics.com/uk/shop/6...-decoders.html
Fond via

antimatter · 04-14-2004, 03:34 PM

Thanks for the link Google is good (I am really responsible with my searches but i didn't know what i was looking for and you did thats why I asked)

I called Panasonic Tech support again to ask them a more direct question. Will it decode DTS and 5.1 from a spdif optical toslink input.

A different representitive said that it should decode DTS and 5.1 from sources other than the panasonic DVD Drive. More specifically I asked if the CY-AC300 would decode DTS and 5.1 from the spdif output from my computers sound card. He then said that it shouldn't matter where it comes from. I then quoted the review previosly posted and he then said that he had never heard anything about the interpritation of DTS and 5.1 into PCM. After I pressed him a little more he said WHat i was trying to do should work and i should achieve 5.1 and DTS from my soundcard's spdif but that he would call one of his engineers to double check.

I will post my findings

antimatter · 04-15-2004, 01:21 AM

So these are my findings. I will post a more detailed post tomorrow. I Cannot get it to decode DTS / Dolby Digital when using the Spidif Out from the EPIA motherboard to the toslink optical in on the cy-ac300. It defaults to PCM mode with ProLogic.

My next effort will be to try to run the digital out from my dvd player to the digital in on the DSP directly.

port20 · 04-15-2004, 02:22 AM

are you using ac3 filter on your epia you need it and it must be setup right read this guide http://mini-itx.com/hardware/ac3/

the ac300 as us installers refer to it and the 51T (audiobahn ADD51T) are the only automotive DSP's that work for pc's others need analog and digital signals at the same time for volume control

toslink and coax digital both use spdif as there protocal and nothing else ac3 dts dolby pro logic ect. are codec's and can be sent over any data transmisstion protocal
what I am saying is copper or plastic converted one way or the other will work if the pc is sending the right codec eg. dts ac3 prologic check the settings in ac3 filter

antimatter · 04-15-2004, 11:16 AM

Good tip port20. I have not set that up. I will give it a go tonight. I figured I may be doing something wrong becasue the DSP recieved a signal butjust interpreted it as PCM Linear (basically stereo).

Thanks for explaining about Dolby Digital and DTS.

About that guide that you posted. I have seen that before but never set it up becasue i figured that it was only for divx movies, not for DVD's. I thought that the dvd's didn't need the AC3 filter to output Dolby Digital. I hope I am wrong and I hope this works.