Hertz S8 – Tiny Enhancer
Hertz has become quite adept at producing signal processors. This extremely compact and highly durable DSP is no exception and suits harsh outdoor environments such as a motorbike or a marine craft.
Adding speakers and amplifiers to outdoor projects is becoming more popular. Like cars, speaker placement is often chosen for practical reasons rather than because they make sense sonically. In a perfect world, a listener would have a pair of speakers pointing towards their ears. In some applications, this is not physically possible. Hertz puts a lot of effort into designing speakers that compensate for this; however, having a DSP can further help distribute the sound so that everyone gets a near-perfect experience.
The S8 is the latest in the DSP armoury developed by Hertz. It is very compact (130 x 33.8 x 88.3mm) and can be hidden away as adjustments can be made via an iOS or Android mobile phone app. If you prefer, a Mac or Windows laptop may also be used to make these adjustments.
With up to six analogue inputs and eight outputs, the S8 can provide time alignment, crossover, and equalisation to up to eight output channels. Inputs can accept a low or high level, allowing connection to be made from pre-outs or speaker outputs of a head unit. As well as these analogue inputs, the device carries a coaxial digital input (SPDIF), offering the perfect connection for Hi-Res music players.
The device carries Japan Audio Society (JAS) Hi-Res accreditation and can process digital input signals of 24-bit word length at up to 96kHz sampling frequency.
The inputs can be equalised via a 7-band graphical parametric equaliser with adjustable frequency and Q on each pole. This is great for restoring anything tweaked up or down by a standard factory head unit. Manufacturers of standard-fit equipment often over-emphasise bass frequencies to compensate for the poor speakers they are connected to, and the S8 is the ideal tool to flatten such anomalies.
A 15-pole parametric is provided for each of the eight output channels that can be used to create specific sound curves for different genres of music or user preferences. Up to four settings can be saved and recalled via the app. Similarly, time-alignment settings for each channel can be saved within these presets.
Three types of crossover frequency are provided with slope adjustment for 6dB/Octave to 30dB/octave (6dB steps) with 120-step shoulder frequency adjustment from 20Hz – 20kHz. They are Butterworth, Linkwitz-Riley and Bessel, all of which have differing characteristics.
A cast metal case with composite materials keeps everything inside free from damage from harsh environments.
If you need a compact DSP with full functionality, then this could be just the product for you.
Find out more at www.hertzmarine.uk
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