AudioCircle

Audio/Video Gear and Systems => Owner's Circles => Digital Amplifier Company Owners => Topic started by: RCduck7 on 29 Jul 2018, 03:04 pm

Title: Could this be the ideal source component? Streamer + Dirac Live room correction
Post by: RCduck7 on 29 Jul 2018, 03:04 pm
Having a DAC DAC 2, Maraschino mono's and soon the new Cherry digital pre amp... Could this be the ultimate component to stream music and at the same time use Room Correction for not only the streamer but also for other source components cd-player, ... etc.
I wonder if this would be used between the DPA and DAC or before the DPA...

https://www.dirac.com/news/2018/7/26/dirac-live-makes-streaming-debut-in-all-new-minidsp-streaming-hd-shd-series

https://www.minidsp.com/products/streaming-hd-series/shd-series
Title: Re: Could this be the ideal source component? Streamer + Dirac Live room correction
Post by: JLM on 29 Jul 2018, 06:58 pm
Thanks for the heads up! 

Wonder what the DAC section is like in the SHD.
Title: Re: Could this be the ideal source component? Streamer + Dirac Live room correction
Post by: RCduck7 on 31 Jul 2018, 08:39 am
Thanks for the heads up! 

Wonder what the DAC section is like in the SHD.

Well, the SHD does have a DAC on board while the SHD studio won't. The SHD studio will be cheaper and maybe a more intresting proposition for those that allready have a good DAC.
Title: Re: Could this be the ideal source component? Streamer + Dirac Live room correction
Post by: JLM on 31 Jul 2018, 09:50 am
Seems like the DAC and volume control sections along with the remote in the SHD are after thoughts.  Like the balance outputs, the price $1150 (?), and the importance of bass DSP for room correction, but think I'll just stick with my DSPeaker Anti-Mode 2.0 Dual Core (DAC, preamp, very basic bass DSP using it's little mike, cheesy remote) and wait for the reviews. 

Funny how built-in DAC's can pass under the radar.  My JBL 708P's ($4000/pair active studio monitors) include DACs for AES/EBU input and pass thru, yet can't find any information about them.  Have DAC's become commodities?  Have to admit as a 'speaker guy' they don't hold supreme interest to me as I believe speakers are a much more significant factor than any digital source, but seems like the theory of weakest link has to apply. 
Title: Re: Could this be the ideal source component? Streamer + Dirac Live room correction
Post by: RCduck7 on 31 Jul 2018, 01:11 pm
Either the DSPeaker Anti-Mode 2.0 or a Dirac Live units are good options regarding the room correction. Since i am in the market for a new streamer and a room correction unit it will be intresting to see how good the streamer is in the SHD. Ease of use, bug free... Off course it would be nice that the SHD will have a very good DAC. Prices of both SHD and SHD studio have yet to be announced but I'm quiet certain the DAC section in the SHD won't be in the same league as Tommy's DAC DAC or DAC DAC 2.
Title: Re: Could this be the ideal source component? Streamer + Dirac Live room correction
Post by: Mike B. on 31 Jul 2018, 02:14 pm
Looks very interesting. Will wait for user feedback also.
Title: Re: Could this be the ideal source component? Streamer + Dirac Live room correction
Post by: JDUBS on 31 Jul 2018, 05:28 pm
Seems like the DAC and volume control sections along with the remote in the SHD are after thoughts.

How so?

-Jim
Title: Re: Could this be the ideal source component? Streamer + Dirac Live room correction
Post by: Bwanagreg on 1 Aug 2018, 12:08 am
This is really interesting.

It looks like the volume control is done in the digital domain.

https://www.minidsp.com/images/documents/Product%20Brief-SHD.pdf

"miniDSP DSP Processing: Volume, Parametric Equalizer banks, Crossovers, Matrix mixer, Compressor/Limiter, Mute"
Title: Re: Could this be the ideal source component? Streamer + Dirac Live room correction
Post by: JDUBS on 1 Aug 2018, 02:28 am
This is really interesting.

It looks like the volume control is done in the digital domain.

https://www.minidsp.com/images/documents/Product%20Brief-SHD.pdf

"miniDSP DSP Processing: Volume, Parametric Equalizer banks, Crossovers, Matrix mixer, Compressor/Limiter, Mute"

This has always been the case for Minidsp products. 

The ADC and DAC sections actually look pretty decent.  Not the latest chips but pretty solid, spec-wise, nonetheless.

-Jim
Title: Re: Could this be the ideal source component? Streamer + Dirac Live room correction
Post by: JLM on 1 Aug 2018, 11:41 am
SHD is now available:

https://www.minidsp.com/products/shd-series/shd-detail

Still looking for pricing, front image of SHD Studio as I'm trying to decide between adding sub(s) or not to my JBL 708Ps and the 708P has a built-in DAC.  Without subs the SHD Studio would work. 

Don't know about digital volume control, as my understanding is they clip off the peaks versus linear compression of the entire dynamic range (like an conventional analog volume control does), and I listen at -20 to -35 dB most of the time.
Title: Re: Could this be the ideal source component? Streamer + Dirac Live room correction
Post by: Norman Tracy on 1 Aug 2018, 03:28 pm
Don't know about digital volume control, as my understanding is they clip off the peaks versus linear compression of the entire dynamic range (like an conventional analog volume control does), and I listen at -20 to -35 dB most of the time.

Yeah...your 'understanding' is poorly stated or if you mean what you wrote incorrect. DSP implemented volume controls do not "clip off peaks". At a basic level the sample values in the data stream are multiplied by a number less than one and the resulting output stream is the same waveform with a lower amplitude. Better implementations are more mathematically complex also including dither and noise shaping.

Like everything in high-end audio implementation counts more than the broad class of technology used.
Title: Re: Could this be the ideal source component? Streamer + Dirac Live room correction
Post by: JLM on 1 Aug 2018, 07:32 pm
Thanks, my understanding was pre DSP.
Title: Re: Could this be the ideal source component? Streamer + Dirac Live room correction
Post by: JLM on 2 Aug 2018, 01:00 am
A couple more SHD/SHD Studio tidbits (in an effort to slide AC back to audio):

https://www.dirac.com/news/2018/7/26/dirac-live-makes-streaming-debut-in-all-new-minidsp-streaming-hd-shd-series

https://www.minidsp.com/images/documents/Product%20Brief-SHD%20Studio.pdf
Title: Re: Could this be the ideal source component? Streamer + Dirac Live room correction
Post by: Mike-48 on 27 Nov 2018, 02:57 am
If anyone's still reading this, Audio Science Review has published measurements of the SHD:
https://www.audiosciencereview.com/forum/index.php?threads/review-and-measurements-of-minidsp-shd-dac-dsp-and-streamer.4286/

I'm thinking of the SHD one of our systems.

A question raised (I can't remember if here or elsewhere) is what sort of long-term support one should expect from miniDSP. For example, I'd hope that dedicated version of Volumio would be updated periodically.