Minidsp DDRC-88A Dirac Multichannel DSP Review

[TNT]

Well, we’re not quite there yet.. while this allows you to actually run the room corrections, it won’t automatically create them for you.. that is a whole different kind of dark art.

OK - there is REW + rePhase ;-)

And Camilla has some time to get out if beta but its progressing well and steady. So its there, just takes a bit of effort

//

 

[voodooless]

OK - there is REW + rePhase ;-)

And Camilla has some time to get out if beta but its progressing well and steady. So its there, just takes a bit of effort

//

But those are two different things.. REQ and rePhase measure and build the filters, Camilla runs them. rePhase and REW on it's own do nothing And it also does not offer any automatic room corrections.. Well, REW has autoEQ, but as far as I know, it only generates IIR filters, so no phase control, and very little tools to actually control the impulse response.

 

[TNT]

Yes, it requires some twinkling for sure... rePhase is as easy as EQing the phase with sliders... still it's doable if one is really interested. And it's free

//

 

[Newman]

Look, I am not an expert in SACD, CD, Blue Ray, PVR or streaming I only listen to digital music stored on my PC. I am presuming you use a PC somewhere in your chain?

Well, that is exactly my question. How can I have a PC in my chain, while playing SACD, Blu-ray disc, etc?

That said, everything stays as per normal in your system(if you have a PC). You add a convolution(essentially a file that you have EQ'd) to Jriver or your any advanced listening music platform. If you listen to music outside this platform you a can also route the convolution for all things played on your desktop.

All you need is a external soundcard and microphone you take your measurement from the listening position and then the software, time aligns, flattens frequency curve according to your taste automatically. Doing exactly the same thing as Audyssey or Dirac or any of those programs with more power including digital crossovers.

Audiolense and Acourate seem to be the more popular ones, Uli from Acourate is on this forum and Mitcho is the in house expert who is very well versed with both of these softwares using them interchangeably depending on what his goals are.

I would be much more interested in IIR software than any of those FIR programs that you are mentioning. FIR is bad news.

But before proceeding with that debate, it’s not worth even starting I can’t integrate a silent PC into the chain that plays the various formats that I mentioned with some kind of smooth switching and Hi-Rez audio in multichannel.

Cheers

 

[voodooless]

Well, that is exactly my question. How can I have a PC in my chain, while playing SACD, Blu-ray disc, etc?

Blu-Ray is trivial I think.. There is enough software out there that does it for you. SACD is probably the most tricky one. Seems like with the right kind of drive, you can rip it. And if you can rip, you could also play.

I would be much more interested in IIR software than any of those FIR programs that you are mentioning. FIR is bad news.

All of the half way decent room correction software tends to use FIR because you'll need to influence the phase behaviour.. It's only bad news if you do not use it properly.. You can also design unstable IIR filters.. that's also bad news.

But before proceeding with that debate, it’s not worth even starting I can’t integrate a silent PC into the chain that plays the various formats that I mentioned with some kind of smooth switching and Hi-Rez audio in multichannel.

I'm not sure how far XBMC and the like have come along in delivering a totally smooth experience for all those things.. I'm guessing it won't be very easy. But it will be very flexible

 

[somebodyelse]

Where is the GUI?

https://github.com/HEnquist/camillagui-backend
There are other camilla-related parts at https://github.com/HEnquist too. A script to automate installation on a pi is being worked on.

 

[tonybarrett]

Is this NAD you are discussing the $6000+ USD unit? M17 V2?

Reasonable question. I have DDRC-88a. Was just looking for preamp that could replace it. NAD is pricey. Rotel have just announced something for around 2,500 pounds In UK. http://rotel.com/en-gb/product/rsp-1576mkii

 

[voodooless]

Reasonable question. I have DDRC-88a. Was just looking for preamp that could replace it. NAD is pricey. Rotel have just announced something for around 2,500 pounds In UK. http://rotel.com/en-gb/product/rsp-1576mkii

According to spec, only a 90 SINAD on the digital..

 

[tonybarrett]

According to spec, only a 90 SINAD on the digital..

Ah, thanks. No improvement then...

 

[TimoJ]

Reasonable question. I have DDRC-88a. Was just looking for preamp that could replace it. NAD is pricey. Rotel have just announced something for around 2,500 pounds In UK. http://rotel.com/en-gb/product/rsp-1576mkii

I replaced my DDRC-88A-BM and Nakamichi AV1 preamp with the Monoprice HTP-1. (Actually still have the DDRC, trying to sell it.)

 

[lashto]

But in typical miniDSP fashion, they would not think they have done their job unless they have selected combination of features and connectors that always have people scratching their heads on how to use/connect to 90% use cases requiring all kinds of adapters and dongles.
..

Same feeling here. Maybe it's their business model: everyone must buy 2+ of their devices.

 

[Vasr]

Well, that is exactly my question. How can I have a PC in my chain, while playing SACD, Blu-ray disc, etc?


I would be much more interested in IIR software than any of those FIR programs that you are mentioning. FIR is bad news.

But before proceeding with that debate, it’s not worth even starting I can’t integrate a silent PC into the chain that plays the various formats that I mentioned with some kind of smooth switching and Hi-Rez audio in multichannel.

Cheers

If you are just trying to make a rhetorical case that HTPC is not a feature-for-feature substitute for a full-fledged contemporary AVR (at least as yet), there isn't much controversy there. It is easy to do so pointing out the obvious differences - unified and convenient source switching, handling of DRM content, accommodating more than 8 channels easily, ability for anyone to use without some technical ability, etc. But that is just an academic chest-thumping/ideological exercise.

For many vertical sets of features that one may actually use an AVR in their contexts (not everybody uses every feature of an AVR), there may be equivalents with a PC. And the ability to combine video and audio processing in the same PC has some advantages. There are some things AVRs cannot help in (except via a co-operating and often expensive video system) such as starting a movie in one room and shutting it down and resuming in another room at the same point (e.g., Kodi/Emby). Ability to do much better video scaling and processing (e.g., MadVR) than any inexpensive hardware (even better than the old Oppos) while playing and listening to a movie and completely transparently, etc.

But for your question taken literally, all of the different media formats you mentioned can be handled by any of the audio/video players on the PC either directly playing the discs with the drives attached to the PC or as most HTPC users do rip all media into a NAS and use a media server with Kodi/Emby/Plex etc. They can also play most anything bit-perfect into your favorite DAC (definitely anything within audible range of depth and sampling rate). It will also allow them to transcode optimized for various client devices in the house depending on the codecs available natively. A PVR can be incorporated into the HTPC system using a capture card and Kodi/Emby. These are all supported features of the software. And they even have really good library management for recorded or ripped media.

So the full potential of a HTPC is really as a house-wide A/V system using anything from tablets to dumb monitors and built in speakers or a HiFi stack - doing so with a combination of AVRs and Smart TVs can get very expensive or requires getting locked into an ecosystem.

They are not replacements for each other but serve both certain common and some disjoint purposes with unique advantages. Depends on one's actual requirements.

 

[tonybarrett]

If you are just trying to make a rhetorical case that HTPC is not a feature-for-feature substitute for a full-fledged contemporary AVR (at least as yet), there isn't much controversy there. It is easy to do so pointing out the obvious differences - unified and convenient source switching, handling of DRM content, accommodating more than 8 channels easily, ability for anyone to use without some technical ability, etc. But that is just an academic chest-thumping/ideological exercise.

For many vertical sets of features that one may actually use an AVR in their contexts (not everybody uses every feature of an AVR), there may be equivalents with a PC. And the ability to combine video and audio processing in the same PC has some advantages. There are some things AVRs cannot help in (except via a co-operating and often expensive video system) such as starting a movie in one room and shutting it down and resuming in another room at the same point (e.g., Kodi/Emby). Ability to do much better video scaling and processing (e.g., MadVR) than any inexpensive hardware (even better than the old Oppos) while playing and listening to a movie and completely transparently, etc.

But for your question taken literally, all of the different media formats you mentioned can be handled by any of the audio/video players on the PC either directly playing the discs with the drives attached to the PC or as most HTPC users do rip all media into a NAS and use a media server with Kodi/Emby/Plex etc. They can also play most anything bit-perfect into your favorite DAC (definitely anything within audible range of depth and sampling rate). It will also allow them to transcode optimized for various client devices in the house depending on the codecs available natively. A PVR can be incorporated into the HTPC system using a capture card and Kodi/Emby. These are all supported features of the software. And they even have really good library management for recorded or ripped media.

So the full potential of a HTPC is really as a house-wide A/V system using anything from tablets to dumb monitors and built in speakers or a HiFi stack - doing so with a combination of AVRs and Smart TVs can get very expensive or requires getting locked into an ecosystem.

They are not replacements for each other but serve both certain common and some disjoint purposes with unique advantages. Depends on one's actual requirements.

Yeah mate, can’t wait to rip my 2,500+ DVD and blu-ray titles to my NAS.

 

[tonybarrett]

I replaced my DDRC-88A-BM and Nakamichi AV1 preamp with the Monoprice HTP-1. (Actually still have the DDRC, trying to sell it.)

Unavailable in UK, so $4000 plus taxes

 

[Vasr]

Yeah mate, can’t wait to rip my 2,500+ DVD and blu-ray titles to my NAS.

My sympathies for being way behind the curve on this.

 

[Soundstage]

Feels like a new serie from MiniDSP will replace this one. Wouldn’t buy now.

 

[tonybarrett]

My sympathies for being way behind the curve on this.

Haha

 

[stevenswall]

Just need a version with optical in... And to fill in all the blanked out slots on the back of it so you can do digital as well as analogue and not be as limited.

 

[OverTheAir]

Is this NAD you are discussing the $6000+ USD unit? M17 V2?

Sorry, I should have been clearer, I am referring to the T758 V3 that if operated below -6dB outputs seems to perform similarly to this unit. Given that based on your comments you are already using the DDRC-88A with an AVR, then buying the NAD T758 V3 wouldn't seem to make sense for you.

 

[stevenswall]

Feels like a new serie from MiniDSP will replace this one. Wouldn’t buy now.

What makes you think that? I was under the impression it was extremely rare for them to make a new series.