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Advice on DAC and Bass Management

Chobes11

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May 18, 2020
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I’m looking for suggestions on a setup with a DAC, preamp and a way to add crossover from Mains to the sub in a 2.1 system. It seems the best way to crossover the mains is to add a MiniDSP. Am I missing something? I am trying to use balanced connections as much as possible.
1. MiniDSP SHD - good all in one package. Is the DAC chip outdated?
2. MiniDSP Studio to Okto Pro - my current sub doesn’t have balanced input but I can budget for a new sub (maybe Rythmik)
3. MiniDSP Studio to 2 x Topping D90’s - one D90 for Mains and the second D90 for the sub.

Do you think I would even hear a difference between MiniDSP SHD vs Okto Pro?
Does the popular RME DAC have a way to separate frequencies from the XLR and RCA outputs?
 

win

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worth noting the okto pro has some crazy waitlist right now, whereas the minidsp products typically arrive in a couple of days.

the SHD dacs aren't the best, but still transparent. I probably would have gone that route if I could have planned everything ahead. You also don't really need a d90 for the sub channel. I would just go with a lower priced RCA-based DAC and save a boatload.
 

mdsimon2

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IMO the impact of a DAC on sound quality is highly overrated in comparison to other higher distortion components (amplifiers and speakers).

I would go with the SHD as it is a nice one box solution. It also has digital outputs so if you decide an external DAC is needed you can do that at a later date.

Michael
 
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Chobes11

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May 18, 2020
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worth noting the okto pro has some crazy waitlist right now, whereas the minidsp products typically arrive in a couple of days.

the SHD dacs aren't the best, but still transparent. I probably would have gone that route if I could have planned everything ahead. You also don't really need a d90 for the sub channel. I would just go with a lower priced RCA-based DAC and save a boatload.
Thanks for the info, how would I make sure the two DACs are in-sync?
 
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