Considering a DSP for bedroom setup

[webzeb]

Hello,

I'm completing my bedroom setup:

• WiiM Ultra (90% of what I'm listening too)
• Old Technics turntable, modded with an embedded RIAA preamplifier (10%)
• Hypex Ncore NC122MP?
  Edit: still confirming this choice / for the moment I'lm using a low power DIY amp
• Wharfedale Linton Heritage 85th Anniversary

I'm considering replacing the WiiM Ultra by a WiiM Mini + DSP with DIRAC Live (e.g. second hand MiniDSP DDRC-24 or Flex).
Purpose would be to have better room correction (not only gain).
What do you think ?

The room is asymetric:

Warning: furniture incomplete and not at scale

The loudspeakers centers are about 1.63m (5'4") apart.
I'm listening from my bed, about 2.60m (8'6") away from the loudspearkers front faces. My ears are approximately at tweeters height.
The loudspeaker are only 11cm (4" 3/8) away from the wall; unfortunately I cannot do much more without affecting the circulation in the room (distance between the sideboard and the bed is already pretty narrow).

As you might guess, the wall is providing a lot of gain in the bass. Plus the speakers are exciting several room modes, in particular one @46Hz.

For the moment, I performed measurements with REW and a MiniDSP UMIK-1. Below 250Hz, I use the measurements and the WiiM Ultra PEQ (with different corrections for L/R) to compensate for the room modes.
Above 250Hz, I use the WiiM Ultra PEQ with the settings from Spinorama.org (I understood that what I was measuring was the combination of direct+indirect and therefore should not be used for EQ; correct?).

Thanks!

Fred

 

[staticV3]

For the best EQ, apply the anechoic correction from Spinorama first, then measure the in-room frequency response with it applied, using the Moving Microphone Method and both speakers playing at once.

That's because 90% of music is Mono below ~200Hz and due to the complex way that L and R speakers sum inside your room, correcting their bass response individually, will not lead to a fully corrected bass response when playing music.

The bass boost/bass notch correction inside the Spinorama preset (filters 1-3) I'd try with and without. The notch was put there on purpose, so correcting it will not automatically be an upgrade.

Above ~200Hz, only apply individual L/R EQ if the response measurments show noteworthy asymmetry.

 

[webzeb]

For the best EQ, apply the anechoic correction from Spinorama first, then measure the in-room frequency response with it applied, using the Moving Microphone Method and both speakers playing at once.

That's because 90% of music is Mono below ~200Hz and due to the complex way that L and R speakers sum inside your room, correcting their bass response individually, will not lead to a fully corrected bass response when playing music.

The bass boost/bass notch correction inside the Spinorama preset (filters 1-3) I'd try with and without. The notch was put there on purpose, so correcting it will not automatically be an upgrade.

Above ~200Hz, only apply individual L/R EQ if the response measurments show noteworthy asymmetry.

Thanks for the advice!
I'll give it a try.

Any thought about the a dedicated DSP?

 

[staticV3]

Any thought about the a dedicated DSP?

I'm doubtful whether basic Dirac Room Correction is a worthwhile improvement over well designed PEQ, especially since it costs at least $450 and removes some control from the user (e.g. no way to apply anechoic correction afaik).

Though I have not A/Bed it myself and so cannot speak from experience.

 

[webzeb]

I'm doubtful whether basic Dirac Room Correction is a worthwhile improvement over well designed PEQ, especially since it costs at least $450 and removes some control from the user (e.g. no way to apply anechoic correction afaik).

Though I have not A/Bed it myself and so cannot speak from experience.

Regarding the cost, my plan would be actually to sell the WiiM Ultra (approx. 300€) and replace it by a WiiM Mini (89 €) + DSP. The DSP also serving as a DAC.
Hence, the DSP would be partially founded, while keeping the excellent WiiM Home app as my entry point to access streaming services.

 

[kemmler3D]

For a 2.0 setup I don't think Dirac is going to do $400+ worth of improvement over what you can do with PEQ. The only difference is phase correction which is marginally audible in most setups, and especially if you don't need subs that need delay adjustment.