Corvette or 911

[ex audiophile]

I've been debating the purchase of an STR preamp or miniDSP SHD and it reminded me of all the old Car and Driver comparisons between the 911 and Corvette. Expensive, elegant and sophisticated or blue collar rough around the edges but less expensive.

So, I have a nice quiet amp (AHB2) and want to put together a nice 2.2 setup that is streaming only (Node2i source) and includes room correction capability. I have experience with the Anthem STR preamp and it's been superb, likely transparent based on Audioholics testing, and has a ton of features, many of which I don't need given a streaming only system. It does have a slick interface with a lot of preferences that can be set to make life easier (startup volume, max volume, turn off delay, ARC settings, etc). ARC Genesis has been excellent at sub integration for me and it's super easy to use. Retail is $4300.

In the other corner is the miniDSP SHD, much less expensive at $1200 give or take, but lacks phono inputs, HT bypass (I think) and likely has a more cumbersome UI with fewer preference settings. I have no experience with miniDSP stuff so that could be wrong. However, it has a high performance DAC and DIRAC with apparently countless settings and options for tweaking the signal. Probably a better choice for someone who likes to really get into the weeds with the EQ settings.

My question for you all is which do you think would be the better choice for a streaming 2.2 setup WITHOUT REGARD to the cost difference? My hypothesis is that the ultimate result with regards to SQ would be the same and would depend more on the speakers and subs. The STR would be smoother and easier but the SHD would provide more options for adjusting the FR curve. Comments much appreciated.

 

[JeffS7444]

Room correction is the low-hanging fruit of the audio world, where real sonic gains can be had at reasonable cost.

As for 911 vs Corvette, beats me, I've never driven either.

 

[TonyJZX]

I'd go with the minidsp preamp first... its only $1,299... it runs dirac which is the undisputed industry leader... you're better off trying that one before you go for anything 'better'...

as far as 'preamps' go, i'd be considering the minidsp as the 'minimum' as far as connections which is normal for a preamp

you be probably needing something ontop to fit many peoples' setups

it does tend to have enough digital inputs... sort of... 1 opt, 1 coax, 1 aes/ebu

it only has one xlr in and one rca in

it does have heaps of analog and digital outs though

so in my setup i'd probably need an analog input preamp ontop

but this minidsp is at least 'workable' for me

 

[droid2000]

Corvette has closed the gap in performance against 911's. A 911 will be more reliable, but the rear engine design is a serious flaw that requires extraordinary engineering to fix. A much cheaper Cayman with a 911 engine outperforms a 911. Porche relies on unthinking loyal 911 consumers to maintain the brand... much like Macintosh amps and Harley Davidsons.

 

[restorer-john]

Buy American, get a Corvette.

Wouldn't been seen dead in a car made by VAG.

 

[HarmonicTHD]

911 any day.
… and as we are in science forum only facts count: Nordschleife lap times speak for themselves. ;-)

 

[buz]

Corvette has closed the gap in performance against 911's. A 911 will be more reliable, but the rear engine design is a serious flaw that requires extraordinary engineering to fix. A much cheaper Cayman with a 911 engine outperforms a 911. Porche relies on unthinking loyal 911 consumers to maintain the brand... much like Macintosh amps and Harley Davidsons.

This.

I am very much the 911 target audience and would never buy one for those reasons.

 

[pma]

The car choice is secondary here, just as a comparison. He asks for advice in audio choice.

 

[TonyJZX]

btw. if you're going to get that last of the combustion engine cars before we're all forced to go electric then you may as well go with a format that has always been best for most enthusiasts and that's a large naturally aspirated V8 with a 6 spd manual driving the rear wheels.

That's it.

So a C6/7 Corvette... or a 911 GT3 or even a Carrera 2... i can forgive the twin turbo flat six or the RR engine location... because...,

I'm not interested in the auto experience.

 

[Rip City Dave]

If it doesn't have manual transmission, it gets excluded from my list.

 

[fpitas]

Buy American, get a Corvette.

View attachment 266233

Wouldn't been seen dead in a car made by VAG.

Once upon a time not so long ago, Corvettes were kind of embarrassing. When people showed up at the road race track, we all expected to be entertained by the marginal old man suspension and wheezy engine. No more.

 

[BR52]

No more.

Really no wells fargo with a lot of horses?

 

[fpitas]

Really no wells fargo with a lot of horses?

They corner very, very well. People frequently bring them to autocrosses and also do well.

 

[symphara]

The miniDSP will probably be more customizable in terms of EQ but the loss of HT bypass would rule it out for me, personally. I seem to always end up integrating some HT setup with the audio setup and this flexibility is crucial.

The 911 is a much nicer car to live with compared to the Vette. Better visibility all around, physically smaller, nicer interior, can easily be a daily driver. The Corvette does look like a high-tech supercar though, inside and out, I'll grant that.

 

[BR52]

Great they corner now well. Pls forgive I'm a Porsche fan

 

[fpitas]

Great they corner now well. Pls forgive I'm a Porsche fan

I'll try not to hold it against you

 

[BR52]

I'll try not to hold it against you

But it seems we both like Horn speakers

 

[fpitas]

But it seens we both like Horn speakers

And on ASR, that's the important thing. Not many of us here.

 

[Astoneroad]

With speed limits... and limited hearing range... we pay beyond what we're capable of actually experiencing in the real world. What we spend to burn in the Bonfire of the Vanities... is an odd human behavior... IMHO.

 

[AdamG]

Mini DSP and use the remaining $3100 to get a couple nice subs if you don’t have subs yet. If you have the subs already. Upgraded Speakers is where you will reap the largest improvements in sound in the Audio Chain.