Dirac Live Bass Management?

[Dj7675]

This lack of transparency and support from Dirac for products that they allowed to claim would have DLBC is disturbing.

At this point, I would not buy a Dirac product no matter how good it is.

Is that Dirac’s fault or the various brands such as NAD said they would support it and then didn’t though? They could have fully intended to but either decided not to for whatever reason couldn’t. Without that transparency and information it is anyones guess. I would place blame on NAD but without knowing more but that too would just be a guess. But the hardware manufacturer should be held accountable for not implementing it in my opinion.

 

[jhaider]

$849 for the multich sweet, OUCH
And soon to be obsolete when ARC arrives. ???

OTOH, people swoon over Roon around here (and I suppose if you’re stuck outside the Apple garden it might even be a useful thing to have) and that software costs about the same.

 

[jhaider]

This lack of transparency and support from Dirac for products that they allowed to claim would have DLBC is disturbing.

I don’t understand the premise here: you’re blaming Dirac for other companies’ marketing?

That said, I understand the frustration behind it. There’s really no excuse for companies to only offer base Dirac on anything they sell. DLBC should be an option on every product with Dirac and purported bass management.

 

[Sal1950]

OTOH, people swoon over Roon around here (and I suppose if you’re stuck outside the Apple garden it might even be a useful thing to have) and that software costs about the same.

Not I, I only use the free ones, Strawberry in Linux and Foobar2000 on the occasion I'm in Windoz.
But my understanding is that Roon has quite advanced tagging that can make things easier for Classical music enthusiasts.

 

[jhaider]

Not I, I only use the free ones, Strawberry in Linux and Foobar2000 on the occasion I'm in Windoz.
But my understanding is that Roon has quite advanced tagging that can make things easier for Classical music enthusiasts.

Not Dirac related but as someone who enjoys “classical” music I’m looking forward to this:

March | 2023 | Ars Technica

Serving the Technologist for more than a decade. IT news, reviews, and analysis.

arstechnica.com

will-launch-a-new-app-exclusively-for-classical-music-later-this-month/amp/

 

[MarkS]

I don’t understand the premise here: you’re blaming Dirac for other companies’ marketing?

That said, I understand the frustration behind it. There’s really no excuse for companies to only offer base Dirac on anything they sell. DLBC should be an option on every product with Dirac and purported bass management.

Dirac does not provide a simple list of all products that license DLBC, which they could easily do. But they don't.

 

[AudioScience Enthusiast]

Dirac also works fantastically on a computer, I use it both in the home theatre and at my desktop for my studio monitors.

Do you have PC or Mac? I have Roon and there are many threads about how Dirac on Mac doesn't support the filter/plugin that Roon needs, so for me, the computer is a dead-end too.

 

[Kal Rubinson]

Do you have PC or Mac? I have Roon and there are many threads about how Dirac on Mac doesn't support the filter/plugin that Roon needs, so for me, the computer is a dead-end too.

Roon on Win doesn't support VST plug-ins either. It is a Roon matter. However, you can also use Dirac as a "stand-alone" (i.e., as a virtual audio device) with Roon on Win. Probably on Mac, too, but I cannot say that with certainty.

 

[gianventu]

Tu use DLBM you need a multichannel dac?

 

[AudioScience Enthusiast]

Out of frustration about my NAD M10 V2 lacking DLBC, I emailed Dirac Live support, asking them what the deal is.

Surprisingly, Dirac Live support said that NAD has announced the support for DLBC, and that I should ask NAD to get more details.

Does anyone know if NAD has definitely announced this publicly? I tried googling for this announcement but couldn't find any yet.

 

[AudioScience Enthusiast]

Thanks

Are you saying that even as a Dirac live insider you really do not know the ETA for NAD support of bass control? I'm waiting for it to arrive for my C658 preamp. I've contacted NAD support many times they either never reply or simply dodge this question... What's the holdup?

Since @EB1000 posted this in 2020, has anyone else received any sort of confirmation from NAD?

Yes... and presently the Dirac Live Bass Control is also supported by the Monolith HTP-1 and by the StormAudio processors.
NAD also announced that the first NAD components to get it would be the NAD M10 and the NAD C658 but I heard no news since then.

@Flak, your post is also from 2020, but it's 2023 now. Does it mean there is a higher chance now the DLBC is coming to M10 (V1/V2) soon or it's never coming?

 

[AudioScience Enthusiast]

The cost depends on which processor you use. Some manufacturers include the Bandwidth Limited version for free and the full-frequency version is an additional cost upgrade (which typically costs $99). Other manufacturers include the Full Frequency license with the purchase of the device. Dirac as a DAW plugin for music producers is $349 for stereo and $499 for multichannel. DLBC is almost always an additional cost upgrade on the few devices where it’s available. A single-sub license is $349 and a multi-sub license costs $499.

This post explains it nicely the differences.

This brings up a question, how much is a "fair price" for NAD M10 (V1/V2) users who have already paid for the "full-bandwidth $99 upgrade" and now would like to add DLBC as well, assuming DLBC will come eventually.

From other examples posted here so far, it seems $499 is to be expected. But would NAD and Dirac really go for this $499 sticker shock price for NAD owners, assuming DLBC will even come?

 

[Codyman]

I just purchased an Arcam AVR20 and when I brought up Dirac and it found my AVR on the network, it said my license could only control 1 sub. I need to disable all but one or purchase DLBC multi-sub to control all 4. Then there is a link to the Dirac page. Is single sub included with AVR20? Seems to be but I'm confused.

 

[gianventu]

Quite sure you already know everything about but just in case you don't, this is the reply I received from Dirac support about the Mac desktop version of DLBS:
Hello,

thanks for your interest in Dirac Live Bass Control.

In order to use it one needs independent channels, if you own a stereo DAC you may add a second one...

Mac instructions for aggregating two DACs and correcting the drift between them (important) are available here:
https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT202000
https://support.apple.com/guide/audio-midi-setup/set-aggregate-device-settings-ams094c7edb4/mac

Alternatively, in the case of a Stereo system with two subwoofers you can use a 4 channel audiocard, for example:

https://www.audiosciencereview.com/forum/index.php?threads/motu-m4-audio-interface-review.15757/

or a multichannel DAC, for example:

https://www.audiosciencereview.com/forum/index.php?threads/topping-dm7-8-channel-dac-review.35661/

Be proud to be mentioned so many times

 

[alexf40]

Well I finally heard back from Dirac about their licencing. The licence is tied to that specific hardware and user. If you sell the AVR the licence won't transfer as not the same user. If you buy a new AVR you can't transfer the licence. If your AVR fails and gets replaced under warranty you're screwed.

I was excited now I could actually buy Dirac for my AVR and really wanted to buy DLBC when it was out next year, but at ~$900 with their licencing terms no way. I'll stick with Audyssey 32 and my MiniDSP HD using MSO for multi sub optimisation.

No way I'm paying for a new licence everytime I upgrade my AVR, and I can't even sell the AVR with Dirac on it. No idea why as a worst case they can't just charge you a transfer fee or have a subscription based offering.

 

[Krobar]

Well I finally heard back from Dirac about their licencing. The licence is tied to that specific hardware and user. If you sell the AVR the licence won't transfer as not the same user. If you buy a new AVR you can't transfer the licence. If your AVR fails and gets replaced under warranty you're screwed.

I was excited now I could actually buy Dirac for my AVR and really wanted to buy DLBC when it was out next year, but at ~$900 with their licencing terms no way. I'll stick with Audyssey 32 and my MiniDSP HD using MSO for multi sub optimisation.

No way I'm paying for a new licence everytime I upgrade my AVR, and I can't even sell the AVR with Dirac on it. No idea why as a worst case they can't just charge you a transfer fee or have a subscription based offering.

Thats not quite right in my experience. My Arcam Dirac Live Bass Control is tied to my Dirac Account and the Arcam model; it seems to work with any AV40. This means warranty replacement is a non-issue.

 

[alexf40]

Thats not quite right in my experience. My Arcam Dirac Live Bass Control is tied to my Dirac Account and the Arcam model; it seems to work with any AV40. This means warranty replacement is a non-issue.

I've now been told by Sound United that if my unit fails and is replaced (this has happened to two of my previous AVRs which is why I'm concerned) that I can transfer the licence. So perhaps it is still the same implementation as what you stated above.

I seem to get differring answers in my several replies to the same questions from Dirac, I just don't understand why they don't clearly detail the licencing terms.

 

[graystreet]

Well I finally heard back from Dirac about their licencing. The licence is tied to that specific hardware and user. If you sell the AVR the licence won't transfer as not the same user. If you buy a new AVR you can't transfer the licence. If your AVR fails and gets replaced under warranty you're screwed.

I was excited now I could actually buy Dirac for my AVR and really wanted to buy DLBC when it was out next year, but at ~$900 with their licencing terms no way. I'll stick with Audyssey 32 and my MiniDSP HD using MSO for multi sub optimisation.

No way I'm paying for a new licence everytime I upgrade my AVR, and I can't even sell the AVR with Dirac on it. No idea why as a worst case they can't just charge you a transfer fee or have a subscription based offering.

I've been on the hunt to find a good Dirac with bass control implementation for my 2.2 setup that I hope to one day update with surrounds or heights, but if the licensing does not follow the device then I'm with you. I can't in good conscience pay $900 to get access to a license of the software for such a simple setup and not be able to sell the machine with the software or transfer the license to a new machine that I upgrade to in the future.

I'd be interested to hear about the Audyssey 32 + MiniDSP HD using MSO for multi sub optimization. I'm not knowledgeable in how this would be different than having Audyssey 32 calibrate discrete subs on an AVR with those outputs. Or, are you referring to a different setup?

 

[NTK]

I've been on the hunt to find a good Dirac with bass control implementation for my 2.2 setup that I hope to one day update with surrounds or heights, but if the licensing does not follow the device then I'm with you. I can't in good conscience pay $900 to get access to a license of the software for such a simple setup and not be able to sell the machine with the software or transfer the license to a new machine that I upgrade to in the future.

According to @Flak (who works for Dirac), Dirac will assist you for a license transfer if you sell your AVR.

Dirac (for PC) stopped working today

Hello, I have used Dirac Live BC for several months now, but when I started the computer today, the DL Processor no longer works. When I open it (wether from the start menu or from JRiver VST plugin), the DL Processor says "No signal" in red. It doesn´t even appear in the list of available...

www.audiosciencereview.com

They will do the same if your AVR failed and get a replacement. But license are not transferable from one unit to another.

Dirac (for PC) stopped working today

If you'll sell your AVR, you can sell the license with it and we'll assist you with the account and email for your buyer What should I do if the AVR breaks down and it’s out of warranty? Buy a new license for the replacement AVR? In case I sell the AVR it’s unlikely that I’ll recoup the...

www.audiosciencereview.com

 

[Davide]

I confirm, having informed myself and having done so with Dirac licence, that it can be resold, as established by the European court.

Unfortunately, the fact that the license is not reassignable to another unit implies the sale of everything together.

In my opinion, AVRs are disadvantageous compared to a PC (with Dirac) + multichannel DAC + amps setup.
If one wants Dolby then he can get a Mac mini.