First "Audiophile" DAC/Amp for LS50 Meta

[Roland68]

Starting to settle on MiniDSP HT with UMIK-2 microphone and tripod, plus Dirac license. For the amplifier I am holding the Buckeye Hypex NC502MP 2-channel amplifier in my mind. I am letting go of the Peachtree Carina 150 and 300 due to lack of HDMI eARC and the first application for this setup is with a TV. I understand that if latency is preceived to be an issue, the solution appears to be to get an HDFury HDMI Adapter to fork the audio signal to the MiniDSP HT between the source HDMI device and the TV.

Now I need to fill out the system, including interconnects:

I am considering the KEF KC92 subwoofer.

WORLDS BEST CABLES - RCA to XLR (Male) Cable Pair - Canare L-4E6S Star-Quad Audio Interconnect Cable & Amphenol ACPL RCA & Neutrik Male XLR Gold Plugs. 1 foot to 3 feet. Considered Mogami Gold cables but they don't appear to make 3 foot or less in stock configurations, and World's Best Cables is $30.95 or less for a pair instead of $53.95 for one cable (Mogami gold-xlrm-rca-03 or 06).

Need an RCA subwoofer cable. WBC RCA cables are probably fine but I cannot seem to find them in lengths > 5 ft online. I own a Blue Jeans BJC LC-1 subwoofer cable, which has served me well but the RCA connectors on the ends are extremely long and thick and actually interfere with speaker and equipment placement a little bit. Thinking about SVS SoundPath Subwoofer Cable (3 to 8 meters) because it's a good brand, I perceive the price to be reasonable, and the interconnects do not look nearly as long and thick as the BJC LC-1 cable's interconnects.

Speaker cables--likely inspires endless arguments amongst audiophiles . Currently considering BJC Belden 5000UE (Gray jacket, 12 AWG) with locking banana plugs. Probably 4 to 8 feet. Want the connector for convenience, welded connection, good brand, don't see a need to go thicker than 12 AWG.

Already have satisfactory HDMI and USB cables.

Sound good? Anything else?

Your amplifier list is missing some amplifiers that meet your requirements.
Lyngdorf TDAI-1120, which also has an excellent room EQ including subwoofer management.
Leak Stereo 230 has analog outputs for the subwoofer, but unfortunately no subwoofer management.
This topic has already been discussed several times, perhaps you will find other devices in the other threads.

 

[SeanTek]

I'm in a very similar situation as you. I settled on a pair of KEF R6s with a MiniDsp HTx. I still haven't decided on an amplifier though. I also need a subwoofer and was actually looking at passive sub options without any luck. I need to run the sub quite a distance away from the system hence the need for this. Have you also considered RSL subs? They look good and are 1/4 the price of the KEF you're looking at.

I looked at the RSL subs, but it is hard to form an opinion without listening to them in person somewhere.

I found a KEF dealer that had two new KC92 subwoofers in stock and he let me buy one at a pretty hefty discount (low enough that I probably should not post it here!). It pays to ask around at all of your local KEF dealers within a 100-200 mile radius. At the beginning of this thread, I noted that I picked up a pair of LS50 Meta speakers on sale. It was at Best Buy for US$999; the current retail price is US$1599.

I finally pulled the trigger on my chosen products:
MiniDSP HT with Dirac license
MiniDSP UMIK-2 microphone and tripod
MiniDSP WI-DG accessory
Buckeye Hypex NC502MP 2-channel amplifier
KEF KC92 subwoofer
WBC WBC-PRO-QUAD 8 foot subwoofer cable with Amphenol ACPR-SWH Die-Cast, Gold Plated RCA Connectors
WBC RCA to XLR (Male) Cable Pair 1.5 foot - Canare L-4E6S Star-Quad Audio Interconnect Cable & Amphenol ACPL RCA & Neutrik Male XLR Gold Plugs
BJC Ten White Speaker Cable 6 foot with Welded Terminations (custom variant of Belden 5T00UP for ten AWG)
CableCreation 3.5mm Aux Cable 1.5 foot, intended to be used for 12V trigger

The products will arrive in the next 3 weeks so I am looking forward to hearing how it all comes together.

The one thing left that I am now thinking of, is a capable network streamer. Initially I will use the Sony Bravia TV for network streaming through eARC and I will see how it goes. I can also stream through a Sony UBP-X800M2 UHD player. If anyone wants to narrow down streamers that would be helpful--or advise that I can use my current Sony + Samsung equipment to do streaming as-is.

I just found the Bluesound NODE ICON ($999), which was announced two weeks ago. It could have replaced the MiniDSP HT products in my setup (well, the MiniDSP HT has not shipped yet--I could still replace it). The cheaper Bluesound NODE N132 ($549) also seems to have the right product specs.

It appears to compete somewhat with the WiiM Ultra ($329) (see also Bluesound NODE NANO $299). The key points for me are that the NODE ICON has a screen, XLR outputs, subwoofer RCA out, and HDMI eARC. The NODE has a control screen on top (not a real screen--therefore not much of a selling point), unbalanced RCA stereo + subwoofer outputs (willing to live with it), HDMI eARC, and USB audio out per below.

The WiiM Ultra has a screen, unbalanced RCA stereo + subwoofer outputs (willing to live with it), and HDMI ARC (useless) but it also has USB audio out so I can connect it to the MiniDSP HT USB in. The NODE NANO has no screen and no subwoofer out. The NODE NANO's manual, page 4 says:

USB OUTPUT (TYPE A) The NODE NANO can transfer digital audio (USB Audio 2.0) through to an external DAC via the
USB Type-A slot. Using a USB cable (not provided), connect one end to the USB output of the NODE NANO and the
other end to the corresponding USB input on a separate DAC device. Select your USB DAC from the NODE NANO’s Audio
settings page in the BluOS App to bypass the NODE NANO’s internal DAC via USB audio out. Note: when USB Output is
selected, all other outputs (Analog and Digital) are dormant.

Therefore, the NODE NANO could be connected to the MiniDSP HT USB input at high quality.

The NODE ICON and NODE both advertise Dirac Live "Ready", "available via a future software upgrade." They also advertise: "A calibration kit with a high-sensitivity microphone is also required and available from Bluesound with additional purchase," but I have not seen such a microphone on the Bluesound website as of now. I guess the NODE ICON and NODE could replace the MiniDSP HT in my setup but the Dirac Live features are currently vaporware so one could be waiting a very long time before those features come out.

It is also unclear if the NODE ICON and NODE have "home theater bypass" functionality to reduce latency on eARC.

Between the Bluesound, WiiM, and MiniDSP (SHD/SHD Studio), I guess a big differentiator is software. All are capable but each one has pluses and minuses on software experience and I am guessing the only way to know is to experience the software for oneself to see if you like it or hate it.

 

[blackiridium]

I am in a very similar situation as Im waiting on my R6s to come in and have already received my minidsp htx. The Node Icon seems like a very interesting product and could have replaced my minidsp as well. It’s not out yet so we don’t know at this point how comparable they are. Great choice on the amp. I’ll be going with a purifi option due to heat in enclosed spaces of my particular setup.
I’m also wondering whether there would be any advantages of the usb-c connection on the Icon vs the minidsp. It seems to me that it offers more bandwidth but that might not be needed.
One positive aspect imo is separating out a dac from a streamer. It seems to me that streamer technology changes relatively frequently while dacs don’t. So separating out the dac is a positive for me.

 

[staticV3]

It seems to me that streamer technology changes relatively frequently while dacs don’t.

Nine years ago Google released the Chromecast Audio which already supported bit-perfect audio streaming.

If all you care about is bit-exact audio transmission to your DSP, then you'll get identical sound quality with that, as with the Eversolo DMP-A8 or something ridiculous like the Lumin U2.

Naturally, manufacturers will try to convince you of the opposite

 

[bibi2000]

Seantek your analysis is interesting!
I owned a NAD T758v3 for 5 years, I have a WiiM mini/marrantz set up for my teen age son and my main system is LS 50 + T-REL Mini MK3 with MiniDSP SHD Studio / Topping E70V with balanced output -> boxem amps.

Taking into account your high end set up, I would consider first 3 factor of choice

• Room Correction
• Streaming Service
• Interfacing

Room Correction: The DIRAC live is until now a no brainer.

Its working great and moreover it is justified when your room/listenning position is not optimized. It would be in favor for Mini-DSP or Node "Icon" solution.

An important element to consider, if you plan for more than one Sub-woofer integration the MiniDSP HT or Flex are the solution (you may do the cross over and integrate more than 1 Sub...).
No doubt that the Node ICON DIRAC licences will be extra paid. If free, it would be a great selling point ;-).
Do not forget to buy a UMIK for proper measurement/calibration. The $ spent on it are not lost.

Streaming Service:

• BlueOs: As previous NAD T758 owner, I confirm that this OS provide a great user experience.
• Wiim: As Wiim Mini owner for my son set-up. I must say that its improving and smooth but it is not as User friendly as the BluOs yet and Hard to be driven from a PC.

Anyhow, if you are using only the Tidal Connect both are working great. T

Interfacing: For its price the Wiim Ultra looks fabulous and Versatile and associated to a Mini-DSP HT/Flex - SHD Studio I would say why not!
But the ICON have almost the same specs + balanced output, so It likely the problem solver.


Upon it my two cents suggestion:

No Budget restriction: Go with a Node Icon and wait months for Dirac availability before you sell eventually your mini DSP HT.

Budget "restricted": Go with an Wiim Ultra or Wiim Pro (using optical output of your TV and Coax of your Sony XM800) with your mini DSP HT or Flex.

 

[Thegooseisontheloose]

I highly recommend the marantz m1 for music, gaming and tv watching to match your ls50s. It has so many features and more than enough power. I’m (for the time being) running my r3 meta with it and the little bugger continues to surprise me on multiple fronts. It’s price is fantastic and one of the biggest bargains in recent hifi imo. In my small space, with the kc62 sub it sounds lovely. Look up the reviews if you havnt yet.
Good luck

 

[SeanTek]

Over a year later, I finally got my LS50 Meta + MiniDSP Flex HT + Buckeye Hypex NC502MP 2-channel amplifier set up, and...fail. Specifically, the MiniDSP Flex HT is not passing signals to the amp. I tried HDMI and USB inputs. I have not been able to get any sound to play over HDMI / eARC through my Sony Bravia TV (2020) from any source, and I fiddled with the sound output settings quite a bit. At first the MiniDSP went to "Muted" and I was never able to get it out of "Muted," but after updating firmware (see below), I could unmute but measured audio output levels are stuck at -124 dB or -117 dB despite my best efforts to get sound to play. The moment I remove the HDMI cable, the Sony Bravia TV redirects sound to the TV speakers and has no problem playing everything.

I switched to USB connected to a MacBook Pro with the MiniDSP Device Console installed, waited a long time for various bits of firmware to update, and then audio worked over USB very well. However, after restarting the software and the MiniDSP a couple of times, I am totally unable to hear any audio from USB either. The OS is definitely outputting sound to the right destination (MiniDSP Flex HT over USB) but the level indicators in the Device Console show -124dB and no sound is playing through front left, front right...or anything else. I also fiddled with the settings, reset the settings, Reset All, etc. but nothing is coming through.

(I have not attempted S/PDIF or TOSLINK inputs, mainly because I have no intention to ever use them in the future anyway.)

Any thoughts on fixing it? It seems that MiniDSP has a very very steep learning curve which explains why not a lot of people attempt this. It's anything but plug-and-play.

Also, what's the easiest and most straightforward way to set the Flex HT to present itself as a strict "2.1 system" over USB and HDMI? The Device Console user interface looks like it always lets you configure 8 channels (as 7.1 surround), but I thought you could use this processor to bi-amp or tri-amp a stereo system if you want to do that.

 

[voodooless]

Hard to diagnose this remotely. Best is to start with the very comprehensive manual:

miniDSP Flex HT / HTn User Manual

docs.minidsp.com

As to HDMI audio, make sure your TV is setup correctly:

HDMI audio - miniDSP Flex HT User Manual

docs.minidsp.com

Note that the Flex HT is not an AVP, so it cannot do any decoding of surround formats. So any source device should already take care of that. As to a 2.1 downmix: that’s something you’ll need to configure yourself.

 

[SeanTek]

Note that the Flex HT is not an AVP, so it cannot do any decoding of surround formats. So any source device should already take care of that. As to a 2.1 downmix: that’s something you’ll need to configure yourself.

Thanks. I plugged away at it again this morning, and USB and HDMI inputs magically started working! I read the manual but knowledge that I gained from reading the manual played no part in it magically working. Yet despite working reliably with MiniDSP Flex HT, I don't think this is the solution for me.

The Sony Bravia XBR-75X90CH (2020) only outputs 2-channel 16-bit/48kHz LPCM audio, if anything at all. This appears to be a limitation of the Android TV platform on which it is built. I have the latest firmware updates (4.19.26-0ab625001 kernel, BRAVIA_VH1_UC-user 12 STT2.230505.001.S67, approximately July 17, 2025) and eARC is promised as a feature in firmware updates. As 16/48 is not acceptable, I can't use this hardware configuration. Worse yet, my 4K UHD Blu-Ray player (a Sony) doesn't seem to want to play any content back, and no apps or streaming services are working, which means I don't have another reliable way to get high quality audio to the speakers in a family room environment.

More Internet research indicates that many TV vendors' smart app platforms don't reliably output anything other than 16/48/2, even in 2025. That research indicates that I should just treat the TV as a monitor and use other boxes such as the Apple TV 4K for reliable LPCM audio and a better user experience.

If I upgrade the TV, I would only be interested in upgrading to a 75" Samsung TV that has Philips Hue Sync built-in. There are many Samsung TVs at many price points (I counted ten 4K TVs ranging from $599 to $1999 on samsung.com, and one 8K TV, QN75QN900FFXZA, for $3799), but it's not clear if upgrading the TV will solve what I want or if I'm going to have to bite the bullet and get a Dolby Atmos/DTS decoding surround sound processor--or AV receiver--of some kind. What I want = a TV that can output high-quality multichannel LPCM from built-in sources (TV Tuner, USB stick) and network sources (AirPlay, network files, etc.), and that can pass multichannel LPCM from other HDMI-connected devices to the DAC via HDMI eARC or USB. I am also interested in getting multichannel audio out of OTA TV (ATSC 1.0 and ATSC 3.0), and it seems that the only way to get this content is to pass the Dolby bitstream out of the TV into the DAC, which means that the DAC itself has to do the decoding. The state of stand-alone ATSC boxes is very sad now and I certainly doubt any ATSC (3.0) box that ever comes into existence will decode the Dolby bitstream into multichannel LPCM for Flex HT to process it.

There is one other wrinkle: the Buckeye Hypex NC502MP amp sounds terrific in this setup, but it is so deep that it can't fit inside my media cabinet. The amp itself can fit but the fancy plugs on the cables (ironically, I think the power cable is the worst offender) make the overall depth too much. I currently have it inside the media cabinet at a 45 degree angle so it fits. That alone is not a reason to give up but I definitely cannot add more channels without putting the amps on top of the media cabinet or getting creative in other ways.