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Is it worth it buying a miniDSP SHD with dirac if I don't have a sub?

Is it worth buying miniDSP SHD for 1k if I don't have a sub?

  • Yes

    Votes: 15 78.9%
  • No

    Votes: 4 21.1%

  • Total voters
    19

regan

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I mean will the audio improvement after room correction be significant? Is it worth the 1k price if I don't have a sub?
I noticed most of the people use miniDSP to integrate subs, that's why I'm curious..

Edit: My speakers would be KEF R3 or Wharfedale Linton
 
OP
regan

regan

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Help? Any good samaritan?
 

Tom C

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Sometimes it takes a little time for the members to notice the post.
You’ve got a limited budget. That’s correct step number one. Do not overspend, and take your time to build your system, paying as you go. Don’t borrow to buy audio gear.
My own thinking is that the right sub, without miniDSP, will do more for you than miniDSP without a sub. You can add the miniDSP later, if you choose, but it’s only one of several options, and may not be the least expensive route to room correction. It does have its advantages, but everything’s a trade off
 

Tom C

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Most people consider bass management the most important aspect of room correction, and some folks only correct the bass, especially if you have top quality speakers like Kef R3. Room correction likely wouldn’t change things a great deal, because the R3’s are already excelllent. They just shouldn’t need much EQ. And you can often do it on PC or laptop. What is the source of your music?
 

vicenzo_del_paris

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Hi,

Using DSP is not limited to subwoofer integration!

I started few years ago with a 2x4HD for correcting my speakers frequency response and especially the impact of the room over the bass region.
I was using REW to generate filters.
It helped but I was not very satisfied (I might be too dumb to fully master REW and RePhase).

2 years ago, I updated the 2x4hd to ddrc24 (and since moved to the Flex) and added a sub.

Dirac made a big improvement that I was not able to get manually with REW.
Dirac made a very neat job in the bass region (room mode attenuation, better controlled bass), vocals are know very well centered, frequency response is very smooth (-/+ 2.5db from 20hz to 10khz).

I don't get some frequency areas more predominant over other ones. It makes the restitution far more coherent and enjoyable.

I now fully appreciate my system. As many of us, when not having a dedicated room, passive room correction is not very easy regarding its constraints / costs.

DSP does not replace it but corrects speakers (in my case magnat quantum 759 TOTL and sub svs sb1000pro) and can palliate to a certain extent the impact of the room.

I would not envision anymore a system without DSP!!!
 
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Puddingbuks

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Most people consider bass management the most important aspect of room correction, and some folks only correct the bass, especially if you have top quality speakers like Kef R3. Room correction likely wouldn’t change things a great deal, because the R3’s are already excelllent. They just shouldn’t need much EQ. And you can often do it on PC or laptop. What is the source of your music?
The whole point of room correction is room correction. Peaks of room modes (standing waves) can be compensated for. This can make a huge difference. So it's also useful without a sub.
 

MCH

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There are cheaper options for 2 channels of dirac, you might not need a full fledge SHD.
But well, if you don't mind the price and you want something top of the line and future proof, you can't go wrong with the SHD.
 

dougi

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Plus, with DIRAC the full range phase correction will make your impulse & step responses look nice. For me, DIRAC does do a better perceived (and measured) room correction job than previous Lyngdorf RoomPerfect.
 

ZolaIII

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There are many ways to get there. MiniDSP is just convent one that you are sure it applies to pretty much any source.
If you get a really good speakers that can go low and have relatively good listening conditions (room, placement and all) there won't really be a need for a sub and little nead for DSP. Anyway you can get a player with appropriate DSP chain and room correction (plugins) for a 0$ like Foobar2000. My advice to you is try it that way and see for yourself if it's worth it and especially is it worth it 1K$.
 

Tom C

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The whole point of room correction is room correction. Peaks of room modes (standing waves) can be compensated for. This can make a huge difference. So it's also useful without a sub.
Of course, you are correct. But, I can only speak for myself. Because resources are limited, it takes time to build a complete system. And my next move, were I in the OP’s situation, would be Kef R3 with a sub today, and add room correction later. That would bring me more joy and satisfaction vs. Kef R3 and miniDSP. But I use a PC as source. SHD is a streamer, so has built in integration (Roon ready and Volumio included). If you don’t have or don’t want to go with a desktop or laptop, and have to go with, say a mobile handheld device, things may get more difficult. Plus, as has been pointed out, miniDSP can be used with just about anything, even a tape deck or turntable. So it’s a trade off.
 

MCH

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Well, room correction (not Dirac) can be done today for as little as 140 eur (calibrated mic + raspberry pi zero 2w) and a little learning. Compared to the price of the speakers in discussion ( >>1000eur), i think it is worth a try no matter what, unless you are really allergic to set up a SBC, that takes like 1 hour.
 

mglobe

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The whole point of room correction is room correction. Peaks of room modes (standing waves) can be compensated for. This can make a huge difference. So it's also useful without a sub.
This is absolutely true, and I’ve been through it with the R3’s and the miniDSP Flex. Dirac cleaned up the already great imaging (subjectively) and smoothed out the bass response significantly (measurably and audibly). You don’t have to have subs to need room correction. I did however ultimately add two Rythmik L12 subs it went from great to measurably glorious.
 

JeremyFife

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Difficult to answer Yes/No ... it's always "depends on what you have / want" :)

In my view, miniDSP and DIRAC will certainly bring benefits ... but it may also be using a "sledgehammer to crack a nut". It's a fair bit of money to spend, especially if what it tells you is that you need room treatments or a sub (or subs) - which is possible.

The incremental approach would be to get a measurement microphone and REW and get some measuring done. You'll learn a lot that way too, more that you would by just turning on DIRAC. Then you can implement the EQ that measurements recommend simply (or with miniDSP) before deciding if you want to go all in.

Obviously, you can just jump straight in too - your call.
 

phoenixdogfan

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You can actually do Dirac on a PC if you want. Later if you want to add a sub, you could go to something that costs a little less than an SHD. The Flex does everything the SHD does, except, I think for the streaming (and of course you could add a streamer). You could also add the sub, and find a program that does the crossover on the PC, and then send the divided, crossed over signal to a lower cost but still excellent multichannel DAC like the Motu M4, and that too will cost a great deal less than the SHD. Shd is, however, a really nice finished all in one unit which will provide Dirac, PEQ, Digital Crossover, streamer, and four channels of high quality DAC in a very neat package.
 

Willem

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What sources do you use? If only a PC, all you need is a measurement microphone such as the Umik-1, REW to measure response, create an REW filter curve, and apply the result to the free Equalizer Apo software on the PC.
Personally, I like my three subs with Multi Sub Optimizer filters programmed into a miniDSP 2x4HD. Multi Sub Optimizer is quite a challenge, but the result is superb, and over a very wide listening area. I don't yet equalize my main speakers (crossed over at 80 Hz) and will never do this above about 200 Hz.
It also depends on your amplification: the 2x4HD has to be inserted between the DAC/preamp and the power amp. Many integrated amplifiers will not allow you to do this. If your amplification allows you to insert a 2x4HD between pre and power, it may be attractive to use two small and cheap subs, and use MSO to equalize both the subs and the bottom end of the main speakers.
 
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