Is miniDSP 2x4 HD really that bad?

[regan]

I was considering buying it for EQ but after reading Amir's review I'm not that sure anymore.

Does anyone have experience with this device? Does it negatively affect the sound in a significant manner?

 

[Yos]

Hi, Reagan. I have used miniDSP 2x4 HD for more than a year. I would say it have highs and lows. By one hand, If your plan is to used for subs it is great. I used it combined with REW and I got the best Bass Response I ever had on my room. By the other hand, if you connect it to your main speakers be aware that it will process the digital signal at 96 kHz only. If you go analog to analog on the miniDSP device it has to convert it from analog to digital for the digital processing, and otherwise to the analog output, so if you have a decent DAC in use, that conversions and reconversions will ruin its high quality content. To deal with the mains room treatment and speakers placement worked the best. On my experience it works great for my subs(2), but I keep it away from my main speakers.

 

[Sashoir]

I have one and am completely satisfied for my own use (110 Hz and below). Possibly it's not the last word in low residual noise.
If you have other MiniDSP devices and prefer the use of a remote control, however, you may be in for an unpleasant shock: a selection on the remote control of one will change the states of all.

 

[abdo123]

I’ve used it for several years, it’s not bad at all but it has several limitations.

 

[DanielT]

Here is a solution with speakers (that have a passive crossover filter) which is added with a subwoofer that is placed under the sofa where the person sits and listens to music. So need of :
*EQ (most for, only in this case I think, for the subwoofer)
*Crossover speaker-sub,
*Time delay , speaker-sub
(Sub which in this case should be added a DIY sub with a designated sub amp).

So miniDSP plus active crossover, became that solution.

LD Systems X 223

Active Crossover Stereo 2-way/Mono 3-way, Frequency range: 20 - 20,000 Hz, Dynamics: 106 dB, 2x High gain, 2x High pass: 40 Hz, 2x Input gain, 2x Low gain, 2x Switch Freq. x1 / x10, 2x X-Over Freq. Low/High, 2x X-Over Low/Mid, 4x Inv. Switch, LF...

www.thomann.de

I copy my post from another thread, so you also get tips about another miniDSP:

thomann t.racks DSP 4x4 Mini Review

This is a review and detailed measurements of the thomann t.racks DSP four by four matrix DSP. It was kindly purchased new by a member and costs just US $99. I really like the form factor here and inclusion of brackets for mounting in cars and such. Inclusion of balanced I/O is much...

audiosciencereview.com

 

[DanielT]

Tip:

Review and Measurements and miniDSP 2x4 HD DSP and DAC

This is a brief review and measurements of miniDSP 2x4 HD Processor and USB DAC. I purchased this online and seems like the price as of this writing is USD $207 as of this writing. This is a USB DAC with Toslink optical input and analog/digital in, four channel digital signal processor (DSP)...

audiosciencereview.com

 

[Sokel]

I'll stick to analog at the time being,seems miniDSP needs to solve some issues so can offer something transparent and with a decent price.

 

[-Matt-]

I've just bought one, having previously owned the non-HD 2x4 and can't really understand why you think the review is so negative...

Amir concludes:

As it is, you would be compromising some performance to gain the benefits of its equalization. That technology if well implement, can make significant improvements to sound reproduction in your room so in balance you will come out way ahead.

Most of the graphs compare performance with that of a dedicated dac and the minidsp does a bit worse. Amir even states...

In this review I am only focused on the device's performance as a DAC and ADC-DAC combo. I did not attempt to use or measure the performance of its myriad of filters and functionality.

But it isn't just a dac!

If you look at the jitter, and residual noise and distortion graphs, you will see that most of that noise is well below -100dB. Given that in the typical use case this will be plugged to the pre-outs of an AVR, which has much worse sinad, it won't matter at all.

For multi sub bass management and eq it is a really flexible and great product. (And great fun to setup too - (at least if you are tech savvy)).

If you are just SINAD chasing and only plan to use it as a dac - obviously look elsewhere.

 

[abdo123]

I'll stick to analog at the time being,seems miniDSP needs to solve some issues so can offer something transparent and with a decent price.

All their products are transparent within their limits. Much more transparent than any Analog solution you might be using.

 

[Sokel]

All their products are transparent within their limits. Much more transparent than any Analog solution you might be using.

Not according the REW acoustical measurements I did when I tested it.
(take that with a massive grain of salt,I'm not an expert measuring.)

My advantage is that I don't need time correction but even if I did that can also be done analog.

My analog cross is a very simple circuit of 8 lme49720 with a ultra low noise PS,it's decent as the measurement with and without it (at freqs way above and below cross point) don't seem to add something (in acoustical measurements).

To confess my sin I don't trust something that is not prooven rock solid for years just before my amps,I've seen a lot of digital "forgetting" their settings and cause accidents to really nice speakers.

Of course the idea is marvelous,I would really like to see something that specs like the really good dacs (so not waste any good dac before it),is rock solid and fairly priced.

 

[MCH]

The IMD in amirs review doesn't look pretty. Does anyone know the SNR?

 

[abdo123]

The IMD in amirs review doesn't look pretty. Does anyone know the SNR?

Around 105dB.

 

[-Matt-]

By the way I think IMD is only measured for front channels (even for AVR products). Is that correct?

Could it be that IMD is higher anyway for AVR subwoofer outputs?

 

[Willem]

The Minidsp 2x4HD is obviously good enough for subwoofer equalization. Unfortunately it is not really that good for frequencies above that, so not as a high pass filter, and not to equalize the main speakers. The same seems to be true for the slightly better t.racks offering. The latter is also cheaper, particularly in Europe, but I wonder how compatible it is with the MiniSP 2x4HD, as that seems to be the default for Multi Sub Optimizer. After all, MSO is already enough of a challenge by itself.
In my own case I use an inline passive high pass filter for the main speakers/power amp, and I could use the filters in my RME ADI-2 to equalize the higher frequencies, even though those filters would also influence the subwoofers' response. Unfortunately I do not think I can set the ADI-2 filters for just the xlr output that goes into the power amp, and not for the rca outputs that go to the subwoofers.

 

[Andysu]

i even find behringer FBQ2496 bit iffy with certain Q bandwidth and dB gain + - cuts i find it iffy .

 

[diablo]

I was using a 2x4HD to eq the subwoofers in my lounge. Then, a few months ago, I bought the DDRC-24 upgrade for it to use to integrate my tower speakers with the subs.
I have just redone the test I did when I got the upgrade and compared the DDRC-24 ( just as a straight DAC with no EQ or subs) against my Topping D10S which has 20dB better Sinad and IMD. Once again I found it almost impossible to discern any difference, though I do not pretend to be a 'golden-eared' audio god.
Even if I could hear a difference, I'm not sure I'd like to go without either the sub integration, the REW generated corrections I can use - or the Dirac.
At some point I may be stupid enough to replace it with the MiniDSP Flex - but I'll tell myself off for it afterwards as I'm unlikely to hear any improvement.

 

[holbob]

The integration between main speakers and a sub makes the 2x4hd an absolute bargain. With Dirac it gets even better. I just set xo, apply one filter to sub to get that particular room mode down (much higher than anything else I have), set delays and let Dirac do the rest.

 

[-Matt-]

i even find behringer FBQ2496 bit iffy with certain Q bandwidth and dB gain + - cuts i find it iffy .

In what sense do you find them iffy?

...And you seem to imply that you would expect the MiniDSP to perform worse. Is that correct?

I was looking at various Behringer FBQ and UltraCurve models for a while as they could be found much cheaper (used) than the 2x4 HD.

In the end I went for the 2x4 HD because of its small size and because you can program via pc with REW filters pretty easily. I feared that I'd run into problems with the Behringer midi interface and would end up having to manually enter peq parameters. Also Behringer FBQ looked a bit dated and some models seemed to have fewer peq bands (possibly also with less precise frequency values).

 

[Andysu]

In what sense do you find them iffy?

...And you seem to imply that you would expect the MiniDSP to perform worse. Is that correct?

I was looking at various Behringer FBQ and UltraCurve models for a while as they could be found much cheaper (used) than the 2x4 HD.

In the end I went for the 2x4 HD because of its small size and because you can program via pc with REW filters pretty easily. I feared that I'd run into problems with the Behringer midi interface and would end up having to manually enter peq parameters. Also Behringer FBQ looked a bit dated and some models seemed to have fewer peq bands (possibly also with less precise frequency values).

well depends on Q bandwidth and when often reduce the frequency i see other frequencies above and below rising upwards by few dB , it depends on the Q bandwidth . maybe i do video sometime to show this . usually with other EQ i would see the other neighbouring frequencies going down but only when the other frequency has been reduced . well a very narrow Q bandwidth would normally lower the other frequencies once at -12dB or more but depends on Q bandwidth . i only know it's tricky to do the EQ with it .

 

[192kbps]

Measurement of miniDSP 2x4 HD Active Crossover/USB DAC - L7Audiolab

台式设备 这台 miniDSP 2x4 HD 对我网站来说是一个全新的类型，很早之前我曾经想过要买。但是我考虑了一下在这个设备的成本里面必然无法集成优秀的ADC和DAC……测量性能不会太好……结果在我放弃它的两三年之后，一个网友给我送测了：

www.l7audiolab.com