Lyngdorf MP-40 2.1 AV Processor Review

[CJW]

I have had my MP-40. It replaced my Anthem MRX. The Anthem receiver and ARC room correction are not in the same league as the Lyngdorf. My quick suggestion on preamps is if you want the best the you have 2 options. Triniov or Lyngdorf. If you want a complex setup process (some actually like tinkering) then get the Triniov. If you like a simpler setup process then get the Lyngdorf. Both are expensive but buying the best of anything is never cheap.

 

[Thighsofsteel]

I have had my MP-40. It replaced my Anthem MRX. The Anthem receiver and ARC room correction are not in the same league as the Lyngdorf. My quick suggestion on preamps is if you want the best the you have 2 options. Triniov or Lyngdorf. If you want a complex setup process (some actually like tinkering) then get the Triniov. If you like a simpler setup process then get the Lyngdorf. Both are expensive but buying the best of anything is never cheap.

What about Storm?

 

[Donovan]

I have a Lyngdorf MP-40 in my home theater and am pretty happy with it.

The Lyngdorf MP-40 is their "smaller" processor with only 3 HDMI inputs and 12 channels of ATMOS/DTS processing... though you can set up 5 discrete (delay, phase, and amplitude) LFE channels on top of the 11 other channels. The DSP allows pre and post room correction PEQ EQ curves. The UI is pretty straight forward, easy to use and will satisfy most users.

That said, there are no analog inputs which can be a limitation. I use a miniDSP Flex as an A to D and that has worked well for me. Glad to see Amir test this unit. I have been curious to see how it would stack up.

I’m looking at this unit for a combo theater and music listening setup. Also was looking at the less expensive Marantz AV30, but the Room Perfect program is quite appealing. Curious if the sound quality characteristics are much different between a Marantz vs Lyngdorf (Marantz has a reputation for nice musical output).

Did you experiment with class D vs AB amps? I like the idea of a Purify multi channel amp from VTV or stepping up to the Orchard Audio Starkrimson amps, but I’m wondering if the MP40 may sound better with old school class AB at least for the front main L&R speakers. Thanks.

 

[Dougey_Jones]

So how many of you would take this over a MiniDSP Tide16 if you could just grab one or the other for free?

Be honest.

 

[elmoe420]

So how many of you would take this over a MiniDSP Tide16 if you could just grab one or the other for free?

Be honest.

For free? The Lyngdorf for HDMI 2.1 and Room Perfect. At 3500$, a fraction of the cost of the MP40, the Tide16 is an amazing value though.

 

[Dougey_Jones]

For free? The Lyngdorf for HDMI 2.1 and Room Perfect. At 3500$, a fraction of the cost of the MP40, the Tide16 is an amazing value though.

I guess I’m in the camp that would prefer Dirac ART + all of MiniDSP’s other tools over Room Perfect. But you’re right about HDMI 2.1 for future proofing.

 

[elmoe420]

I guess I’m in the camp that would prefer Dirac ART + all of MiniDSP’s other tools over Room Perfect. But you’re right about HDMI 2.1 for future proofing.

For me, HDMI 2.1 is about supporting gaming right now not future proofing. Really big miss for MiniDSP not to include this on a 3500$ processor in 2026, in my opinion.

Dirac vs Room Perfect is very much subjective. Room Perfect is a one click and you are done style of RC whereas Dirac is on the other end of the RC spectrum in terms of customization/tinkering. Pick what fits your needs on that one.

 

[Titurel]

For me, HDMI 2.1 is about supporting gaming right now not future proofing. Really big miss for MiniDSP not to include this on a 3500$ processor in 2026, in my opinion.

Dirac vs Room Perfect is very much subjective. Room Perfect is a one click and you are done style of RC whereas Dirac is on the other end of the RC spectrum in terms of customization/tinkering. Pick what fits your needs on that one.

Actually, the MP 40 2.1 provides vast amounts of room for tinkering. First of all, the speaker pairs can be subjected to EQ tweaks, independent of Room Perfect. On top of that is the voicing utility, which provides plenty of room for multiple media specific tweets. I have different voicings for stereo classical and stereo pop, and a number of voicings for films and streamed sources, depending on the mix style of the material. On top of that, you can influence the Room Perfect's default tuning by biasing the location of your room samples. (The owner manual gives some suggestions.) In other words, it's not just a set and forget black box, though it, like many other EQ apps, can be used that way.

Having not tinkered with recent incarnations of DIRAC, I cannot say with any authority which is better. It may simply come down to different tools for different fools. This fool is presently using Room Perfect.

 

[elmoe420]

Actually, the MP 40 2.1 provides vast amounts of room for tinkering. First of all, the speaker pairs can be subjected to EQ tweaks, independent of Room Perfect. On top of that is the voicing utility, which provides plenty of room for multiple media specific tweets. I have different voicings for stereo classical and stereo pop, and a number of voicings for films and streamed sources, depending on the mix style of the material. On top of that, you can influence the Room Perfect's default tuning by biasing the location of your room samples. (The owner manual gives some suggestions.) In other words, it's not just a set and forget black box, though it, like many other EQ apps, can be used that way.

Having not tinkered with recent incarnations of DIRAC, I cannot say with any authority which is better. It may simply come down to different tools for different fools. This fool is presently using Room Perfect.

Indeed, very cool that Lyngdorf caters to both. But unlike Dirac last I looked at it, Room Perfect offers the most simple option for folks that don't have the time or interest which was a big selling point for me personally.

Last time I played with Dirac it required laptop, extra drivers, selecting freq limit etc. it may have gotten simpler since but it was a lot more work than Room Perfect at the time.

 

[Titurel]

Indeed, very cool that Lyngdorf caters to both. But unlike Dirac last I looked at it, Room Perfect offers the most simple option for folks that don't have the time or interest which was a big selling point for me personally.

Last time I played with Dirac it required laptop, extra drivers, selecting freq limit etc. it may have gotten simpler since but it was a lot more work than Room Perfect at the time.

To get the most out of any of these products (Dirac, RP, etc.), you still need a lap top and a mic. You'll want to run REW (or similar) to validate what your auto-EQ is giving you and to guide you tweaking the performance. In the case of RP, I use REW to develop my "voicings." WIth Dirac, I used it (most significantly) for sub integration.

 

[elmoe420]

To get the most out of any of these products (Dirac, RP, etc.), you still need a lap top and a mic. You'll want to run REW (or similar) to validate what your auto-EQ is giving you and to guide you tweaking the performance. In the case of RP, I use REW to develop my "voicings." WIth Dirac, I used it (most significantly) for sub integration.

Sure.

However, Room Perfect doesn't require a laptop to set up. Most Dirac devices (e.g. Denon/Marantz AVRs etc.) do.

 

[Titurel]

Sure.

However, Room Perfect doesn't require a laptop to set up. Most Dirac devices (e.g. Denon/Marantz AVRs etc.) do.

That said, getting the full functionality of the MP-40 2.1 without a tablet or computer is pretty tough sledding. I'll be honest, I'd never access the Voicing (EQ) features without a tablet or computer handy. The supplied remote is very nice, but it's not very well suited to routine system tweaking. Yes, you can get all the goodness of Room Perfect without a laptop, but RP by itself doesn't really justify the buy in price, IMO. (And I'm the happy owner of a MP-40 2.1)

 

[Ultimathor]

I have another question for the MP-40 owners here: is it possible to save and easily switch between different speaker configurations? (I.e. 5.2 for movies, 2.2 for music)

It is possible but not practical. You need to run a different RoomPerfect calibration for each setup and then do a backup. If you want to switch from one to the other, you need to do a restore, which takes about two minutes but feels like a bit longer.

 

[Thighsofsteel]

It is possible but not practical. You need to run a different RoomPerfect calibration for each setup and then do a backup. If you want to switch from one to the other, you need to do a restore, which takes about two minutes but feels like a bit longer.

An interesting question. If you setup as 5.2.x but feed the MP40 a stereo signal, you have the option in post processing to say ‘none’ which will use the L & R speakers only, plus subs and any Room Perfect that is current.
The issue comes if you want different crossovers for movies and music, then you need a seperate saved config with its own RP.