MiniDSP Flex HTx

[Fredygump]

Its not the pc going into screen saver?

Definitely not. I'm using the [mac mini], and TV goes black and says "bravia" in the bottom right. Picture comes back temporarily if I hit certain buttons on the remote, but it goes black another minute later. It doesn't happen until the PS5 (i.e. other eARC device) is turned on, I change to that TV input, and then switch inputs back. And once it starts, it continues to happen if PS5's HDMI is disconnected.

One scenario where it happens is if I'm playing a movie on the PS5, and then pause the movie and switch inputs to do something on my computer.

I was thinking of the HTx as an AVR replacement, as others have said, but now I'm wondering if using a TV to switch between HDMI inputs is an issue with eARC? I feel like Sony has some proprietary communication between their devices that is messing with the HTx.

 

[win]

I was aware of that. I researched it before I bought the HTx. If I remember correctly, adding input EQ to the HTx, in addition to the output EQ and all of the other processing the HTx is doing, was going to be too heavy of a load on the processor. I am going from memory and don't remember where I read that, so take it with a grain of salt.

FYI you can just use the crossover PEQs instead of doing it on the inputs. You have to duplicate them to every output channel crossover but not really a big deal.

 

[Jakub]

If my TV supports DTS or DD through eArc and I send it to my miniDSP Flex HTX, will it send out that signal to my monoblock amps and then to my speakers?

 

[dweeeeb2]

If my TV supports DTS or DD through eArc and I send it to my miniDSP Flex HTX, will it send out that signal to my monoblock amps and then to my speakers?

No, the HTx needs PCM from the TV. It can’t decode DD or DTS.

 

[Paffi]

If it just would have the opportunity for shared filters - ideally to group e.g. four outputs for that, in order to use mso. As it is one have to add a 2x4hd to the htx, which is pretty annoying :/

 

[peng]

miniDSP HTx, under the Description specs it says the following:

Digital Signal Processing Engine	Analog Devices Floating point SHARC DSP: ADSP21489 @ 400MHZ
Processing resolution / Sample rate	32 bit/48 kHz

So that's 48 kHz maximum, but then under USB input:

It says:

USB Audio support

UAC2 Audio - ASIO driver provided (Windows) - Plug&Play (Mac/Linux) Multichannel USB Audio interface (8ch) for up to 7.1 configurations / 32bit / 44.1~96kHz

Yet, for the lowest model, the 2XHD, under Descriptions specs:

Digital Signal Processor Engine	Analog Devices Fixed point DSP SHARC ADSP21489
Internal Processing resolution & Sample rate	32 bit / 96kHz with 2x4HD1 plugin

Can someone tell me does that mean if I use USB input, the Flex HTx internal processing could be maximum to 96 kHz?
If so, does that mean the 48 kHz sampling rate listed under Description is for when using analog inputs, and how about digital inputs Toslink or Digital Coax?

May be @sarieri who measured the unit can clarify this please, and thank you.

 

[voodooless]

Flex HT processing is fixed at 48 kHz. Any other rate will be resampled to this.

 

[peng]

Flex HT processing is fixed at 48 kHz. Any other rate will be resampled to this.

Thanks, why do you think it is lower than that of the lowest model, the 2X4HD (just sold it, maybe should have kept it lol..).

 

[Rahan]

Maybe because it's totally useless to work higher than that

 

[Mort]

I understood 48 khz was a limitation when used with Dirac.

 

[peng]

Maybe because it's totally useless to work higher than that

I think it is useless too but that can't be the reason.

 

[Fredygump]

I think it is useless too but that can't be the reason.

I suspect the difference is that the 2x4HD is an "audiophile" product, so they are trying to convince audiophiles that their product is good enough for their finely tuned system. And the HTx is for home theater use, which is a different customer base that either believes this doesn't matter, or is unaware of these specs or what they mean.

(I slightly disagree with the audiophile part of the 2x4HD, because it has RCA inputs. But hey, most audio systems still depend on unbalanced connections. I'd take balanced cables over higher sampling rate any day!)

 

[peng]

I suspect the difference is that the 2x4HD is an "audiophile" product, so they are trying to convince audiophiles that their product is good enough for their finely tuned system. And the HTx is for home theater use, which is a different customer base that either believes this doesn't matter, or is unaware of these specs or what they mean.

(I slightly disagree with the audiophile part of the 2x4HD, because it has RCA inputs. But hey, most audio systems still depend on unbalanced connections. I'd take balanced cables over higher sampling rate any day!)

It may also be possible that the 2X4HD has to deal with two channel inputs only, it has the same DSP as the flagship SHD and HTx models so it must have easier time processing only 2 channels. The 2X4HD is upgradable to do Dirac Live so that can't be the reason and I did use it with DL for a while.

Again, to me it does not matter but I know no matter how many times we post about 48 kHz is all one needs, audiophile or not, we all know there are lots of people who want 96, 192 kHz, believing that they will hear better sound quality, so miniDSP capping it at 48 might have lost a few customers. I like the HT so much that I bought the HTx as well, for analog input use, I guess...

By the way, if I can still get @sarieri 's attention, it would be great if he could clarify the issue he found with the multitone measurements as I am still no clear whether the latest FW has fixed that issue. I still don't believe the multitone test is all that important but it is nice to see good measurements there regardless.

 

[voodooless]

Thanks, why do you think it is lower than that of the lowest model, the 2X4HD (just sold it, maybe should have kept it lol..).

Well, they all use the same DSP chip,but the HT has many more channels to serve. Given that Dirac needs a certain number of FIR taps per channel, it may very well be that indeed 48 kHz is a useful limit to still offer enough other processing features for all the channels as well as Dirac.

 

[sarieri]

It may also be possible that the 2X4HD has to deal with two channel inputs only, it has the same DSP as the flagship SHD and HTx models so it must have easier time processing only 2 channels. The 2X4HD is upgradable to do Dirac Live so that can't be the reason and I did use it with DL for a while.

Again, to me it does not matter but I know no matter how many times we post about 48 kHz is all one needs, audiophile or not, we all know there are lots of people who want 96, 192 kHz, believing that they will hear better sound quality, so miniDSP capping it at 48 might have lost a few customers. I like the HT so much that I bought the HTx as well, for analog input use, I guess...

By the way, if I can still get @sarieri 's attention, it would be great if he could clarify the issue he found with the multitone measurements as I am still no clear whether the latest FW has fixed that issue. I still don't believe the multitone test is all that important but it is nice to see good measurements there regardless.

You have my attention. I have that on my list. But for now, my wife hates my e1da black boxes.

 

[peng]

You have my attention. I have that on my list. But for now, my wife hates my e1da black boxes.

That's funny, I am not hurry as my wife insisted on placing the big tree right in the middle of the wall opposite my BMR monitors that I used with the HT/HTx/DLBC so I can't play with them until mid January now.

When you are back in action, I would love to hear from you about how those black boxes can be used to do so much of the measurements you posted. It would be great if you can do a review article on such an affordable way to do measurements on audio devices.

I have been tempted by the QA403 but that thing would cost CAD1,000 or more after exch rate, shipping, taxes/import duties etc. The QA403 option seems to offer the easiest way to do those things, but at that price point WAF would an issue, unfortunately.

 

[peng]

Well, they all use the same DSP chip,but the HT has many more channels to serve. Given that Dirac needs a certain number of FIR taps per channel, it may very well be that indeed 48 kHz is a useful limit to still offer enough other processing features for all the channels as well as Dirac.

That makes sense, the only thing I still don't quite get it is that if you read the specifications of the devices on the miniDSP website, the Flex 8, Flex HT, Flex HTx are all 8 channel devices with the same DSP, the only main difference is that the HT series has HDMI that works with TV's HDMI ARC port.

The Flex 8, according the the specs seem to have a more sensible way of doing sampling rate as it states that:
whereas the more expensive HT series are fixed at 48 kHz regardless of whether it comes with the Dirac Live license, unless I still misunderstood something?

I am fine with 48 kHz, it is as usual, I want to understand the specs clearly, somewhat ocd on specs and measurements...

Processing resolution / Sample rate

32 bit/96 kHz (32bit/48 kHz with Dirac Live® license)

 

[voodooless]

Flex 8 is 2-in, 8 out, vs 8-in, 8-out for the HT. That may be the reason for the difference. But could also be something else… at this point it’s only educated guessing

 

[peng]

Flex 8 is 2-in, 8 out, vs 8-in, 8-out for the HT. That may be the reason for the difference. But could also be something else… at this point it’s only educated guessing

Thanks, Flex 8 has usb input so I incorrectly assumed it has 8 ch inputs.

 

[Dougey_Jones]

This product is so stupid.

Why are commodity priced TV's at Walmart able to do DTS:X and Atmos decode and this expensive product cant? If it's a licensing cost issue why doesn't MiniDSP offer the decode ability as an add on, even if it's an expensive add on? This product could EASILY become everyone's favorite HTP if they just let it..

It would cannibalize the whole HTP market.