MiniDSP Flex HTx

[vicenzo_del_paris]

Am i the only one that doesnt understand what this product is for? I get what the minidsp flex are for. What is the HT stuff for? It doesnt decode dolby true hd, so i still need a receiver right?

What does this product do? And what would be its use case?

Thanks

Here is one :

My TV Box is doing bitstream decoding and can output LPCM.
So far, I had an AVR to handle HDMI input into a mixed HC/music system and had to use Audissey for HC.
Replacing my current Flex with a Flex HT will simplify my system, will make me gain space and will only be using Dirac as DRC !

 

[Monty67]

Ive ordered purely for a 2.1 system as it allows upgrading for 2.x, and I can use rca or balanced amps (currently have rca, but will be balanced in the future) plus I can ARC from tv. Im also hoping the DSP is “transparent”.

Ok i can understand this scenario. You want to add the HDMI from your tv. This would allow you to simply your system by using one remote to control your audio and TV watching. Less clutter by having one less remote.

Plus more or less, this is future proof in terms of having balanced amps in the future.

I know for myself, that i have been stuck for quite a while deciding which Flex to get. I have balanced amps with a unbalanced sub. Getting the HTx avoids using an adapter since i would prefer to get the flex balanced version.

 

[Monty67]

Here is one :

My TV Box is doing bitstream decoding and can output LPCM.
So far, I had an AVR to handle HDMI input into a mixed HC/music system and had to use Audissey for HC.
Replacing my current Flex with a Flex HT will simplify my system, will make me gain space and will only be using Dirac as DRC !

Ok so when you say you will gain space, will the space come from getting rid of your avr?

In my case i dont have an AVR. I have a subwoofer. I use a Rme adi2. I have been on the fence about which minidsp flex to get.

I dont have a blueray player other than my ps4. I watch Netflix, youtube and occasionally amazon and disney. All through the inbuilt apps of my smart tv.

So in my use case going for a HtX allows me to use the hdmi which would allow me to use 1 remote.

I think i got it.

 

[vicenzo_del_paris]

Ok so when you say you will gain space, will the space come from getting rid of your avr?

Yep! My wife will get back a 50x40x30cm drawer in our wooden TV stand unit that I had removed to place the AVR

 

[IamJF]

Am i the only one that doesnt understand what this product is for? I get what the minidsp flex are for. What is the HT stuff for? It doesnt decode dolby true hd, so i still need a receiver right?

What does this product do? And what would be its use case?

Simply have a very high quality speaker controller! I would use it for my 3-way reference speaker with the option to add a double bass array. Digital Stereo input is all I need for this use case. In a normal room dirac is a very welcome addition too.
With some Hypex amplifiers it should make a new best mark for dynamic range and SINAF of a complete system at a convenient package and good user interface.

 

[Monty67]

Simply have a very high quality speaker controller! I would use it for my 3-way reference speaker with the option to add a double bass array. Digital Stereo input is all I need for this use case. In a normal room dirac is a very welcome addition too.
With some Hypex amplifiers it should make a new best mark for dynamic range and SINAF of a complete system at a convenient package and good user interface.

That sounds cool. I tried to make sense of this product and i checked its product page. Minidsp basically say there will be a bunch of use cases.

I guess my use case is more basic. Connect my tv to the htx flex. Connect my streamer to the htx flex. Connect the HTX to my amp and subs. Use one less remote.

 

[highender]

Am i the only one that doesnt understand what this product is for? I get what the minidsp flex are for. What is the HT stuff for? It doesnt decode dolby true hd, so i still need a receiver right?

What does this product do? And what would be its use case?

Thanks

I think this will also be an excellent tool for those who build their own loudspeakers and want to go active, or, if you are not into DIY, a loudspeaker system without x-over like these. And - thanks to the multichannel input - the Flex HT(x) should be able to work with Dirac Live Bass Control running from a PC, which I find very tempting.

 

[kadajawi]

Ok so when you say you will gain space, will the space come from getting rid of your avr?

In my case i dont have an AVR. I have a subwoofer. I use a Rme adi2. I have been on the fence about which minidsp flex to get.

I dont have a blueray player other than my ps4. I watch Netflix, youtube and occasionally amazon and disney. All through the inbuilt apps of my smart tv.

So in my use case going for a HtX allows me to use the hdmi which would allow me to use 1 remote.

I think i got it.

I'm afraid you might be in trouble though. Do you know if you TV can decode to multichannel PCM? That information is very hard to find out.

My use case is: I want great the best possible sound for music, but I also want to have some sound coming from the rear when watching a movie. With AVRs, you pay for channels (that I do not care about... I have a 4.1 setup). Also, they are huge (except for the Cinema 70s, but I do not trust the DACs and the room correction is sub par). So basically my source will give the MiniDSP 7.1 PCM, the MiniDSP downmixes to 4.1, does the crossover for the front speakers (Focal Kanta N°1) and plays pre-amp for the power amps. For the front I was thinking Benchmark AHB2, for the rear some cheaper amp. And for music a Raspberry Pi serves as a Tidal Connect streamer.

In my case I've ordered the Flex HT, though I'm starting to have second thoughts. My subwoofer offers balanced, my amp of choice (that I haven't ordered yet) too. I don't care too much about the inputs (though that might change), however going all balanced would be nice and help me fully use the potential of the amp. It's significantly more expensive though just for balanced. Not sure if it is worth it. On the other hand, if I want to switch the MiniDSP Flex HT to a HTX later, I'll be losing even more.

How important is balanced vs unbalanced for devices that are right next to each other?

 

[RickyC34]

I feel your pain. I'm in the exact same boat. 2.3 system 2.1 is balanced and .2 is unbalanced. +$350 to get balanced is hard to swallow. Flex RCA upgraded to balanced is only +$75.

 

[kadajawi]

Yeah. Well, there's more channels that need to be balanced, and you'll get analog inputs as well (if only there were 2 analog inputs on the Flex HT...), but the price difference is high. And with very short cables (that would be possible with the tiny Flex HT) how much noise is really going to make its way into the system? That's the only advantage to balanced...?

 

[RickyC34]

My Theater and 2.3 system have a wall that butts up to one another. The two rooms share a inuke 6000dsp and 1 run needs to be 30 ft. As long as that doesn't cause the sub to hum I would be fine with it. I currently have a shorter run currently inuke / xlr to rca / dac and there is no audible hum. I need to purchase the longer cable and give it a try.

 

[sweetchaos]

Source
The table below lists the key input-output specifications of a number of our processors.

	2x4 HD	DDRC‑24	Flex	Flex Eight	Flex HT	SHD	SHD Power	SHD Studio
USB Audio channels	2	2	2	2	8	2	2	2
Analog inputs	2 on RCA	2 on RCA	2 on RCA	–	–	2 on RCA, 2 on XLR	–	–
Analog outputs	4 on RCA	4 on RCA	4 on RCA or TRS (*1)	8 on RCA	8 on RCA	4 on RCA and XLR	2 speaker, 2 RCA	Stereo headphone
Bluetooth input	–	–	Yes	Yes	–	–	–	–
HDMI eARC	–	–	–	–	8ch LPCM	–	–	–
Digital inputs	TOSLINK	TOSLINK	SPDIF, TOSLINK	SPDIF, TOSLINK	SPDIF, TOSLINK	SPDIF, TOSLINK, AES/EBU	SPDIF, TOSLINK, AES/EBU	SPDIF, TOSLINK, AES/EBU
Digital outputs	–	–	(*2)	–	–	SPDIF (4ch)	AES/EBU (4ch)	SPDIF, AES/EBU (4ch)
Dirac Live	Upgradeable	Yes	Upgradeable	Upgradeable	Upgradeable	Yes	Yes	Yes
Dirac Live channels	Stereo	Stereo	Stereo	Stereo	8-channel	Stereo	Stereo	Stereo

Notes:
*1 - Flex has 4 analog output channels on RCA, Flex/balanced has 4 analog output channels on TRS, Flex/Digital has no analog outputs.
*2 - Flex and Flex/Balanced have no digital outputs, Flex/Digital has four digital output channels on SPDIF.

I think this table will be updated to include HTx soon.

This table has been updated to show HTx as well.

	2x4 HD	DDRC-24	Flex	Flex Eight	Flex HT	Flex HTx	SHD	SHD Power	SHD Studio
Price (USD)	$225	$449	$495	$549	$599	$949	$1299	$1549	$949
USB Audio channels	2	2	2	2	8	8	2	2	2
Analog inputs	2 on RCA	2 on RCA	2 on RCA	–	–	8 on RCA, 8 on TRS	2 on RCA, 2 on XLR	–	–
Analog outputs	4 on RCA	4 on RCA	4 on RCA or TRS (*1)	8 on RCA	8 on RCA	8 on RCA and TRS	4 on RCA and XLR	2 speaker, 2 RCA	Stereo headphone
Bluetooth audio	–	–	Yes	Yes	–	–	–	–	–
Network audio	–	–	–	–	–	–	Yes	Yes	Yes
HDMI eARC	–	–	–	–	8ch LPCM	8ch LPCM	–	–	–
Digital inputs	TOSLINK	TOSLINK	SPDIF, TOSLINK	SPDIF, TOSLINK	SPDIF, TOSLINK	SPDIF, TOSLINK	SPDIF, TOSLINK, AES/EBU	SPDIF, TOSLINK, AES/EBU	SPDIF, TOSLINK, AES/EBU
Digital outputs	–	–	(*2)	–	–	–	SPDIF (4ch)	AES/EBU (4ch)	SPDIF and AES/EBU (4ch)
Dirac Live	Upgradeable	Yes	Upgradeable	Upgradeable	Upgradeable	Upgradeable	Yes	Yes	Yes
Dirac Live channels	Stereo	Stereo	Stereo	Stereo	8-channel	8-channel	Stereo	Stereo	Stereo

Notes:
*1 - Flex has 4 analog output channels on RCA, Flex/balanced has 4 analog output channels on TRS, Flex/Digital has no analog outputs.
*2 - Flex and Flex/Balanced have no digital outputs, Flex/Digital has four digital output channels on SPDIF.

 

[rhollan]

This table has been updated to show HTx as well.

	2x4 HD	DDRC-24	Flex	Flex Eight	Flex HT	Flex HTx	SHD	SHD Power	SHD Studio
Price (USD)	$225	$449	$495	$549	$599	$949	$1299	$1549	$949
USB Audio channels	2	2	2	2	8	8	2	2	2
Analog inputs	2 on RCA	2 on RCA	2 on RCA	–	–	8 on RCA, 8 on TRS	2 on RCA, 2 on XLR	–	–
Analog outputs	4 on RCA	4 on RCA	4 on RCA or TRS (*1)	8 on RCA	8 on RCA	8 on RCA and TRS	4 on RCA and XLR	2 speaker, 2 RCA	Stereo headphone
Bluetooth audio	–	–	Yes	Yes	–	–	–	–	–
Network audio	–	–	–	–	–	–	Yes	Yes	Yes
HDMI eARC	–	–	–	–	8ch LPCM	8ch LPCM	–	–	–
Digital inputs	TOSLINK	TOSLINK	SPDIF, TOSLINK	SPDIF, TOSLINK	SPDIF, TOSLINK	SPDIF, TOSLINK	SPDIF, TOSLINK, AES/EBU	SPDIF, TOSLINK, AES/EBU	SPDIF, TOSLINK, AES/EBU
Digital outputs	–	–	(*2)	–	–	–	SPDIF (4ch)	AES/EBU (4ch)	SPDIF and AES/EBU (4ch)
Dirac Live	Upgradeable	Yes	Upgradeable	Upgradeable	Upgradeable	Upgradeable	Yes	Yes	Yes
Dirac Live channels	Stereo	Stereo	Stereo	Stereo	8-channel	8-channel	Stereo	Stereo	Stereo

Notes:
*1 - Flex has 4 analog output channels on RCA, Flex/balanced has 4 analog output channels on TRS, Flex/Digital has no analog outputs.
*2 - Flex and Flex/Balanced have no digital outputs, Flex/Digital has four digital output channels on SPDIF.

A lot of us would like to see confirmation of the SINAD figures on balanced outputs on the Flex HTx from independent reviewers.

 

[IamJF]

Exactly! When they can keep their promises and the unit performs top notch it is a great tool for high performance systems.
But it's MiniDSP ... let's wait and see.

 

[rhollan]

Exactly! When they can keep their promises and the unit performs top notch it is a great tool for high performance systems.
But it's MiniDSP ... let's wait and see.

The Flex HT had good numbers, so unless miniDSP messed up, we can hope that the Flex HTx does too. The bane of HT enthusiasts has been poor DACs.

It's not that good eight channel DACs don't exist, but getting unencrypted AES3 audio from HDMI is a bear of an undertaking.

I've converted HDMI to SDI using converters that strip HDCP, then extract 4 sets of AES3 audio. I've also used an HD Fury to extract HDMI audio, which also strips HDCP, and follow the HDMI to SDI to AES3 audio route. Talk about a root canal.

If the miniDSP Flex HTx handles HDCP (or the HD Fury Vroom strips it, which it probably does), and the HTx has good analog specs, it will be amazing. I mean, if SINAD rules, even in the face of an extra A/D-D/A step, just run the analog output out of an Oppo 205 into it and call it a day.

I am considering buying one just to send to Amir to test.

 

[soerenssen]

Using the Flex HT, I can add a small monobloc for the center channel and remove the AVR.

I am considering the same route as you (except 5.2 for HT), but I don't want that single trigger out to trigger multiple amps at the same time. When I listen to music, only the stereo amp for the mains should be triggered ideally.

 

[soerenssen]

DLBC is way superior to anything you can do on your own as it phase corrects the crossover region for multiple seats.

I would use the Flex HTx as a 8ch DAC, no DSP. Can I connect a Melee Quieter 3Q mini PC (that is running DLBC) via USB to the Flex HTx in a way that DLBC will be applied to ALL the sources (Apple TV 4k, Zidoo Z9x Pro, Playstation 5) that are connected to my LG G2 Oled?
If it can work, how much audio delay should I expect?

 

[abdo123]

I would use the Flex HTx as a 8ch DAC, no DSP. Can I connect a Melee Quieter 3Q mini PC (that is running DLBC) via USB to the Flex HTx in a way that DLBC will be applied to ALL the sources (Apple TV 4k, Zidoo Z9x Pro, Playstation 5) that are connected to my LG G2 Oled?
If it can work, how much audio delay should I expect?

Are you sure that you can do this?

I have never heard of a MiniDSP device doing this.

 

[rhollan]

Are you sure that you can do this?

I have never heard of a MiniDSP device doing this.

Why wouldn't the Flex HTx not be able to do this? An Octo DAC8 might be easier, but one uses what one can get.

 

[abdo123]

Why wouldn't the Flex HTx not be able to do this? An Octo DAC8 might be easier, but one used what one can get.

The Octo’s AES pass through option makes this possible yes. It’s an impressive peace of gear.

But I don’t think the MiniDSP will act like that. His other devices won’t get DLBC. Unless the MiniDSP itself supports it.