Minidsp Flex Review (Audio DSP)

[MCH]

Is there a technical reason to prefer adding an extractor to the chain rather than going Video source > HDMI > TV > Toslink > Flex?

Some people claim their tv toslink output is crap (mdsimon has shared measurements of his). I personally measured 96db Sinad from mine and am a happy camper with the route you propose

 

[DavidK442]

Is there a technical reason to prefer adding an extractor to the chain rather than going Video source > HDMI > TV > Toslink > Flex?

Some of us have projectors, so using the display device for switching/preamp/audio extractor duty isn’t an option.

 

[MaxouPaxou]

I use a Flex Digital in a 2.1 configuration.
The Flex is connected to two Topping DACs (E50 and E30) one via toslink, the other via SPDIF.
When I turn off the Flex, the DACS stay on, while they are supposed to turn off when there is no signal.
Have any of you experienced the same problem ?

 

[HoJ76]

I have received my Flex and I am absolutely loving it. However, running my record player to the balanced analog input results in a very high noise floor (via phono to TS cables). I realize that running an unbalanced signal into the balanced Flex would result in approx 15db drop in SINAD, but this sounds like a much more significant drop. Any ideas as to what else could be contributing to this hiss?

My turn-player has never sounded so good, and noise-free as it does with Flex

 

[HoJ76]

I use a Flex Digital in a 2.1 configuration.
The Flex is connected to two Topping DACs (E50 and E30) one via toslink, the other via SPDIF.
When I turn off the Flex, the DACS stay on, while they are supposed to turn off when there is no signal.
Have any of you experienced the same problem ?

I have two topping dac's. They have never turned off by it self.

 

[ehabheikal]

Firstly you can pay to buy a Dirac Live licence on the Flex.

The standout feature the the Flex not mentioned so far is that is it's functionality for subwoofer integration into a stereo music system. This is not an automated process but it provides users with the capability to apply crossover filters to main speakers as well as a subwoofer (or two), and to set time delays to optimise integration (including delaying the signal to the main speakers).

Can the crossover functionality work at the same time as dirac?

 

[anotherhobby]

Can the crossover functionality work at the same time as dirac?

Yes. You set your crossovers before running Dirac.

 

[ehabheikal]

Is dirac better than setting your own filters with REW and putting them on the device or even applying them on roon?

 

[mike70]

I think the raw technical answer is ... yes.

If it's better in YOUR application ... well, surely that's not that easy. For many people the right parametric EQ is enough, because noise floor, speaker distortion, etc hides tiny improvements.

 

[ehabheikal]

What is the difference between this and the SHD other than the streamer ability and loss of bluetooth on shd?

 

[Ultrasonic]

Is dirac better than setting your own filters with REW and putting them on the device or even applying them on roon?

Firstly all of the miniDSP 'plugin' features work in parallel with Dirac Live, which included the crossover filters you asked about but also crucially the time delays too. This is critical for subwoofer integration as the optimal setup comes from setting these two manually first, and then running Dirac Live on the resulting main speakers plus subwoofer(s) combination.

For context I went from applying REW filters on a 2x4 HD to using Dirac Live on an SHD. One key difference is that Dirac Live is set up to be based on using measured data at multiple measurement locations and targeting a form of average, whereas most people just generate REW filters at a single location (I did). It is possible to use multiple measurement locations in REW, take an average (ideally weighted to the MLP) and then generate filters for this but it is easier to do so in Dirac Live. This for me is probably the single biggest difference which I do thing gives better results. Overall DL is probably more accessible and easier to use for most the REW too. (Although personally as I'm familiar with REW there are some aspects of DL I don't like in comparison.)

The other significant technical difference between DL and filters in REW or Roon is the improvements DL filters bring to the impulse response (time-domain performance). It's easy to confirm with measurements that improvements are made but I still think it's open for debate how audible such improvements may be (others here will know more to comment). It's impossible to only apply the phase corrections in DL but not the amplitude changes and so not really possible to try to test to assess this.

 

[ehabheikal]

Firstly all of the miniDSP 'plugin' features work in parallel with Dirac Live, which included the crossover filters you asked about but also crucially the time delays too. This is critical for subwoofer integration as the optimal setup comes from setting these two manually first, and then running Dirac Live on the resulting main speakers plus subwoofer(s) combination.

For context I went from applying REW filters on a 2x4 HD to using Dirac Live on an SHD. One key difference is that Dirac Live is set up to be based on using measured data at multiple measurement locations and targeting a form of average, whereas most people just generate REW filters at a single location (I did). It is possible to use multiple measurement locations in REW, take an average (ideally weighted to the MLP) and then generate filters for this but it is easier to do so in Dirac Live. This for me is probably the single biggest difference which I do thing gives better results. Overall DL is probably more accessible and easier to use for most the REW too. (Although personally as I'm familiar with REW there are some aspects of DL I don't like in comparison.)

The other significant technical difference between DL and filters in REW or Roon is the improvements DL filters bring to the impulse response (time-domain performance). It's easy to confirm with measurements that improvements are made but I still think it's open for debate how audible such improvements may be (others here will know more to comment). It's impossible to only apply the phase corrections in DL but not the amplitude changes and so not really possible to try to test to assess this.

Thanx for the detailed answer, now i need to decide if the difference between shd and flex make me upgrade. I am not in usa so i pay more to get it here. Here is the home of the Three Pyramids of Giza.

 

[Ultrasonic]

What is the difference between this and the SHD other than the streamer ability and loss of bluetooth on shd?

The SHD has additional input/output connection types, and it internally runs Dirac Live at 96 kHz rather than 48 kHz. The SHD series can also act as Roon endpoints, and the later (neo3) SHDs can use a Microsoft Surface Dial as a remote volume control.

 

[Ultrasonic]

Thanx for the detailed answer, now i need to decide if the difference between shd and flex make me upgrade. I am not in usa so i pay more to get it here. Here is the home of the Three Pyramids of Giza.

miniDSP are based in Hong Kong so I'm not sure being in the US is a huge advantage, beyond the dollar's value being relatively high.

You can add where you live to your profile if you like. You'll see I'm not in the US either .

 

[enricoclaudio]

Quick question for those that owns the FLEX with Dirac Live license. If you install the Dirac Live license, can you still go back to use only the miniDSP plugin only? Like having PEQ in the Inputs like 2x4 HD without Dirac Live? I know you can disable Dirac Live but are you able to uninstall it completely and go back to FLEX plugin only?

 

[anotherhobby]

Quick question for those that owns the FLEX with Dirac Live license. If you install the Dirac Live license, can you still go back to use only the miniDSP plugin only? Like having PEQ in the Inputs like 2x4 HD without Dirac Live? I know you can disable Dirac Live but are you able to uninstall it completely and go back to FLEX plugin only?

Yes

Page 47: https://www.minidsp.com/images/documents/miniDSP Flex User Manual.pdf

 

[enricoclaudio]

Great!! Thanks for pointing this out. I have a FLEX TRS on the way to time align my new Neumanns KH 150s and Rythmik Audio E22 subwoofer. Most likely I won't need Dirac Live but it's good to know I can switch between DL and miniDSP plugin if needed.

 

[Ultrasonic]

Great!! Thanks for pointing this out. I have a FLEX TRS on the way to time align my new Neumanns KH 150s and Rythmik Audio E22 subwoofer. Most likely I won't need Dirac Live but it's good to know I can switch between DL and miniDSP plugin if needed.

Note the PEQ is still available even if Dirac Live is active, so if you want to compare two options you can do so on different presets rather than changing the plugin status. Although you'll get additional latency when the unit is in DL capable mode.

 

[enricoclaudio]

Note the PEQ is still available even if Dirac Live is active, so if you want to compare two options you can do so on different presets rather than changing the plugin status. Although you'll get additional latency when the unit is in DL capable mode.

Great. I already placed the order for the Dirac Live plugin. I want to compare Neumann's MA1 app with Dirac Live and REW Filters.

 

[Stretch]

Hi folks,
How does this unit sound as a DAC/preamp direct into amplifier?
How does it compare to something like RME ADI2 or newer DACs up to $1000. What would you suggest thats great DAC has volume control and EQ control?

Thanks