Minidsp Flex Review (Audio DSP)

[mglobe]

Have you tested it with a Dirac license enabled? Literature states that internal processing drops to 48khz with Dirac

That's well known information here. Lots of people running it with Dirac, myself included, and very happy with the results. IIRC the SHD runs at a higher sampling frequency and a higher price.

 

[antcollinet]

Glad to hear you got it sorted. FYI, I run my TT signal through an Apt Holman pre and into the flex for Sub integration and Dirac. Perversely, the fact that this may give some analog purist concern gives me some pleasure. I love playing records, for several reasons, not the least of which is nostalgia, but I want room correction too.

Me too.

 

[antcollinet]

Not going to thread hijack, but if you want incredibly powerful control over devices in your home without giving up your privacy, I highly recommend Home Assistant. It's open source, very reliable, and free. It's simply the best home automation platform there is (and works with Hue and thousands of other devices).

Thanks for that link - I'm needing better setup.

 

[juliangst]

Are there any measurements of the digital Flex out there? I wonder how good or bad the jitter performance is. Especially when having a TV with toslink out or an HDMI extractor as a source.

 

[Dean]

That's well known information here. Lots of people running it with Dirac, myself included, and very happy with the results. IIRC the SHD runs at a higher sampling frequency and a higher price.

That’s good to hear. Any idea where I could find the test results with Dirac engaged?

 

[anotherhobby]

That’s good to hear. Any idea where I could find the test results with Dirac engaged?

Which specific test would you perform with Dirac engaged? What would you be looking for in the result? I'm curious because any output signal you measure with Dirac enabled will by design be modified by DSP and will be different than the input signal.

 

[LugsyTL47]

Ordered Flex analog and UMIK1, arrives Monday. I considered a new Pioneer/Onkyo HT receiver with Dirac but I would not use the surround sound options, too big physically. Flex replacing Topping DX3Pro+ to basic NAD int amp. Use Flex for 2.1 setup with small stand mount speakers and sub. The info on this thread will be helpful with my learning curve.

 

[Dean]

Which specific test would you perform with Dirac engaged? What would you be looking for in the result? I'm curious because any output signal you measure with Dirac enabled will by design be modified by DSP and will be different than the input signal.

The same test Amir did but with Dirac engaged. I would like to know what it does to the dynamic range and of course Snr etc. It was stated that it was well known, so I assumed it was documented somewhere. If it is I would love to see the numbers.

Ps. thank you responding. I think the info would be of interest to most people who would use Dirac on this DSP.

 

[anotherhobby]

The same test Amir did but with Dirac engaged. I would like to know what it does to the dynamic range and of course Snr etc. It was stated that it was well known, so I assumed it was documented somewhere. If it is I would love to see the numbers.

Ps. thank you responding. I think the info would be of interest to most people who would use Dirac on this DSP.

If Dirac is engaged with a calibration loaded into the current preset, I don't see how testing the output signal against the input signal could provide any meaninful result since you (a) know the signal is maipulated as it runs thru and (b) don't have any expectation/prediction of how it should be manipulated. However, maybe engaging Dirac on an empty preset that has no calibration would provide a valid test of just running the signal thru Dirac unmanipulated? Not sure, but it could be interesting.

 

[antcollinet]

The same test Amir did but with Dirac engaged. I would like to know what it does to the dynamic range and of course Snr etc. It was stated that it was well known, so I assumed it was documented somewhere. If it is I would love to see the numbers.

Ps. thank you responding. I think the info would be of interest to most people who would use Dirac on this DSP.

To put it another way.

Running Dirac will create massive frequency/phase response variations - because that is what it is supposed to do. How will you tell the differences between those deliberate changes, and any that might (in a very unlikely situation) result from the downsampling to 48K?

Measuring while DIRAC is running is unlikely to prove particularly useful.

 

[Sokel]

Measuring while DIRAC is running is unlikely to prove particularly useful.

I'm curious about this.
Agreed on amplitude of course but an 1Khz signal is an 1Khz signal,if we want something close to sourse it will be reproduced as faithfully as possible regardless the intention.
As an example,in this cheap analog crossover the 1Khz,remains the same.

Cheap analog electronic crossover

I've been playing lately with a very cheap analog 2-in/4-out analog crossover. Is somehow DIY but very easy to fix. To my surprise it measures very decently! (note that has been measured with the worst possible conditions,long cables soldered just to see,adapters,noisy PSU and by someone totally...

www.audiosciencereview.com

The question is the impact of the filters,etc on raw measurements and somehow real world performance.



(honest curiocity)

 

[MCH]

To put it another way.

Running Dirac will create massive frequency/phase response variations - because that is what it is supposed to do. How will you tell the differences between those deliberate changes, and any that might (in a very unlikely situation) result from the downsampling to 48K?

Measuring while DIRAC is running is unlikely to prove particularly useful.

measure how transparent is something that is a DSP seems to be an oxymoron, but what he is curious about is dynamic range and SNR. Would those be useless tests? at the end of the day you are measuring noise. (provided that the test tone frequency is left alone in the eq, of course)

 

[Dean]

Running the signal thru Dirac and having Dirac manipulate that signal are 2 separate things. Just wondering what the performance loss (if any) would it have with Dirac in-gauged. How clean can Dirac handle the signal (unmodified) would be a relevant question to my thinking.

 

[abdo123]

When swapping presets it allways defaults compressor enable = off even when the lines stay colored and active.

View attachment 243027

Anyone care to test is this bug universal or is it just my unit?

Is this the new software?

 

[anotherhobby]

Running the signal thru Dirac and having Dirac manipulate that signal are 2 separate things. Just wondering what the performance loss (if any) would it have with Dirac in-gauged. How clean can Dirac handle the signal (unmodified) would be a relevant question to my thinking.

Running the signal thru Dirac and having Dirac manipulate that signal are not 2 separate things. When Dirac is engaged, a calibration preset will be active. There is no way to have Dirac on without a selected preset, so you are back to what I said above, which would be to try an empty preset. Unless you are proposing some other way to pass a signal thru Dirac in a Flex without having a preset active?

 

[Sokel]

Running the signal thru Dirac and having Dirac manipulate that signal are not 2 separate things. When Dirac is engaged, a calibration preset will be active. There is no way to have Dirac on without a selected preset, so you are back to what I said above, which would be to try an empty preset. Unless you are proposing some other way to pass a signal thru Dirac in a Flex without having a preset active?

Why empty?
The fun of all that is to see real condition performance.1Khz in-1Khz out for example.
If it's ok the output will be true to freq and will only vary on amplitude maybe.
A chord of a song will remain the same chord and the question is if the added (if any) distortion and noise will be in acceptable levels.

 

[Dean]

Can Dirac not be preset to flat response, no delay etc? I am not that familiar with the product. But as stated above, about a 1khz signal, I am curious to the numbers.

 

[anotherhobby]

Why empty?

I guess I don't understand what the point is? Maybe you can help explain with some specifics. If the preset is not empty, and Dirac is applying DSP to manipulate the output (not to mention cross over settings if you have subs), you can certainly measure that output, but what are you expecting that output to show? What would a "good result" or a "bad result" on the output look like to you? Specifically what you are grading here? I don't mean just looking at a line and saying "see! I measured it!" I mean what value are you specifically expecting your test to provide, and what would that test mean to other people?

 

[Dean]

I guess I don't understand what the point is? Maybe you can help explain with some specifics. If the preset is not empty, and Dirac is applying DSP to manipulate the output (not to mention cross over settings if you have subs), you can certainly measure that output, but what are you expecting that output to show? What would a "good result" or a "bad result" on the output look like to you? Specifically what you are grading here? I don't mean just looking at a line and saying "see! I measured it!" I mean what value are you specifically expecting your test to provide, and what would that test mean to other people?

What’s the point of testing a preamp? It has tone controls and that will effect the linearity? You see the analogy? If a preamp has a direct mode and that tested great would you not be curious what the other mode does to performance?The point is anything the is between the source and the amp (may) have an effect on the reproduction of the signal. So why not test it in all possible scenarios? Especially when so many people are using this major feature. Just my 2 cents? Hope this clears up why I ask the question.

 

[anotherhobby]

What’s the point of testing a preamp? It has tone controls and that will effect the linearity? You see the analogy? If a preamp has a direct mode and that tested great would you not be curious what the other mode does to performance?The point is anything the is between the source and the amp (may) have an effect on the reproduction of the signal. So why not test it in all possible scenarios? Especially when so many people are using this major feature. Just my 2 cents? Hope this clears up why I ask the question.

You didn't actually answer any of my specific questions, so I don't see why you think that clears anything up.

1. If the preset is not empty, and Dirac is applying DSP to manipulate the output (not to mention cross over settings if you have subs), you can certainly measure that output, but what are you expecting that output to show?
2. What would a "good result" or a "bad result" on the output look like to you?
3. what value are you specifically expecting your test to provide, and what would that test mean to other people?

None of those are meant to be argumentative. I'm honestly curious what you think about those 3 specific questions, not the general notions of why people test things.