Minidsp Flex Review (Audio DSP)

[diablo]

thank you diablo, do you use your flex for subs? is there any problem to add delays if i use the adc? thank you, yes the htx is a lot of money and really don't need it

Using the external analogue-digital converter is really no different to using the inbuilt RCA inputs in the 2x4HD - that does the same thing, just inside the one box. So it makes no difference to how you use it.
My lounge setup is around a TV in the corner of the room, so I need EQ on my main speakers as well as the single sub which I use. The SVS sub has a few milliseconds delay due to positioning and the internal DSP it has, so I set that at 0ms delay and adjust the delay of the main speakers to match it.

I mainly use Toslink input from stereo sources, but use the converter with the LR pre-outs from my AVR when I use that. No changes need to be made as it works identically to the normal Flex I was using before - which has direct RCA inputs of course.
Hope this helps.

 

[Monty67]

Hi

Looking for advice on which minidsp product to get. Thinking of adding a sub. Sub doesnt have balanced inputs. But my other gear does. I use Roon.

Current set up
Wiim pro--benchmark dac 3L-benchmark amp-jbl 4367

Soooo replace the benchmark dac 3l with the Minidsp SHD. Go balanced from the SHD to my benchmark amp. Use the unbalanced from the SHD to my subs.

Or is it better to get the minidsp flex unbalanced version?

Or another product that fits my needs better?

Thanks

Sooooo after musing about picking up a minidsp a few months back, i decided to park the issue. Here we are a few months later and i cant seem to get over getting rid of the benchmark dac.

At the moment i have it paired with the Benchmark amp. Oh and i forgot to add i did pick up a sub., In my case a Klipsch RP1400SW.

I have used the sub anytime i watch movies or tv. and once in a while i use it for music. I just run a rca from the output of the Dac 3L. And set the crossover on the sub to 60.
Yes i know this is not the ideal way for sub set up.....but yeah i just feel that the dac3L is good for the next decade easy.........Just works.

Sometimes i think about getting a AVR and making one of the inputs on DAC3L a "HT " input. Since im not interested in more than 2 channels plus a sub, il only really interested in the sub crossover stuff.

But most AVR are awfully big.....

Anyways and the world turns i get it

Cheers

 

[Monty67]

Sooooo after musing about picking up a minidsp a few months back, i decided to park the issue. Here we are a few months later and i cant seem to get over getting rid of the benchmark dac.

At the moment i have it paired with the Benchmark amp. Oh and i forgot to add i did pick up a sub., In my case a Klipsch RP1400SW.

I have used the sub anytime i watch movies or tv. and once in a while i use it for music. I just run a rca from the output of the Dac 3L. And set the crossover on the sub to 60.
Yes i know this is not the ideal way for sub set up.....but yeah i just feel that the dac3L is good for the next decade easy.........Just works.

Sometimes i think about getting a AVR and making one of the inputs on DAC3L a "HT " input. Since im not interested in more than 2 channels plus a sub, il only really interested in the sub crossover stuff.

But most AVR are awfully big.....

Anyways and the world turns i get it

Cheers

Hello is there anyone out there?

Hey gang so i put an order in for MINIDSP FLEX BALANCED. Yes i know, i just said what i said in that post.....Im an audiophile or something like that which means im NUTS!

So here is the plan. The FLEX BAL should be here monday. I will remove the dac3L from the system and just go FLEX into ABH2. See how things go.

Back up plan if i still think that i want DAC3L in the system, i will use FLEX like an AVR. I would make one of the inputs on dac3l a home theatre input.
Like i said the DAC 3L just works, 10 years from now it will still work. I try not to get rid of things have a track record of reliability.

Anyways ill come back in a few weeks to air out my thoughts.

 

[Sparkles]

Hello is there anyone out there?

Hey gang so i put an order in for MINIDSP FLEX BALANCED.

I am very interested in your results when you have them.

 

[greyscale]

Dual sub integration using the MiniDSP

Great article for setting up 2x subs with a AVR using a MiniDSP 2X4. Can this same setup be done with a Flex? Have a Marantz sr8012 avr into 2 svs sb1000 subs with 2 KEF LS50 Meta mains.
Question is, which FLEX do I purchase??
Thank You

 

[Ed the Dog]

Can Flex be used with a CD transport? Can I use the DAC in the Flex with the transport and still use Dirac in a 2.1 set up?

I'm using a Peachtree Nova 500 and am running a Bellari EQ coupled with a Schitt Magni in the loop. Can I eliminate the DAC for the Audiolab transport and the Bellari?

More relevant information: The Peachtree has the wood veneer, Bellari is red, and the Schitt, DAC, and Audiolab are black.

Thank you all for considering

 

[StigErik]

Anyone has the impression the minidsp flex is getting quite hot? I measured it with a infrared device and the hottest spot on the top of device is around 41°C and on the bottom, even warmer with around 48°C (hottest spot in the last third of the device). After maybe 1-2h runtime, standing freely not covered. I think this is borderline ok, but feels wrong. I have now disconnected the output cables to see if that could have an influence. The device itself is basically in standby, not configuring it, not playing music through it.

The power consumption is around 10W for the balanced version, which is turned into heat. It will get warm! I made some custom feet for my Flex so it stands vertically, in an attempt to improve cooling. Still gets quite hot.

 

[staticV3]

Can Flex be used with a CD transport? Can I use the DAC in the Flex with the transport and still use Dirac in a 2.1 set up?

I'm using a Peachtree Nova 500 and am running a Bellari EQ coupled with a Schitt Magni in the loop. Can I eliminate the DAC for the Audiolab transport and the Bellari?

More relevant information: The Peachtree has the wood veneer, Bellari is red, and the Schitt, DAC, and Audiolab are black.

Thank you all for considering

If your CD Transport has Toslink or Coax output, then you can use the Flex's DAC, Crossover, and Dirac room correction with it.

 

[dom_st]

The power consumption is around 10W for the balanced version, which is turned into heat. It will get warm! I made some custom feet for my Flex so it stands vertically, in an attempt to improve cooling. Still gets quite hot.

yes sure, i also contacted their support just to be sure the think everything is ok, so this is part of the response.

"In the Flex series, we're indeed using the enclosure as a "heatsink" i..e chipsets directly connected to enclosure ...
... we've had these tested in lab in very hot temperature and no issues with the design"

so everything should be ok, as long as the surface temperature doesn´t get much hotter.
I mean there are standards for these things out there and as long we are within these limits, all is good!

Was just curious as some people here stated that it doesn't even get warm.

 

[diablo]

Anyone has the impression the minidsp flex is getting quite hot? I measured it with a infrared device and the hottest spot on the top of device is around 41°C and on the bottom, even warmer with around 48°C (hottest spot in the last third of the device). After maybe 1-2h runtime, standing freely not covered. I think this is borderline ok, but feels wrong. I have now disconnected the output cables to see if that could have a influence. The device itself is basically in standby, not configuring it, not playing music through it.

I tested my standard Flex by leaving it on for an hour. It is in a cool room (17C) at the moment - hottest point was 31C.
My Flex 8 has been in use all day in a warm room (23C) and the hottest bit of that (underside, near the back) is 35C.
I don't understand why yours should get so warm.
Though I've run 2x4HDs and DDRC24s for years now - they get much warmer but don't seem to take any harm.

 

[Robocop]

They reverted this behavior in later updates as some users had noise issues. I am not sure if the ASRC gain structure update is still on the table.

I also confirmed that the newest firmware still clips when feed intersample overs, regardless of volume position.

Michael

I got this reply from minidsp support back in January.

"At this stage, it's not back in the line as we were just taking a bit of a breather to make sure the major modifications done in the previous build worked.
We indeed still plan to introduce back the ASRC fix we had sometime in the coming few weeks. We've just released some new platforms now and just finalizing some updates as it's typical with new product release."

Robert

 

[Elder]

Would anyone mind telling me how far away from the edges of the unit the little feet on the bottom are?

Designing a 3d printed bracket to mount the unit neatly under a desk.

 

[Epos7]

Are there any good reviews/impressions of the Flex HTx floating around? I have two subs and two mains currently, although I'd like to keep open the option of adding a center channel in the future.

Currently have a Denon X3700H, Parasound P6, and March Audio P452. If I added a center, thought would be to use the X3700H as the center channel amp, and the P6/P452 for the mains.

 

[ehabheikal]

I have the flex with ls50 meta and dual 8inch hs8s yamaha studio subs.

I am running the so that the subs do the crossover.

Would i most probably get better sound by bypassing the crossover on the subs and doing it digitally with minidsp?

 

[staticV3]

Would i most probably get better sound by bypassing the crossover on the subs and doing it digitally with minidsp?

That depends on how much money (Dirac) or work (REW+MSO) you're willing to put into optimizing your system.

A digital crossover via the Flex certainly has a higher potential for sound quality.
Whether and to what extent you make use of it is up to you.

 

[Monty67]

Hello is there anyone out there?

Hey gang so i put an order in for MINIDSP FLEX BALANCED. Yes i know, i just said what i said in that post.....Im an audiophile or something like that which means im NUTS!

So here is the plan. The FLEX BAL should be here monday. I will remove the dac3L from the system and just go FLEX into ABH2. See how things go.

Back up plan if i still think that i want DAC3L in the system, i will use FLEX like an AVR. I would make one of the inputs on dac3l a home theatre input.
Like i said the DAC 3L just works, 10 years from now it will still work. I try not to get rid of things have a track record of reliability.

Anyways ill come back in a few weeks to air out my thoughts.

Hi

Sooooooo ive got the minidsp flex and i have a problem.

when i turn on the unit, i dont get any sound. I have to turn on the unit on and off many times to get sound. And sometimes i have to turn it off for 5 minutes or more, and then turn it on and then i get sound

for reference, its connected straight to my amp. ive learned to measure, do correction filters and apply them to the minidsp.

ive posted on the minidsp site just now. this cant be normal operation.

when it works it fine, but im not sure if i get a defective unit or something.....

i purcahsaed the unit new from SOLEN.CA in canada for reference

 

[anotherhobby]

Hi

Sooooooo ive got the minidsp flex and i have a problem.

when i turn on the unit, i dont get any sound. I have to turn on the unit on and off many times to get sound. And sometimes i have to turn it off for 5 minutes or more, and then turn it on and then i get sound

for reference, its connected straight to my amp. ive learned to measure, do correction filters and apply them to the minidsp.

ive posted on the minidsp site just now. this cant be normal operation.

when it works it fine, but im not sure if i get a defective unit or something.....

i purcahsaed the unit new from SOLEN.CA in canada for reference

Open a support case with miniDSP. Their support is excellent.

 

[StigErik]

Stupid question, but we have to ask : are running the latest software.... ?

 

[Monty67]

Open a support case with miniDSP. Their support is excellent.

So i posted in minidsp forum under the category of FLEX SERIES This is the place to ask questions you have about the FLEX Series. I dont see a category for support.

 

[Monty67]

Stupid question, but we have to ask : are running the latest software.... ?

I will connect my cpu to it now and check what software is running, ill have an answer in 10 minutes.......