Still a new member to ASR. And I really don't know where to post this. I am looking for confirmation/input for a hardware/configuration solution that comprehends multiple fields: a) 2-Channel integration with 5.1 Channels, b) Room Correction, and c) Subwoofer EQ. Before a solution can be evaluated it makes sense to first understand the problem to be solved.
Please let me know if I need to move this post to another thread.
Problem Statement:
I am just an older Hi-Fi enthusiastic. I have an older 5.1 system (circa 2012) with quite nice (IMO) Phase Technology PC 9.5 speakers (Flat piston drivers; flat to 30hz). I added a mac7200 receiver for improved 2 channel listening during Covid. The mac7200 also drives the FR and FL content from the 5.1 Receiver.
My listening room is my Family Room. My subwoofer is a Phase Technology FL10 (250W).
The mac7200 has (2) preamp outputs. Out1 is jumpered to MainIn that drive the PC 9.5s. Out2 is routed to the FL10 Line Inputs. The mac7200 allows Out1 and Out2 to be separately enabled via rocker switches - so I can easily enable the subwoofer. The PC 9.5's by themselves sound very good. The bass is very tight. Now... no matter how I fiddle with subwoofer crossover, phase switch, and amp level the subwoofer muddles the bass. And I know why: The subwoofer is located diagonally opposite of the RF speaker. Yes... this is a family room (16' x 20') and I can't change the subwoofer location (until I build a new house someday). And adjacent to the Family Room is an open kitchen/dining plan layout that allow for standing waves to set up through a combined room lengths of ~ 50'. It is what it is.
When listening to 2-Channel I turn off the subwoofer. In 5.1 Passthru I turn on the subwoofer for low end effects.
So I know I have major problem. And DSP Room Correction may work - maybe for a couple of listening positions in the Family Room. This is the major problem I hope to solve: Improve my 2-channel listening experience with a subwoofer that truly complements the PC 9.5s.
I am trying to learn how I will use Dirac (and hook it up) before I buy any hardware. So I spent a lot of time trying to understand how the miniDSP products could help me. I landed on Dirac and miniDSP because they seem to be well reviewed and good value for the money. Amirm reports the miniDSP SHD model is quite good. It appears to be a good fit for me. But this is where I need to help to provide counsel for my proposal. I used ChatGPT a lot to learn about the miniDSP products and how to integrate them with my AVR and the WiiM streamer. It is helpful for organizing (as you will see below) but you have to carefully watch what is does and point out its mistakes. It is far from being intelligent. But it is useful to gather information and organize it.
Another complicating factor is how to implement Dirac for 2-Channel listening where the 2-Channel speakers also function as the 5.1 FL and FR speakers. ChatGPT helped my understand all the difficult implications of trying to route AVR L/R into the SHD. It guided me to simpler solution to operate 2-Channel Dirac along side of the AVR that independently performs normal 5.1 DSP. But... we have to drive the Phase Tech 9.5 fronts (via mac7200) and the FL10 subwoofer in either 2-Channel mode or 5.1 mode. So working within the capbilites of the mac7200 became a key factor.
I like the idea of a separate DSP unit that will provide more flexiblity over time. I toyed with a new AVR with full Dirac. But I don't need 9 or 11 channels. Again my focus is 2-channel quality with a functioning subwoofer!
The new (proposed) gear is the miniDSP SHD. And the WiiM Pro Plus for 2 channel streaming - that leverages concurrent streaming to my existing Office and Garage. I move around a lot during the day and want to hear the same content!
Below is the proposal to be considered. If you have configuration experience in this area I would very appreciate any comments or feedback you may have.
System Configuration Summary
12V Trigger Logic Summary
Other
Any input or suggestions are appreciated. I have also attached the proposal as a separate word document.
Please let me know if I need to move this post to another thread.
Problem Statement:
I am just an older Hi-Fi enthusiastic. I have an older 5.1 system (circa 2012) with quite nice (IMO) Phase Technology PC 9.5 speakers (Flat piston drivers; flat to 30hz). I added a mac7200 receiver for improved 2 channel listening during Covid. The mac7200 also drives the FR and FL content from the 5.1 Receiver.
My listening room is my Family Room. My subwoofer is a Phase Technology FL10 (250W).
The mac7200 has (2) preamp outputs. Out1 is jumpered to MainIn that drive the PC 9.5s. Out2 is routed to the FL10 Line Inputs. The mac7200 allows Out1 and Out2 to be separately enabled via rocker switches - so I can easily enable the subwoofer. The PC 9.5's by themselves sound very good. The bass is very tight. Now... no matter how I fiddle with subwoofer crossover, phase switch, and amp level the subwoofer muddles the bass. And I know why: The subwoofer is located diagonally opposite of the RF speaker. Yes... this is a family room (16' x 20') and I can't change the subwoofer location (until I build a new house someday). And adjacent to the Family Room is an open kitchen/dining plan layout that allow for standing waves to set up through a combined room lengths of ~ 50'. It is what it is.
When listening to 2-Channel I turn off the subwoofer. In 5.1 Passthru I turn on the subwoofer for low end effects.
So I know I have major problem. And DSP Room Correction may work - maybe for a couple of listening positions in the Family Room. This is the major problem I hope to solve: Improve my 2-channel listening experience with a subwoofer that truly complements the PC 9.5s.
I am trying to learn how I will use Dirac (and hook it up) before I buy any hardware. So I spent a lot of time trying to understand how the miniDSP products could help me. I landed on Dirac and miniDSP because they seem to be well reviewed and good value for the money. Amirm reports the miniDSP SHD model is quite good. It appears to be a good fit for me. But this is where I need to help to provide counsel for my proposal. I used ChatGPT a lot to learn about the miniDSP products and how to integrate them with my AVR and the WiiM streamer. It is helpful for organizing (as you will see below) but you have to carefully watch what is does and point out its mistakes. It is far from being intelligent. But it is useful to gather information and organize it.
Another complicating factor is how to implement Dirac for 2-Channel listening where the 2-Channel speakers also function as the 5.1 FL and FR speakers. ChatGPT helped my understand all the difficult implications of trying to route AVR L/R into the SHD. It guided me to simpler solution to operate 2-Channel Dirac along side of the AVR that independently performs normal 5.1 DSP. But... we have to drive the Phase Tech 9.5 fronts (via mac7200) and the FL10 subwoofer in either 2-Channel mode or 5.1 mode. So working within the capbilites of the mac7200 became a key factor.
I like the idea of a separate DSP unit that will provide more flexiblity over time. I toyed with a new AVR with full Dirac. But I don't need 9 or 11 channels. Again my focus is 2-channel quality with a functioning subwoofer!
The new (proposed) gear is the miniDSP SHD. And the WiiM Pro Plus for 2 channel streaming - that leverages concurrent streaming to my existing Office and Garage. I move around a lot during the day and want to hear the same content!
Below is the proposal to be considered. If you have configuration experience in this area I would very appreciate any comments or feedback you may have.
miniDSP SHD and Wiim Pro Plus Integration with existing 5.1 system.
Preface / Goals- This document summarizes how a new Wiim Pro Plus and miniDSP SHD are proposed to be integrated into an older (existing) 5.1 system.
- Effectively, a 2-Ch system and 5.1 system operate independent of each other, but they share the front amplifiers/speakers and subwoofer.
- 5.1 mode is controlled by a Yamaha RX-V2065 with a MacIntosh MAC7200 used in passthru mode to amplify front L/R only. The SHD is not used in 5.1 mode.
- 2-channel mode to be controlled by the miniDSP SHD (Dirac 2-Ch and subwoofer room correction) and volume control. Spotify is the primary Wiim Pro Plus source.
- The table shows content flow/configuration for each audio channel: 2-Ch mode separate from 5.1 mode, including signal routing, preamp/volume control, DSP/Dirac room correction, and subwoofer feed.
- Existing Gear:
- Yamaha RX-V2065 AVR (inputs: Yamaha BD-1065, Apple TV [3rd Gen], Firestick)
- MacIntosh MAC7200 Receiver
- Front Speakers: Phase Technology PC 9.5s
- Center: Phase Technology CI-70viii (in-wall)
- Surround Speakers: Vintage DCM Time Windows (bi-pole design)
- Subwoofer: Phase Technology FL10
Mode/Content | Speakers | Source | miniDSP SHD In | DSP / Room Correction | miniDSP SHD Out | Phase Tech FL10 Input | MAC7200 Input | Final D/A | Amplifier |
| 2-Ch Front L/R | Front L/R Phase Tech PC 9.5s | Wiim Pro Plus → SHD | Digital Coax | Dirac full bandwidth | Digital Coax Out1/2 | — | Coax1 | MAC7200 | MAC7200 |
| 2-Ch Subwoofer | Phase Tech FL10 | Wiim Pro Plus → SHD | Digital Coax above | Dirac Subwoofer EQ | Analog Out3 (sum R+L) | LineIn L | — | SHD | FL10 internal amp |
| 5.1 Front L/R | Front L/R Phase Tech PC 9.5s | HDMI sources → RX-V2065 | — | AVR DSP | — | — | Unbal 5 (Passthru) | RX-V2065 | MAC7200 |
| 5.1 Subwoofer | Phase Tech FL10 | HDMI sources → RX-V2065 | — | AVR DSP | — | LFE | — | RX-V2065 | FL10 internal amp |
| 5.1 Center | Phase Tech CI-70viii (in-wall) | HDMI sources → RX-V2065 | — | AVR DSP | — | — | — | RX-V2065 | RX-V2065 internal amps |
| 5.1 Surround L/R | DCM Time Windows (bi-pole) | HDMI sources → RX-V2065 | — | AVR DSP | — | — | — | RX-V2065 | RX-V2065 internal amps |
- The Wiim Pro Plus provides a 12V trigger output to activate the miniDSP SHD when powered.
- The SHD Trigger Out connects to the MAC7200 Main Trigger In, turning on the MAC when the SHD is active (for 2-channel operation).
- The AVR Trigger Out connects to the MAC7200 Passthru Trigger In. When active, it forces the MAC7200 into passthru mode, switching input to Unbal 5 and bypassing the preamp section entirely.
- The Passthru Trigger overrides the Main Trigger — ensuring the MAC functions strictly as a power amp during 5.1 playback.
- When the AVR (Passthru trigger) turns off, the MAC7200 remains on only if the Main Trigger (from SHD) remains active.
- The dual-trigger configuration prevents simultaneous playback to the Phase Tech FL10 subwoofer via both LFE and LineIn L, by using two SHD profiles:
- 2-Channel Profile: LineIn L active
- AVR Profile: Analog Out3/4 disabled
- The Wiim Pro Plus was selected as part of a budget-friendly whole-home audio setup, proposed to interface with an existing Wiim Amp Pro in the Office and a new Wiim Mini in the Garage.
- Once this setup stabilizes, a future 4K upgradewould include:
- A 4K TV
- A low-end 4K AVR (must have Front L/R preamp outputs)
- Apple TV 4K
- Key design factor: The SHD cannot perform the final D/A conversion for the front L/R channels if we want to keep 2-Ch and 5.1 modes independent. To allow the AVR to control all 5.1 channels while maintaining separate 2-Ch operation, the MAC7200 must be used in passthru mode via an unbalanced input. This requirement prevents using the MAC7200 with its “PreOut/MainIn” jumpers removed, because the MAC must use the jumpers to route content from the Passthru source.
Any input or suggestions are appreciated. I have also attached the proposal as a separate word document.
