mash
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- Oct 8, 2020
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Newbie - so feel free to point me elsewhere if there are existing topics/threads that address this......
I'd like to get started with DSP but need to figure out how to add DSP processing to my system(s). I have a couple of systems where I will want to add DSP eventually but I'm currently focused on my office system that I use for most of my audio listening.
Some details.....That system is located in a small/mid sized room (14x14) and is a nearfield setup on a large desk sitting in the middle of the room. Music is sourced from a PC with most critical listening coming from either Tidal or Media Monkey playing FLAC files located on a Synology NAS (mainly std redbook CD RIPs). I also do some casual listening on Spotify and Youtube. Hardware includes... i7 based Windows PC -> Matrix Audio USB board -> Topping D90 DAC (MQA version) -> Keces E40 integrated amp -> Revel M105s and a Pinnacle Sub (I am also looking into replacing the sub).
Its great combination but none of those components comes with DSP support. I thought about Roon (which helps solve the larger whole house problem) but I'm not quite ready to go down the full Roon approach just yet and, instead, have been eyeing adding a MiniDSP SHD to provide DSP/Dirac support. (knowing that I could later add Roon and define the MiniDSP as an endpoint). The other advantage of the MiniDSP SHD seems to be the ability to apply corrections to the M105s and Sub independently. But, going down the MiniDSP SHD road raises the question of how to hook it up. Here are the 2 options that I was considering....
1) Remove the D90 altogether and let the MiniDSP handle the PC USB input and DAC duties....then directly feed the Mini analog output to both the E40 (high signal) and the Sub (low signal). This seems like the simplest solution but I hate the idea of losing the D90. On a smaller note, this would also require pushing the MQA processing back to the Tidal software on the PC. Last, there is the question of replacing the Topping audio drivers on the PC with the MiniDSP's drivers. The Toppings drivers lets you set Tidal to exclusive use of the Topping audio device/driver (via WASAPI). Does anyone know if the MiniDSP SHD Windows drivers support allowing the Tidal player to use the WASAPI interface?
2) Let the MiniDSP handle the PC USB input and use the Mini digital out to feed the D90 (high signal) and the Mini analog outs to feed the sub. With this option, the D90 is handling the DAC duties for the bulk of the music....but there's an additional Digital connection added to the chain (MiniDSP to D90).
Ultimately, If the Mini's DAC performance is close enough to the D90, there wouldn't be much reason for configuration option #2 and I would probably just stick with option #1. If the D90 is really a better DAC, then option #2 seems best.
Any words of advice on these options and/or others that I missed would be much appreciated!
I'd like to get started with DSP but need to figure out how to add DSP processing to my system(s). I have a couple of systems where I will want to add DSP eventually but I'm currently focused on my office system that I use for most of my audio listening.
Some details.....That system is located in a small/mid sized room (14x14) and is a nearfield setup on a large desk sitting in the middle of the room. Music is sourced from a PC with most critical listening coming from either Tidal or Media Monkey playing FLAC files located on a Synology NAS (mainly std redbook CD RIPs). I also do some casual listening on Spotify and Youtube. Hardware includes... i7 based Windows PC -> Matrix Audio USB board -> Topping D90 DAC (MQA version) -> Keces E40 integrated amp -> Revel M105s and a Pinnacle Sub (I am also looking into replacing the sub).
Its great combination but none of those components comes with DSP support. I thought about Roon (which helps solve the larger whole house problem) but I'm not quite ready to go down the full Roon approach just yet and, instead, have been eyeing adding a MiniDSP SHD to provide DSP/Dirac support. (knowing that I could later add Roon and define the MiniDSP as an endpoint). The other advantage of the MiniDSP SHD seems to be the ability to apply corrections to the M105s and Sub independently. But, going down the MiniDSP SHD road raises the question of how to hook it up. Here are the 2 options that I was considering....
1) Remove the D90 altogether and let the MiniDSP handle the PC USB input and DAC duties....then directly feed the Mini analog output to both the E40 (high signal) and the Sub (low signal). This seems like the simplest solution but I hate the idea of losing the D90. On a smaller note, this would also require pushing the MQA processing back to the Tidal software on the PC. Last, there is the question of replacing the Topping audio drivers on the PC with the MiniDSP's drivers. The Toppings drivers lets you set Tidal to exclusive use of the Topping audio device/driver (via WASAPI). Does anyone know if the MiniDSP SHD Windows drivers support allowing the Tidal player to use the WASAPI interface?
2) Let the MiniDSP handle the PC USB input and use the Mini digital out to feed the D90 (high signal) and the Mini analog outs to feed the sub. With this option, the D90 is handling the DAC duties for the bulk of the music....but there's an additional Digital connection added to the chain (MiniDSP to D90).
Ultimately, If the Mini's DAC performance is close enough to the D90, there wouldn't be much reason for configuration option #2 and I would probably just stick with option #1. If the D90 is really a better DAC, then option #2 seems best.
Any words of advice on these options and/or others that I missed would be much appreciated!