Minidsp SHD Power Amplifier Review

[kuba-phase]

It certainly is good enough for almost all home applications, including yours, I'd

Something you might ponder is, are you going to remember its published flaws when you listen? Or can you put all that aside and just enjoy the music? The answer to that might help guide your course.

Also, would you benefit in any way from the added flexibility of separates? (Say, by putting preamp near the listening area and amps near tje speakers?)

Finally, have you used miniDSP devices before?Though they represent excellent value, I for one find the interface annoying. If there is any chance you will trade the thing in, under what circumstances would you take the least loss?

I used miniDSP before, mainly for room correction, equalization etc. But it's not my point. I have participated in several blind tests and I agree that above a certain threshold of parameter quality, the DACs and audio files are indistinguishable. However, I did not test the amplifiers, mainly due to the lack of time. That's why I'm asking here. From the miniDSP SHD Power test, I think It should be audibly indistinguishable from the best amplifiers (I think so). I'm only interested in the scientific aspect, if I can call it that One more thing interests me. If the minidsp Power is "good enough", how "weak" would the amplifier have to be to hear its distortions in blind tests?

 

[LTig]

This depends on the listener - you. Member @pkane has a homepage (or software?) where you can test your ability to detect your own distortion threshold.

 

[pkane]

This depends on the listener - you. Member @pkane has a homepage (or software?) where you can test your ability to detect your own distortion threshold.

https://distortaudio.org/index.html

 

[deafenears]

SoundStage! recently measured the SHD power amp - https://www.soundstagenetwork.com/i...ts&catid=97:amplifier-measurements&Itemid=154

 

[Beershaun]

Interesting. Specifically how the intermodulation distortion into real speakers is significantly different/worse from the dummy load and different depending on the speakers. @amirm what are your thoughts on that result and it's implications for representativeness of IMD dummy load testing?

 

[Pygmy]

I've just pushed the 'buy' button on the MiniDSP Power SHD.
It'll be the amplifier for my "live-in kitchen", replacing my DIY Class D TPA3116D2 amplifier.

The TPA3116D2 worked perfectly and sounded great. Then I used REW and a UMik1 to measure the response, and a RaspberryPi with HifiBerry Dac DSP+ to do PEQ room correction.
This made such a big difference that I started thinking and reading up on other methods of room correction (Floyd E. Toole : "Sound Reproduction: The Acoustics and Psychoacoustics of Loudspeakers and Rooms").
Reading that I realized there's much more to room correction than just "adjusting using PEQ".

 

[Xyrium]

I've just pushed the 'buy' button on the MiniDSP Power SHD.
It'll be the amplifier for my "live-in kitchen", replacing my DIY Class D TPA3116D2 amplifier.

The TPA3116D2 worked perfectly and sounded great. Then I used REW and a UMik1 to measure the response, and a RaspberryPi with HifiBerry Dac DSP+ to do PEQ room correction.
This made such a big difference that I started thinking and reading up on other methods of room correction (Floyd E. Toole : "Sound Reproduction: The Acoustics and Psychoacoustics of Loudspeakers and Rooms").
Reading that I realized there's much more to room correction than just "adjusting using PEQ".

That's great, and there are several very knowledgeable folks who can help you out with room correction here. Poke around a few of the forums, and you'll find tons of resources.

 

[Blew]

The TPA3116D2 worked perfectly and sounded great. Then I used REW and a UMik1 to measure the response, and a RaspberryPi with HifiBerry Dac DSP+ to do PEQ room correction.

What did you use on the Pi to do the DSP?

This made such a big difference that I started thinking and reading up on other methods of room correction (Floyd E. Toole : "Sound Reproduction: The Acoustics and Psychoacoustics of Loudspeakers and Rooms").
Reading that I realized there's much more to room correction than just "adjusting using PEQ".

Yes I'm interested to know how much of a difference adding bass traps will make for two subs in each corner of the room.

 

[sfdoddsy]

I've just pushed the 'buy' button on the MiniDSP Power SHD.
It'll be the amplifier for my "live-in kitchen", replacing my DIY Class D TPA3116D2 amplifier.

The TPA3116D2 worked perfectly and sounded great. Then I used REW and a UMik1 to measure the response, and a RaspberryPi with HifiBerry Dac DSP+ to do PEQ room correction.
This made such a big difference that I started thinking and reading up on other methods of room correction (Floyd E. Toole : "Sound Reproduction: The Acoustics and Psychoacoustics of Loudspeakers and Rooms").
Reading that I realized there's much more to room correction than just "adjusting using PEQ".

Good decision.

I’m unable to tell an iota of difference in any amp measuring above indecent.

But room EQ makes an obvious audible (and measurable) difference.

I’ve been using Minidsp products since they first came out, and still use one of their DSP amps.

If you are prepared to do a bit of work to learn REW for measurements, you won’t get better sound short of a full Dirac/DEQX system.

And even then it will be so close as to be meaningless in the real world.

 

[Pygmy]

What did you use on the Pi to do the DSP?

Yes I'm interested to know how much of a difference adding bass traps will make for two subs in each corner of the room.

I just used the Hifiberry DSP+ filters to perform the PEQ I calculated using REW.

 

[Pygmy]

Good decision.

I’m unable to tell an iota of difference in any amp measuring above indecent.

But room EQ makes an obvious audible (and measurable) difference.

I’ve been using Minidsp products since they first came out, and still use one of their DSP amps.

If you are prepared to do a bit of work to learn REW for measurements, you won’t get better sound short of a full Dirac/DEQX system.

And even then it will be so close as to be meaningless in the real world.

Agreed, I have honestly never heard any difference in amplifiers besides "This one makes my speakers hiss when I'm not playing music, the other one doesn't".
It took some modding to get my YuanJing TPA3116D2 based amplifier silent but $15 on parts and 15 minutes of soldering did the trick

I've done room correction previously using REW and a Umik1 and used a RaspberryPi with Hifiberry DSP+ DAC to perform the PEQ with (to me) great results.
I've also read most of Floyd Toole's "Sound Reproduction: The Acoustics and Psychoacoustics of Loudspeakers and Rooms".

So - I haven't mentioned that besides buying the MiniDSP Power SHD last week I also bought the NAD T758 V3i receiver with Dirac for my living room... Yes, the one that measured awfully on this forum and was not recommended...
To me it sounds perfectly fine, and Dirac actually makes everything sound much better.
So - the measurements on this site are to me all just theoretical, the amp measuring (very) bad doesn't in any way translate to anything I can objectively *hear*.
But the pros of having Dirac are f'ing amazing.

Sometimes good enough is just good enough, and then proper room correction can make a much bigger difference than a better theoretical SINAD score..

 

[withoutsuit]

Agreed, I have honestly never heard any difference in amplifiers besides "This one makes my speakers hiss when I'm not playing music, the other one doesn't".
It took some modding to get my YuanJing TPA3116D2 based amplifier silent but $15 on parts and 15 minutes of soldering did the trick

I've done room correction previously using REW and a Umik1 and used a RaspberryPi with Hifiberry DSP+ DAC to perform the PEQ with (to me) great results.
I've also read most of Floyd Toole's "Sound Reproduction: The Acoustics and Psychoacoustics of Loudspeakers and Rooms".

So - I haven't mentioned that besides buying the MiniDSP Power SHD last week I also bought the NAD T758 V3i receiver with Dirac for my living room... Yes, the one that measured awfully on this forum and was not recommended...
To me it sounds perfectly fine, and Dirac actually makes everything sound much better.
So - the measurements on this site are to me all just theoretical, the amp measuring (very) bad doesn't in any way translate to anything I can objectively *hear*.
But the pros of having Dirac are f'ing amazing.

Sometimes good enough is just good enough, and then proper room correction can make a much bigger difference than a better theoretical SINAD score..

That's exactly my opinion, congratz to your pragmatic view! SINAD is not all moreover less important than other features.

 

[withoutsuit]

Does anyone know, if there is a new amplifier upcoming?

 

[sfdoddsy]

MiniDSP products tend to have a longish product cycle unless something new and shiny comes along. In which case they release it first as a processor.

Nothing new and shiny is on the site apart from different input and output options so I suspect no new SHD amps for a while.

Given the increasing use of active speakers, the expense and complexity of full HD solutions, and the cheapness of very good very small digital amps I can’t imagine such a thing would be high on their list.

I’d love an updated PowerIce with wifi, Dirac and more outputs, but I can’t imagine the market for 3 way DSP amps for lazy tweakers is that huge.