miniDSP SHD questions

[Photony83]

hey everyone:
First time venturing outside basic AVR set up.

I am using a Yamaha AVR as my streamer/DAC/preamp to my pass labs amp. Sources are from a NAS and smart TV. I wanna see if there is an improvement in sound if I goto a separates route. Thinking of going to minidsp SHD. Just had some basic questions I couldn't find the answer to.

1) Right now I use the Yamaha musicast app to pick songs and change tracks and volume control . Does the volumio app have this function have essentially the same control? is this the only way to control my catalog and volume? and Does the miniDSP SHD remote control have a volume up/down feature?

2) thinking of changing out my SVS PB2000 sub to 2 rythmik subs. Can I use the output 3 and 4 to plug directly to each sub or need some sort of dac in between?

3) Dirac live bass control : is that a feature of Dirac 3.0 or is it an add on for the SHD? don't see any detail about this.

4) I would love to try out different DACs like denafrips or topping d90/benchmark. is that possible with the miniDSP SHD?

thanks for any help

 

[phoenixdogfan]

hey everyone:
First time venturing outside basic AVR set up.

I am using a Yamaha AVR as my streamer/DAC/preamp to my pass labs amp. Sources are from a NAS and smart TV. I wanna see if there is an improvement in sound if I goto a separates route. Thinking of going to minidsp SHD. Just had some basic questions I couldn't find the answer to.

1) Right now I use the Yamaha musicast app to pick songs and change tracks and volume control . Does the volumio app have this function have essentially the same control? is this the only way to control my catalog and volume? and Does the miniDSP SHD remote control have a volume up/down feature?

2) thinking of changing out my SVS PB2000 sub to 2 rythmik subs. Can I use the output 3 and 4 to plug directly to each sub or need some sort of dac in between?

3) Dirac live bass control : is that a feature of Dirac 3.0 or is it an add on for the SHD? don't see any detail about this.

4) I would love to try out different DACs like denafrips or topping d90/benchmark. is that possible with the miniDSP SHD?

thanks for any help

!. The SHD does have a master volume control for all outputs
2. The SHD has a four channel DAC, so it can handle the subs with no external DAC.
3. Dirac Live Full 3.0 is standard on the SHD.
4. SHD has only external analog outputs. The SHD Studio is the same processor with no internal DACS, so if you buy it, you can choose your own DAC(s) but you will need 4 channels (two 2 channel DACS).

 

[outlookrt]

I have the SHD (non studio) so can try and answer some questions

- Don't know the yamaha app so can't compare. Volumio has an app but It does not seem to work with the Mini DSP version they implement in the SHD. That said you can still access it via a browser on desktop or mobile. Songs can be selected and volume can be controlled. I find it useful as I often listen to music while on my computer and I can have a browser tab open to adjust volume when needed. The remote has volume control. There is a new remote that MiniDSP have released that also has playback controls (pause/play/prev/next). I purchased it for use with my SHD and its nice to have those controlls and able to stop/start/mute songs.

- the SHD has 4 analogue outs, so you should be able to to just connect this to the sub input, no Dac required. (the Minidsp is a dac).

- I don't think Dirac Live bass control works with SHD, I havn't tried Dirac version 3.0 yet. But for 2 channel stereo Room correction (without subs) it works very well. Not sure if bass control will be enabled for SHD long term?

- The SHD internal Dac is very good so wouldn't bother trying other dacs, especially as they'll basically sound the same (unless one is broken). Also the SHD converts all analog inputs to Digital to allow for DSP so if you connected a Dac to the analog input of the SHD it would be converted twice. And if you connected a external dac you would have to have a streamer connected to the external dac. So is generally redundant. The power of the SHD is the fact that it's a Dac+Preamp+DSP+Dirac all in one

Hope this helps...

 

[outlookrt]

Posted same time as Pheonix whose answered it in a much more consice manor.

Btw by 'bass control' for dirac I meant an extra feature of Dirac that allows the automatic integration and tuning of stereo stubs. If you simply mean the standard Dirac room correction for stereo speakers, than yes it is included standard with the SHD.

 

[waynel]

hey everyone:
First time venturing outside basic AVR set up.

I am using a Yamaha AVR as my streamer/DAC/preamp to my pass labs amp. Sources are from a NAS and smart TV. I wanna see if there is an improvement in sound if I goto a separates route. Thinking of going to minidsp SHD. Just had some basic questions I couldn't find the answer to.

1) Right now I use the Yamaha musicast app to pick songs and change tracks and volume control . Does the volumio app have this function have essentially the same control? is this the only way to control my catalog and volume? and Does the miniDSP SHD remote control have a volume up/down feature?

2) thinking of changing out my SVS PB2000 sub to 2 rythmik subs. Can I use the output 3 and 4 to plug directly to each sub or need some sort of dac in between?

3) Dirac live bass control : is that a feature of Dirac 3.0 or is it an add on for the SHD? don't see any detail about this.

4) I would love to try out different DACs like denafrips or topping d90/benchmark. is that possible with the miniDSP SHD?

thanks for any help

To add on the the other answers:
1) I have an SHD Studio and tried Volumio, It has all the functionality that I need except for multiroom sync but I have found it to be unreliable and ultimately switched back to MusicCast by using a WXC-50 into the SHD.

 

[Photony83]

Hey thanks everyone. that answers a lot for me.. Im gonna order the SHD. now onto the subs

 

[Olli]

2. The SHD has a four channel DAC, so it can handle the subs with no external DAC.

No, it hasn‘t. Only 2 Channels, but you can do XO, gain, peq, q and polarity settings per all 4 outs.

 

[waynel]

No, it hasn‘t. Only 2 Channels, but you can do XO, gain, peq, q and polarity settings per all 4 outs.

It has 4 channels of DAC output but only 2 channel input so it can handle subs with no external DAC.

 

[Photony83]

Waynel... wow what a dream main setup..

I have my computer on 99% of the time i'm listening to music so I might be able to get away using the computer to play and control volume. I have order a the new MacBook Pro M1 that can have iOS apps on it. delivery next month.

and I just ordered the minisdp SHD..

 

[Photony83]

wow delivered from china to NY in 3.5 days (Monday afternoon to Friday morning)???.. crazy bc tracking said Alaska yesterday.
my new M1 MacBook Pro arrived too with the same driver.. Christmas came early for sure..

Setting up the minidsp is bit disappointing. reminds me of the windows 98 days.. I will work through it. Just played a song with Volumio streaming from my NAS without any tweaking.