TimW
Major Contributor
You can enable Roon bridge in Volumio. You'll get all of the benefits of Roon Ready except for device volume control, I believe. The SHD is still not Roon Ready certified.
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Minidsp SHD Review Updated (DSP, DAC & Streamer)
- Thread starter amirm
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If this matters to you, you could run Deep Harmony on your roon core computer. That allows you to tell the Roon app to use a harmony hub to send volume commands.
When I had the Oppo UDP-105, I made a cable that used the USB port power power and ground to a trigger connection.
This worked fine for ATI and Parasound amps.
The Benchmark will trigger on with 5 volts so I think this will work to power on the AHB2.
This works for me because I will hardware the ethernet and will not be using attached storage.
Still, It would be nice to rev this device to use the smaller, taller SHD power form factor with a trigger, of course.
- Rich
This worked fine for ATI and Parasound amps.
The Benchmark will trigger on with 5 volts so I think this will work to power on the AHB2.
This works for me because I will hardware the ethernet and will not be using attached storage.
Still, It would be nice to rev this device to use the smaller, taller SHD power form factor with a trigger, of course.
- Rich
Sonnie
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That sounds like a brilliant idea... and this should do the trick huh?
https://www.amazon.com/3-5mm-Power-...853&sprefix=usb+power+to+3.5mm,aps,164&sr=8-2
The Benchmarks have two triggers, so wondering if I can use both... guess it wouldn't cost much to try it. I'd have the HTP-1 processor 12-volt trigger to one of the AHB2 amps... and SHD to another... then the amps connected via the extra inputs/outputs, which worth both ways, so each one would power on the other when triggered by one of the two processors.
I had this idea but the usb port on the minidsp shd is always powered on, therefore this solution doesn’t work.
You will need to also buy a 2.5mm mono cable for the trigger. The tip is positive.
USB connecters usually have red positive and black negative and leave the data cables disconnected.
Concerning dual triggers. you should contact Benchmark about that.
I have a trigger powered XML switch that word great but requires a real 12 volt source:
ARX RS-1 Remote Switcher - Stereo XLR Balanced Remote Controlled Switcher (markertek.com)
When there is no trigger, input channel A is selected, so channel A would be the SHD and channel B the HTP-1.
If the dual trigger works, then you are all set.
- Rich
Sonnie
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I have one of those, but you have to have something to trigger the ARX ... are you suggesting the USB could trigger it?
If the USB on the SHD will trigger the ARX, what would trigger the amps? I believe the ARX only has 12-volt trigger in connections.
The ARX needs 12 volts the Emotiva ET3 might trigger on the USB and provide the 12 volt out.
- Rich
CoolHandDuke
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Hey ASR. I've been reading a lot of Amir's reviews, but this is my first time joining in.
I'm seriously considering the SHD as a pre and room correction. What concerns me is talk of the lower volume when using Dirac to provide headroom for boosts. I'm currently using a Denon AVR-X2600H (95WPC) with some new Sierra 2-EX (85dB sensitivity) and a Hsu VTF-2 Mk5. Currently, I feel like I need to turn up the volume too much and I get some noise at high volumes.
My idea was using the SHD along with something like one of these newer class D amps or the Monolith 2x200. However, reading that volume is decreased by 10db when using Dirac, will the doubling of amp power from my AVR make an impact?
I sit about 8 feet away from speakers.
Thank you and happy to join in.
I'm seriously considering the SHD as a pre and room correction. What concerns me is talk of the lower volume when using Dirac to provide headroom for boosts. I'm currently using a Denon AVR-X2600H (95WPC) with some new Sierra 2-EX (85dB sensitivity) and a Hsu VTF-2 Mk5. Currently, I feel like I need to turn up the volume too much and I get some noise at high volumes.
My idea was using the SHD along with something like one of these newer class D amps or the Monolith 2x200. However, reading that volume is decreased by 10db when using Dirac, will the doubling of amp power from my AVR make an impact?
I sit about 8 feet away from speakers.
Thank you and happy to join in.
Sonnie
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I have zero issues with it being louder than I can stand for very long while powering a couple of MartinLogan 15A stats with Benchmark AHB2 amps and using Dirac. However, I will be using Audiolense pretty soon... via Convolution filter in Roon, so Dirac won't matter in the end. Yet... no issues with it now. The 15A's are more sensitive than your Sierra speakers, so that could make a difference. However, a higher powered amp might compensate for it. The only issue I might see is according to Amir, the SHD does best at 4-volt out, and you'd be running the Emotiva pretty hot at 4v since I believe it maxes power out at 1.5v.
CoolHandDuke
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The Monolith is 1.6V in this case. Is the goal for the ideal output and amp sensitivity to be close? I know you need the output at least as much as sensitivity, but unsure of dangers of too much discrepancy. I'm just trying to maximize the headroom for my speakers, but have the ability to use Dirac or some other form of bass management and room correction. And yes, looks like you speakers at 7dB more sensitive, so certainly less of an issue with you.
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mdsimon2
Major Contributor
I am somewhat amazed at how much this -10 dB with Dirac thing is misunderstood. Dirac does NOT reduce your volume level by 10 dB.
First, if you use the SHD as volume control 99% of the time you will not need to worry about a thing. Dirac can boost up to 10 dB but that 1) doesn't mean it actually will 2) is only potentially an issue at SHD volume levels above -10 dB and 3) very much depends on the level that your music was recorded at.
Second, let's say you actually have a 10 dB boost from Dirac and you attenuate the SHD by -10 dB as a result. This still means that if fed a 0 dB signal at your boost frequencies you will get a 0 dB output (4 V). At least for some frequencies your maximum volume will be the same.
Third, it is very very easy to measure the amount of boost that is actually applied by Dirac using REW as the SHD has bi-directional USB audio and can essentially record itself. In all likelihood your max boost will be closer to 5 dB than 10 dB.
In terms of the 1.6V input sensitivity I would not worry about it as again it very much depends on volume control. With no boost applied you have the potential to clip the amp at volume levels greater than -8 dB and whether you will actually clip very much depends on the music level. Personally I like to have the DAC output be 5-10 dB above the amplifier input sensitivity as this allows me to compensate for lower level recordings. If you were paranoid about clipping the amp it would be very easy to install a -10 dB inline XLR attenuator.
Michael
First, if you use the SHD as volume control 99% of the time you will not need to worry about a thing. Dirac can boost up to 10 dB but that 1) doesn't mean it actually will 2) is only potentially an issue at SHD volume levels above -10 dB and 3) very much depends on the level that your music was recorded at.
Second, let's say you actually have a 10 dB boost from Dirac and you attenuate the SHD by -10 dB as a result. This still means that if fed a 0 dB signal at your boost frequencies you will get a 0 dB output (4 V). At least for some frequencies your maximum volume will be the same.
Third, it is very very easy to measure the amount of boost that is actually applied by Dirac using REW as the SHD has bi-directional USB audio and can essentially record itself. In all likelihood your max boost will be closer to 5 dB than 10 dB.
In terms of the 1.6V input sensitivity I would not worry about it as again it very much depends on volume control. With no boost applied you have the potential to clip the amp at volume levels greater than -8 dB and whether you will actually clip very much depends on the music level. Personally I like to have the DAC output be 5-10 dB above the amplifier input sensitivity as this allows me to compensate for lower level recordings. If you were paranoid about clipping the amp it would be very easy to install a -10 dB inline XLR attenuator.
Michael
CoolHandDuke
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Thanks, Michael. I'm just getting my feet wet with audio specs like this. I realize the 1200 USD the unit costs might be a drop in the bucket for many, but it's a big step for me. I am trying to match the components I purchase wisely and not find out later they're a total mismatch. I read thru this thread before posting, and it did seem to suggest volume would not be an issue. But again, my ignorance on the details resulted in me asking directly before purchasing the SHD.
mdsimon2
Major Contributor
Also, forgot to add a comment about the SINAD decreasing with output voltage level. Dropping from 4V to 1.6V you lose ~5 dB of SINAD but you are still above 105 dB. It is very likely that your amplifier will have a SINAD less than this. But again if you were paranoid you could attenuate after the SHD with an inline attenuator and avoid the loss in SINAD (at the expense of output level and the ability to compensate for lower level recordings).
Michael
Michael
mdsimon2
Major Contributor
No worries, a lot of this stuff is not intuitive and is often poorly explained.
I also sympathize with the price, when I bought a SHD Studio is was the single most expensive piece of audio equipment I had ever purchased and it was difficult to pull the trigger on but glad I did.
Michael
CoolHandDuke
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It checks all the boxes for me. I've grown to love even the basic Audyssey XT below 200hZ for integrating my sub, so I knew I wanted a really good room correction like Dirac when I upgraded. My listening area is a shared living room, so I don't necessarily need crazy high SINAD, but I figure with detailed reviews and measurements I see here, I might as well start with my best foot forward even if I'm not utilizing everything.
CoolHandDuke
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So theoretically, if I wanted to keep SINAD high, I'd want the amp sensitivity to be higher? In this case, I don't think the Monolith is out of the 90s, so that's not a concern, but just curious. Since the unbalanced outputs are rated closer to 2V output on SHD specs (vs 4V for XLR), would it just be better to use that instead?
mdsimon2
Major Contributor
To me the most important thing is to not overly bottleneck the system with one component and in general I feel like obsessing over SINAD of amplifiers and DACs is not worth the effort considering the larger linear and non-linear distortion levels in speakers.
I would stick with balanced outputs which will be better from a noise perspective. It is also likely that the unbalanced outputs do not have as good SINAD as balanced.
Again it is all about tradeoffs. Do you want the ability to compensate for lower level recordings? Then you want the DAC output voltage to be above the input sensitivity of the amplifier. Do you want to preserve SINAD with a lower input sensitivity amplifier? Then get a XLR attenuator like this.
Michael
I would stick with balanced outputs which will be better from a noise perspective. It is also likely that the unbalanced outputs do not have as good SINAD as balanced.
Again it is all about tradeoffs. Do you want the ability to compensate for lower level recordings? Then you want the DAC output voltage to be above the input sensitivity of the amplifier. Do you want to preserve SINAD with a lower input sensitivity amplifier? Then get a XLR attenuator like this.
Michael
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