I just wanted to share my recent experience. After watching the AudiophileJunky on YouTube, I got turned onto the miniDSP-SHD to be my music only processor. I had been using an Anthem AVM60 for both music and video. The Anthem setup used a miniDSP 2x4-HD for dual Rythmik subs. I moved the Phono to the SHD and Roon to it as well. I kept the Blu-Ray and Smart TV on the Anthem. I was able to integrate both systems with my Harmony remote so that I could share my subs using a Y-connector between the SHD 3&4 outputs and the 2x4-HD outputs. The fronts use a Y-connector for the SHD and Anthem. Everything works really well.
I was able to run the 5 position Dirac and chose a 40Hz crossover to the dual subs. It is seamless on the handoff. Without the Dirac, the system was very bass heavy due to room nodes. I took the advice from AudiophileJunky and leveled the preference curve so that it is mainly cutting. I was lucky that my baseline scan was pretty close to +-4dB, so I did not lose much headroom. I used a very mild slope as my starting point. I have not yet been able to look at the result via REW, but what I hear is very clear compared to the pre-Dirac sound.
The streaming with the RAAL SHD endpoint has been flawless. It has no hiccups, no stalls, no issues with sample rates from Tidal or my own large digital collection. I also use the analog RCA inputs for my Herron VTPH-2A phono amp. It is very clean - I cannot hear any artifacts of the A/D conversion at all. It retains the flavor of an analog source with all the benefits of Dirac. I think this will be my reference for quite some time.
The SHD is feeding Linkwitz LX-521.4 ASP which is connected to ATI 528NC amplifier and 2 Rythmik F15HD. The system is delicate or big depending on the source. Soundstage is really precise. The AKM4490 sound as good as any DAC I have heard. I feel that people who don't mind tinkering will find the SHD to be a really good audio front end especially for folks with analog and digital sources. I really like the flexibility and the results are the best I have had so far. I can share some of my graphs once I get REW to see the output.
I was able to run the 5 position Dirac and chose a 40Hz crossover to the dual subs. It is seamless on the handoff. Without the Dirac, the system was very bass heavy due to room nodes. I took the advice from AudiophileJunky and leveled the preference curve so that it is mainly cutting. I was lucky that my baseline scan was pretty close to +-4dB, so I did not lose much headroom. I used a very mild slope as my starting point. I have not yet been able to look at the result via REW, but what I hear is very clear compared to the pre-Dirac sound.
The streaming with the RAAL SHD endpoint has been flawless. It has no hiccups, no stalls, no issues with sample rates from Tidal or my own large digital collection. I also use the analog RCA inputs for my Herron VTPH-2A phono amp. It is very clean - I cannot hear any artifacts of the A/D conversion at all. It retains the flavor of an analog source with all the benefits of Dirac. I think this will be my reference for quite some time.
The SHD is feeding Linkwitz LX-521.4 ASP which is connected to ATI 528NC amplifier and 2 Rythmik F15HD. The system is delicate or big depending on the source. Soundstage is really precise. The AKM4490 sound as good as any DAC I have heard. I feel that people who don't mind tinkering will find the SHD to be a really good audio front end especially for folks with analog and digital sources. I really like the flexibility and the results are the best I have had so far. I can share some of my graphs once I get REW to see the output.