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Minidsp SHD Review Updated (DSP, DAC & Streamer)

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MiniDSP saga update: Against my better judgment I opened the SHD, extracted the microSD and re-imaged it. Of course that did not change a thing.
When the network led doesn't turn ANY color despite being connected it is likely a hardware problem. According to the dealer it takes a few weeks to get it serviced.

MiniDSP has a Nano Pi Neo 3 card inside. You can buy it on Amazon. I would have replaced it myself but there is 1 screw that's not accessible (argh!!!) unless I take everything apart. That means not only the support sucks but if you try to service it yourself you're going to have to take all apart.

Now - either I take it apart myself or send it in for repair 2-4 weeks. The beauty of dealing with the miniDSP company.
 

nothingman

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MiniDSP saga update: Against my better judgment I opened the SHD, extracted the microSD and re-imaged it. Of course that did not change a thing.
When the network led doesn't turn ANY color despite being connected it is likely a hardware problem. According to the dealer it takes a few weeks to get it serviced.

MiniDSP has a Nano Pi Neo 3 card inside. You can buy it on Amazon. I would have replaced it myself but there is 1 screw that's not accessible (argh!!!) unless I take everything apart. That means not only the support sucks but if you try to service it yourself you're going to have to take all apart.

Now - either I take it apart myself or send it in for repair 2-4 weeks. The beauty of dealing with the miniDSP company.

Sadly all too common with miniDSP. They’ll take you on a painstaking, multi-day/multi-week troubleshooting journey to fix a major problem, and then when they give up they tell you it’ll be multiple weeks for repair. Oh, and the customer is on the hook for the return shipping, as it was in my case.

How about that for taking responsibility for hardware failures and prioritizing the customer’s time, satisfaction, and money?

They take their customers for granted like no company I’ve seen before, which is especially rich considering how niche, tiny, and unsupported by dealers they are for their biggest products like the Flex and SHD. Every customer of theirs at that price level is a hardcore hobbyist taking a leap of faith and miniDSP shows zero appreciation for that when things go wrong. It’s the exact opposite of how to build a loyal base.

Shame on @devteam , and shame on their dealers like @deercreekaudio for continuing on like this.
 

joshz

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The blue plastic inside the “USB Host” port on the rear panel is the revision, white is the original.
Well I found that piece of information as well but on the picture of the review the port is also white.
 

nothingman

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Oh, right. Well. First there was the original unit with the Neo2 pi inside. Then they made some sort of update for Amir to test here, which had better performance but still Neo2. And basically right as this review was published, they switched over to using the Neo3 in January.

I don’t think we have any sort of manufacture date, serial code identification, or even a good general idea of when things switched from the true original units to this “updated” unit in these measurements.
 

joshz

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Oh, right. Well. First there was the original unit with the Neo2 pi inside. Then they made some sort of update for Amir to test here, which had better performance but still Neo2. And basically right as this review was published, they switched over to using the Neo3 in January.

I don’t think we have any sort of manufacture date, serial code identification, or even a good general idea of when things switched from the true original units to this “updated” unit in these measurements.
alright I see, thanks for the response!
 

joshz

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Thinking about getring an shd. Does it support tidal connect? With or without volumio?
 

nothingman

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I don’t know what with and without is supposed to mean. Tidal Connect by definition only works from the native Tidal app, and Volumio is what is providing the possibility for Tidal Connect in the SHD. It’s what we waited almost two years for Volumio and miniDSP to implement.

You can use Volumio to browse and play from Tidal, but that’s not Tidal Connect.
 

nothingman

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Take your negativity elsewhere. Tidal Connect works with the SHD as of the end of September. Just read the last damn page.

I didn’t say it didn’t work. I know it does and indicated as much. The question was asked, does “Tidal Connect” work “with or without Volumio” which indicates a misunderstanding of either Tidal Connect or Volumio, so I was being helpful to the person who asked the question. Thanks for the lack of reading comprehension and the scolding, though.
 

nothingman

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Lol. What even is your point? All you’re doing is interrupting us helping a new member. Do you think you’re going to humble or embarrass me or something? Shoo, fly.
 

joshz

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I have to admit it was kind of a stupid question, I was just confused about the fact that Volumio lists Tidal Connect as a Premium feature.

Thanks to all for contributing :)
 

nothingman

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I have to admit it was kind of a stupid question, I was just confused about the fact that Volumio lists Tidal Connect as a Premium feature.

Thanks to all for contributing :)

Yeah, it does get confusing if you’re looking at standalone Volumio tiers and their features. Volumio for OEM is different, and in the case of the SHD it’s basically an indefinite license for the fully featured version of Volumio, but with a longer waiting period for features like Tidal Connect because they say there’s a higher bar for what’s acceptable in terms of stability/bug performance for OEM. That’s all well and good, but Tidal Connect for standalone Volumio first arrived in April 2021, and it arrived for SHD Volumio in September 2022. That’s nuts. Also, you’d be forgiven for being confused because miniDSP hasn’t updated their advertising to suggest they have Tidal Connect or even Spotify Connect, the latter of which has been supported for a long while. Why is beyond me.

Best thing I ever did was buy a Wiim Mini and route it into my SHD toslink. It runs circles around Volumio and offers much more stable Spotify Connect and Tidal Connect performance, and offers Amazon Music casting (including UHD up to 24/96). Unlike Volumio it shows the exact bit rate and depth and sampling rate of each song, so I know I’m listening to. Wiim updates their app and firmware twice a month and Volumio for SHD is incredibly stagnant.
 

nothingman

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How is this not proper Tidal Connect????

You are unhinged. I didn’t dispute whether the SHD has Tidal Connect. The point was to say that you can’t have Tidal Connect “without” Volumio. The person who asked the question has indicated they were looking at standalone Volumio features and trying to measure that against the SHD features, which confirms their understandable confusion. I’m the only one clarifying things for them right now.

The point is that you are an unhelpful clown.

Your posts are bellicose and deeply unhelpful. Anyone that takes you seriously deserves the confusion. Try to add value to other people's lives for once.

I just checked, and I have exactly zero people on my ignore list. I’m making an exception right now. You woke up today and decided to come at me, and it’s for no reason. You look ridiculous.
 

joshz

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Yeah, it does get confusing if you’re looking at standalone Volumio tiers and their features. Volumio for OEM is different, and in the case of the SHD it’s basically an indefinite license for the fully featured version of Volumio, but with a longer waiting period for features like Tidal Connect because they say there’s a higher bar for what’s acceptable in terms of stability/bug performance for OEM. That’s all well and good, but Tidal Connect for standalone Volumio first arrived in April 2021, and it arrived for SHD Volumio in September 2022. That’s nuts. Also, you’d be forgiven for being confused because miniDSP hasn’t updated their advertising to suggest they have Tidal Connect or even Spotify Connect, the latter of which has been supported for a long while. Why is beyond me.

Best thing I ever did was buy a Wiim Mini and route it into my SHD toslink. It runs circles around Volumio and offers much more stable Spotify Connect and Tidal Connect performance, and offers Amazon Music casting (including UHD up to 24/96). Unlike Volumio it shows the exact bit rate and depth and sampling rate of each song, so I know I’m listening to. Wiim updates their app and firmware twice a month and Volumio for SHD is incredibly stagnan
That's very helpful, thanks. I will have my SHD by the end of the week and will test its streaming performance. I was thinking about getting an external streamer, ifi Zen Stream and Bluesound Node 2i via coaxial or toslink (because i already have one) are on the list.
 

nothingman

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That's very helpful, thanks. I will have my SHD by the end of the week and will test its streaming performance. I was thinking about getting an external streamer, ifi Zen Stream and Bluesound Node 2i via coaxial or toslink (because i already have one) are on the list.

Just one man’s opinion, but once you’re talking about bit-perfect casting via native apps, just go with whatever is cheapest and works (and that may very well be the built-in SHD feature set). For external devices, Wiim Mini is running the show right now by only charging USD $80. They have a Pro model on the way for $150 if you need Roon. The value of a $400-600 streamer like the iFi and Bluesound with an SHD already in place for DAC/preamp/DSP duties is extremely dubious.
 

joshz

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Just one man’s opinion, but once you’re talking about bit-perfect casting via native apps, just go with whatever is cheapest and works (and that may very well be the built-in SHD feature set). For external devices, Wiim Mini is running the show right now by only charging USD $80. They have a Pro model on the way for $150 if you need Roon. The value of a $400-600 streamer like the iFi and Bluesound with an SHD already in place for DAC/preamp/DSP duties is extremely dubious.
Well that is why I am not sure yet. I have to look into it if there are improvements to be had with a more expensive digital source. One functionality it should have is streaming from my nas.
 
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