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Minidsp SHD Review Updated (DSP, DAC & Streamer)

Soniclife

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I'm confused. You earlier said: "Please test the ADC in units that have them as a core part of their functionality." ADC is Analogue to Digital Conversion, hence it is about the digital out. What do you then mean with "nothing to do with digital out".

I appreciate if you clarify.
The ADC is immediately after the analogue inputs, before the DSP heart of the unit, which is before the DAC for the analogue output. Things like DIRAC and the volume control are all done in the digital domain, hence the requirement for the ADC on the input.
 

Jerry Sobel

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If you remove the top of the unit, you can see it has inside a single board computer (NanoPi NEO2) which has an SD card slot. Push in the SD card to eject it from the slot. It's a good idea to keep a known-good copy of the OS backed up to a separate SD card, in case you brick the unit in the future.

MiniDSP Support will be able to provide you an image to use to flash the SD card. They sometimes take a few days to get back to you on service requests (perhaps even longer during holiday season + COVID)

Thanks I will look for that on the motherboard when I get home. I do have an SD card reader so yes I just need the image sent to me. It is also Christmas so it might take them days to get back to me.
 

AndrewDavis

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The lowest cost you could put together a “big stack of boxes”version is this

MiniDsp Dirac DDRC-22D Dirac unit: $799

Balanced DAC capable of that performance: $199. (Say a SONCOZ LA-QDX1)

RasPi Volumio Streamer ~$75 plus time.

So $1073.

I’ll definitely call this SHD all-in-one a value at this price.
 

Jerry Sobel

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Hardware.
Software/firmware update. I have been using Dirac V1.0 for the last few years and I wanted to upgrade it to the newest version. Unfortunately, I clicked on the wrong hex file and bricked my unit. Ugh!
I want to purchase a new AV Pre/Pro because my Marantz 8801 does not do 4K and I have a lot of 4K media. All of the reviews on AVR's are not encouraging at all. Looking at Audio Control but pricey. NAD looks nice and is modular so upgradable but no company pays attention to details.
 

carlob

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I've sent an email to miniDSP to see if they can clarify their manual instructions in terms of output levels and Dirac. I'll be the first to admit I'm wrong if so, and that would be great news for folks like me and @Kachda who understood it the same way. The miniDSP forums also talk about this -10db volume setting as well, fwiw, so it's not just us.

I wrote this on the first review and on miniDSP forum; I hooked the SHD to a oscilloscope and if you have DIRAC set to boost a range of frequencies it will clip at 0 dB volume (at the same frequencies), it's quite easy to verify it if you have a 'scope.
 
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Harmonie

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Software/firmware update. I have been using Dirac V1.0 for the last few years and I wanted to upgrade it to the newest version. Unfortunately, I clicked on the wrong hex file and bricked my unit. Ugh!
I want to purchase a new AV Pre/Pro because my Marantz 8801 does not do 4K and I have a lot of 4K media. All of the reviews on AVR's are not encouraging at all. Looking at Audio Control but pricey. NAD looks nice and is modular so upgradable but no company pays attention to details.

:eek:

I wouldn't like something like that happen.
Any waranty or after sales service ?
 

PeteL

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The lowest cost you could put together a “big stack of boxes”version is this

MiniDsp Dirac DDRC-22D Dirac unit: $799

Balanced DAC capable of that performance: $199. (Say a SONCOZ LA-QDX1)

RasPi Volumio Streamer ~$75 plus time.

So $1073.

I’ll definitely call this SHD all-in-one a value at this price.
This Dac is only 2 channels, and you are missing analog ins.
 

Jerry Sobel

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:eek:

I wouldn't like something like that happen.
Any waranty or after sales service ?

Working with MiniDSP is not that easy. I think they are in Korea and only work through e-mail. It is well out of warranty. I hope they respond to my support in ticket sometime soon.
 

xykreinov

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DIRAC software license costs about $350 I believe. If RME were to include DIRAC, they would probably raise the price. And given the performance of the Minidsp SHD, I doubt any difference would be audible.
I don't know why people think the RME ADI-2 and miniDSP SHD are comparable. More relevant than the lack of Dirac, the ADI-2 is limited to only 5 bands of PEQ compared to the SHD'S 10 bands. Even for full headphone correction, 5 bands is simply not enough. It's more akin to a graphic equalizer you play around with by ear than the typical 10 band you can do much much deeper correction with.
 

Jerry Sobel

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Thanks I will look for that on the motherboard when I get home. I do have an SD card reader so yes I just need the image sent to me. It is also Christmas so it might take them days to get back to me.
I do not have that chip in my board. No SD card anywhere.
 

Jerry Sobel

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Thanks I will look for that on the motherboard when I get home. I do have an SD card reader so yes I just need the image sent to me. It is also Christmas so it might take them days to get back to me.
If you remove the top of the unit, you can see it has inside a single board computer (NanoPi NEO2) which has an SD card slot. Push in the SD card to eject it from the slot. It's a good idea to keep a known-good copy of the OS backed up to a separate SD card, in case you brick the unit in the future.

MiniDSP Support will be able to provide you an image to use to flash the SD card. They sometimes take a few days to get back to you on service requests (perhaps even longer during holiday season + COVID)
I don’t have that on my board. No SD card anywhere.
 

Harmonie

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Working with MiniDSP is not that easy. I think they are in Korea and only work through e-mail. It is well out of warranty. I hope they respond to my support in ticket sometime soon.

That's not a hardware issue.
So I wonder if you/they cannot reset it with an admin password or super Admin or alike.

Please give us some feedback as it's good to enlightened the Dark side of it.
 

Lorenzo74

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The lowest cost you could put together a “big stack of boxes”version is this

MiniDsp Dirac DDRC-22D Dirac unit: $799

Balanced DAC capable of that performance: $199. (Say a SONCOZ LA-QDX1)

RasPi Volumio Streamer ~$75 plus time.

So $1073.

I’ll definitely call this SHD all-in-one a value at this price.

not exactly, minidsp SHD has 4 analog output allowing 2 full range and 2 subs for best bass management. considering the features and the quality of the output I see it as the best all in one DA-streamer-Dirac product competing delivery a value much higher than its competitors in the price range.

are additional -5/10dB SINAD point "relevant" below audibility?

i just bought ADAM Audio T7V driven by minidsp ddrc24 and they sounds very good to my ears. I'm thinking to open a thread posting horizontal and vertical response (REW+Umik1) before and after dirac... we'll see.
 

Jerry Sobel

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That's not a hardware issue.
So I wonder if you/they cannot reset it with an admin password or super Admin or alike.

Please give us some feedback as it's good to enlightened the Dark side of it.
I got some help from a fellow sufferer on the MiniDSP community forum who got tech support. There is a very tiny white button that needs to be pressed on one of the boards as you plug the unit it in. It reset the system and I was able to connect and put in the correct firmware!!
 

Worth Davis

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Just wondering, the MiniDSP 2x4 HD is only $205 and offers similar functionality, or for $400 with Dirac. It measures much worse with a SINAD of around 90. Could I hear the difference. Perhaps someone young could.

ron, I own both units. The ddrc24 is a box you place in line to implement Dirac and crossovers. The SHD really works like a replacement of pre amp, dac, streamer. The dac is world class, the ddrc24 / 2x4 has a mid to trash tier dac. More inputs on the SHD as well.

if all you want is to apply Dirac to 2.x stereo system the lower price unit is fine. Ie keep an existing pre amp and dac.
 
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Worth Davis

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I was seriously considering the Minidsp SHD about a year ago but changed my mind due to these two issues:

1. There was no way that I could figure out how to configure the analog inputs as a home theatre bypass for the L+R +subs so that I could integrate this into my home theatre (which is where I listen to my stereo music).

2. I don't/won't use Roon. I currently use JRiver and control it with JRemote and stream to Volumio on a Raspberry Pi which acts as a DLNA renderer. Works great, including gapless playback. From my research on the Minidsp SHD forums (some time ago), it appears that the Volumio/hardware implementation in the Minidsp SHD does not support gapless playback as a DLNA renderer.

I'd still like to consider this device so if anyone is aware that I'm wrong about these two issues or that they've been corrected in a firmware or hardware fix please let me know.

I use an a/b switch to manage ht needs, that’s all the bypass is anyways. I have 2 sets of mains, but only one swarm of subs and I switch between ht and 2.2. $50 to do it right. Roon is good stuff, just over priced.

https://www.amazon.com/Nobsound-Balanced-Converter-Audio-Selector/dp/B07D7P7366

asr reviewed it as well and it’s transparent
 
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