NAD M33 vs MiniDSP SHD & Benchmark AHB2

[a|F]

$5k max to spend, looking for a no-regrets system, which route do you go? Or another... cheaper...?

Details:
Basement stereo system running 4ohm MTM DIY speakers with two subs.
Would like no less than 180 watts RMS (headroom).
Must have Spotify or BT.
Existing inputs are TV, bluray, and Fire stick.
Must have DIRAC or similar.
Would like to run Zone 2 somehow...?
Phono and headphone connections are not required.

Please let me know!

 

[Rizzle]

MiniDSP + Benchmark

 

[TimW]

I own the SHD and I voted for the M33 instead. I really like my SHD but it is industrial looking, missing some features of the M33, and is probably much less user friendly than the M33. Also Volumio sucks imo, It works well with Roon and maybe Spotify but with Tidal or DLNA I hate it. If I was willing to spend $5000 I would want to get something beautiful and nice to use like the M33. I use my SHD with self powered speakers and DIY amps so my entire setup cost less than 5K.

 

[Soundstage]

Don’t buy now. MiniDSP SHD will never do the new level of DSP with Dirac Live Bass Control.
M33 might but we don’t know for sure...
I am in the market now but I will wait to buy anything related to DSP as the product would be obsolete soon.
However the Benchmark sounds like a good product and I am still hesitating with cheaper solutions.

 

[Alexanderc]

MiniDSP with one of the many Purifi stereo amps available (and often discussed around here) would be under $3k and you could add whatever streaming solution you like.

 

[a|F]

Thanks for all the input. I think Soundstage has it most right - wait for what's next.

 

[samysound]

Don’t buy now. MiniDSP SHD will never do the new level of DSP with Dirac Live Bass Control.
M33 might but we don’t know for sure...
I am in the market now but I will wait to buy anything related to DSP as the product would be obsolete soon.
However the Benchmark sounds like a good product and I am still hesitating with cheaper solutions.

Hi, how do you know the SHD DSP cannot be updated to incorporate dirac bass control? I understand it probably requires a re-write of their DSP code but is there some inherit limitation with SHD (e.g hardware limit) that is a deal breaker?

 

[Sparky]

With the M33 you get basically everything: streamer, DAC, headphone amp circuitry, DIRAC, Bluetooth, and what looks like 2 modular upgrade slots in addition to one HDMI ARC.

That's not quite right though because it doesn't come with a USB input so it's missing a vital piece of the puzzle.
No doubt this is deliberate as NAD can upsell a USB module further down the line.
If I was going to throw this sort of money at the M33, I would want all signing all dancing with nothing missing.




snaptube vidmate word to pdf

 

[watchnerd]

Separates will probably have lower SINAD than an all-in-one.

But I don't obsess over measurements below my hearing threshold.

And the cheap look of the MiniDSP gear has always made me want to stash it out of view, plus usability issues tagged above.

I'd go for the NAD M33 at that price.

And I wouldn't hold out for a later, slightly better version, because room correction is already such a game changer.

 

[asruser2020]

It's not just hardware. You need to compare BluOS on the NAD M33 versus Volumio on the MiniDSP . You will be interacting more with the software than you will be with the hardware's controls.

 

[watchnerd]

It's not just hardware. You need to compare BluOS on the NAD M33 versus Volumio on the MiniDSP . You will be interacting more with the software than you will be with the hardware's controls.

I've never used BluOS.

Volumio is so-so.....I end up using Roon much more.

Which, for me, Roon dominant usage is probably true regardless of the HW.

So I'm not sure how much difference the software makes to me if it's all going to be front ended by Roon, anyway.

[And Dirac for both]

 

[Sparky]

I've never used BluOS.

Volumio is so-so.....I end up using Roon much more.

Which, for me, Roon dominant usage is probably true regardless of the HW.

So I'm not sure how much difference the software makes to me if it's all going to be front ended by Roon, anyway.

[And Dirac for both]

ROON user here too and I couldn't use anything else now. So easy to use and does a great job of managing your collection.

 

[Mnyb]

Was intrigued by this new NAD M33 , but I'm very about quality of todays NAD . For example the manuals sucks . Tried to find out more about the subwoofer output it's says somewhere in a spec that the xover is 80Hz and thats it ? But the manuals i could find does not even explain speaker setup ?
Is there any high pass if you use a sub ? is it really fixed to 80Hz only ? Is the Dirac room compensation active for the sub channel to adjust for room problems ?

 

[w1000i]

NAD M33 is a super multi device you will never regret it

 

[watchnerd]

Was intrigued by this new NAD M33 , but I'm very about quality of todays NAD . For example the manuals sucks . Tried to find out more about the subwoofer output it's says somewhere in a spec that the xover is 80Hz and thats it ? But the manuals i could find does not even explain speaker setup ?
Is there any high pass if you use a sub ? is it really fixed to 80Hz only ? Is the Dirac room compensation active for the sub channel to adjust for room problems ?

I agree the manual is lacking.

But I can't imagine it lacks high pass.

Unless Dirac auto does so?

Lack of high pass would be a red flag for me.

 

[Absolute]

Minidsp SHD is fine until something better comes along, like an Okto 8 channel dac with dsp capable of running convolution filter from the likes of Audiolense or similar, and I would trust the ABH2 to outlast any cheap class D module over time regardless if the performance is audibly similar.

 

[watchnerd]

I would trust the ABH2 to outlast any cheap class D module over time regardless if the performance is audibly similar.

Why would you expect it to last longer?

 

[Absolute]

Why would you expect it to last longer?

Because there's been a lot of failures reported in hypex amps over the years and I feel the Benchmark design looks more robust with regards to cooling than any of the designs I've seen with Purify except the one from Vera Audio.

Not my field of expertise, but I've had three different Hypex amps die on me so I'm biased

 

[watchnerd]

Because there's been a lot of failures reported in hypex amps over the years and I feel the Benchmark design looks more robust with regards to cooling than any of the designs I've seen with Purify except the one from Vera Audio.

Not my field of expertise, but I've had three different Hypex amps die on me so I'm biased

Perhaps the implementations are to blame, rather than Class D amps, generally.

I had ICEPower amps that lasted 10 years just fine.

 

[jae]

Because there's been a lot of failures reported in hypex amps over the years and I feel the Benchmark design looks more robust with regards to cooling than any of the designs I've seen with Purify except the one from Vera Audio.

Not my field of expertise, but I've had three different Hypex amps die on me so I'm biased

AHB2 is more than double the price (quadruple if you need to match the wattage) of a purifi stereo setup. A full replacement channel only costs $300 assuming you don't repair an existing one yourself. You'd have to fully replace the channels 5-10 times over the life of the product for the Benchmark to be a more economical purchase, assuming the Benchmark never needed any servicing.