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Replacing the miniDSP SHD

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My setup is miniDSP SHD + Benchmark AHB2 + Perlisten S7t. I cannot be happier with Benchmark and Perlisten combo.

MiniDSP SHD is utter crap. First issue - Qobuz (under Volumio) tends to skip songs. (This is a common problem.)
The Ethernet has never worked. I was too busy to return it in the first 30 days. Now I am stuck in a Kafka scenario where miniDSP is doing their best to waste my time walking me through debug steps I have already done before.

I decided to replace miniDSP SHD with the following:
  1. MeLE PCG02 Fanless Mini PC Stick Windows 11 to be inserted into my (Sony Android) TV
  2. Dirac license
  3. a dac with volume control
My intent is to run Qobuz for windows and store the filters on the MeLE PC stick. I believe the experience of full Qobuz app is far better than the Volumio stuff.

How do I route the sound from the TV through the MeLE stick and the Dirac filters while watching (Android) TV?
Is eARC intended for this kind of use-case?
 
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Curvature

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Consider assembling a PC with an optical out that you connect to a DAC which can supply enough voltage for your AHB2, like the Benchmark DAC 3 or RME ADI-2.

Actually this probably won't work since you need to have all your audio go through the PC. Not sure how the audio/video sync could be done.
 
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Consider assembling a PC with an optical out that you connect to a DAC which can supply enough voltage for your AHB2, like the Benchmark DAC 3 or RME ADI-2.

Actually this probably won't work since you need to have all your audio go through the PC. Not sure how the audio/video sync could be done.

When playing music from Windows it is simple: the audio goes through local Dirac Live DSP and out to the DAC.
However, when playing a movie on Android TV (let's say Netflix) I only have the optical out from TV and that is 16 bit / 48 kHz. I can direct that to the DAC without DSP. Alternatively, it seems I need an IO card in the PC to take the optical and route it to the Dirac Live (Processor) DSP then to the DAC... Not obvious how I can do this with a cheap 300$ PC
 

waynel

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I agree that it sucks as a streamer but it’s great as a digital crossover and room correction system. I run another streamer into a digital in, perhaps you should consider doing the same?
 

Trell

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Consider assembling a PC with an optical out that you connect to a DAC which can supply enough voltage for your AHB2, like the Benchmark DAC 3 or RME ADI-2.

Actually this probably won't work since you need to have all your audio go through the PC. Not sure how the audio/video sync could be done.
Some DACs, like the RME ADI-2 DAC FS, can have the optical input appear as a recording input over USB. DSP, like DIRAC, can then be applied and played.

Potential lip synch issues still has to be solved, though. Perhaps there is an option for that in DIRAC?
 

Trell

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When playing music from Windows it is simple: the audio goes through local Dirac Live DSP and out to the DAC.
However, when playing a movie on Android TV (let's say Netflix) I only have the optical out from TV and that is 16 bit / 48 kHz. I can direct that to the DAC without DSP. Alternatively, it seems I need an IO card in the PC to take the optical and route it to the Dirac Live (Processor) DSP then to the DAC... Not obvious how I can do this with a cheap 300$ PC
Get a DAC that lets you record its optical input and then use DIRAC software on your PC.
 

TabCam

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When playing music from Windows it is simple: the audio goes through local Dirac Live DSP and out to the DAC.
However, when playing a movie on Android TV (let's say Netflix) I only have the optical out from TV and that is 16 bit / 48 kHz. I can direct that to the DAC without DSP. Alternatively, it seems I need an IO card in the PC to take the optical and route it to the Dirac Live (Processor) DSP then to the DAC... Not obvious how I can do this with a cheap 300$ PC
I probably do not understand your situation correctly. You can plug the TV optical out into the MiniDSP SHD directly as I currently do. That way it can get both DSP but also no DSP depending on your selected preset.
 
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I probably do not understand your situation correctly. You can plug the TV optical out into the MiniDSP SHD directly as I currently do. That way it can get both DSP but also no DSP depending on your selected preset.

For a 16/48 resolution - yes, I can use the TV. I will be selling the Mini DSP, I spent more time than it is worth.
I will be using a small, fanless HTPC + Dirac processor + MOTU 8A (has plenty of ports that I can route any way I want). The total cost is comparable to miniDSP SHD and it is a vastly superior solution. Better streamer (anything that runs on Windows 11) and better DAC. Plus, MOTU stands by their products.
 

TabCam

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Just a friendly advice. As far as I know, currentday Windows (>8) has a set sample frequency for audio. So all audio get converted to that sample rate. No difference with MiniDSP but just so you know.

Windows also updates windows regularly and the reboot can come at unexpected/unwanted times. To me, CamillaDSP on a Raspberry Pi can also work the same way as the windows except for the Dirac part. Otherwise I would consider a Mac mini.
 

sarumbear

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Just a friendly advice. As far as I know, currentday Windows (>8) has a set sample frequency for audio. So all audio get converted to that sample rate. No difference with MiniDSP but just so you know.
You can bypass Windows audio processing by using the MOTU ASIO driver.

Windows also updates windows regularly and the reboot can come at unexpected/unwanted times.
You can decide reboot to be manually controlled. That has never been an issue.

I never understood why people think Windows is bad for audio and Mac is better. It’s all about knowing what to do. There are orders of magnitude more software, hence solutions available for Windows. Besides, Windows software (and drivers) are often updated quicker.
 

james57

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For a 16/48 resolution - yes, I can use the TV. I will be selling the Mini DSP, I spent more time than it is worth.
I will be using a small, fanless HTPC + Dirac processor + MOTU 8A (has plenty of ports that I can route any way I want). The total cost is comparable to miniDSP SHD and it is a vastly superior solution. Better streamer (anything that runs on Windows 11) and better DAC. Plus, MOTU stands by their products.
Hi B, pls keep us all posted on your endeavour, I am-was-still ? interested in the shd route for most of the reasons you have mentionned but am very curious about the fanless-dirac hosted pc with vol ctrl.
 
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Another good thing about running the Dirac Processor on a PC is that you can A/B filters with no interruption (one click) - unlike the miniDSP which takes seconds to switch between filters.
The PC's HDMI is inserted into the TV - basically a monitor at that point. I use a keyboard (Bluetooth). Dirac Processor is the default output for the PC.
Volume can be controlled from Windows, a browser to the MOTU interface (mixer main for example) or the MOTU AVB app on my iPad.
I use both a keyboard and remote. For Qobuz a keyboard is needed regardless of miniDSP or HTPC.

Quirks so far:
  1. I had to replace the Edge browser with Firefox as it was spiking the CPU to 100% causing interrupts in music (soft distortion could be heard). Now is smooth sailing.
  2. At times I lose the sound completely and have to restart the Dirac Processor to get the sound back. It is a Dirac Processor problem. Without it in the chain I do not experience sound loss.
 

phoenixdogfan

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My setup is miniDSP SHD + Benchmark AHB2 + Perlisten S7t. I cannot be happier with Benchmark and Perlisten combo.

MiniDSP SHD is utter crap. First issue - Qobuz (under Volumio) tends to skip songs. (This is a common problem.)
The Ethernet has never worked. I was too busy to return it in the first 30 days. Now I am stuck in a Kafka scenario where miniDSP is doing their best to waste my time walking me through debug steps I have already done before.

I decided to replace miniDSP SHD with the following:
  1. MeLE PCG02 Fanless Mini PC Stick Windows 11 to be inserted into my (Sony Android) TV
  2. Dirac license
  3. a dac with volume control
My intent is to run Qobuz for windows and store the filters on the MeLE PC stick. I believe the experience of full Qobuz app is far better than the Volumio stuff.

How do I route the sound from the TV through the MeLE stick and the Dirac filters while watching (Android) TV?
Is eARC intended for this kind of use-case?
You need a DAC with both SPDIF and USB inputs and USB loop back capability. Such a DAC would receive the audio from your TV via SPDIF, route it to the Mele via USB and have the DSP'd signal rerouted back to the DAC again via USB for playback. The OCTO DAC 8 is an example of a DAC which will do this. There may be others, Motu perhaps.
 
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You need a DAC with both SPDIF and USB and USB loop back capability. Such a DAC would receive the audio from your TV, route it to the Mele via USB and have the DSP's signal rerouted back to the DAC again via USB for playback. The OCTO DAC 8 is an example of a DAC which will do this. There may be others, Motu perhaps.
Motu can route from TOSLINK to the Computer. I should be able to send that through Dirac as an output but I have not figured that out yet. For now TOSLINK is not DSP enabled.
 

phoenixdogfan

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Motu can route from TOSLINK to the Computer. I should be able to send that through Dirac as an output but I have not figured that out yet. For now TOSLINK is not DSP enabled.
You could use JRiver on the Mele which will accept the input from the Motu via its WDM driver. Dirac Live also runs its processor on JRiver as a vst plugin which will run on the dsp bus, and output to an external component like a DAC.
 
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You could use JRiver on the Mele which will accept the input from the Motu via its WDM driver. Dirac Live also runs its processor on JRiver as a vst plugin which will run on the dsp bus, and output to an external component like a DAC.

Getting anything on the PC through DSP is easy. The Dirac is the default output. Qobuz and everything on the PC runs through Dirac out to Motu.

The problem is the SPDIF/TOSLINK from the TV that comes in the MOTU's optical input right now is routed internally through MOTU in the main out. This means I can hear the TV but not with DSP.
To use DSP I have to chain DIrac with TOSLINK somehow. I am trying TOSLINK => Computer (from Motu) => Computer default out which is Dirac but have not been able to do so.
 

phoenixdogfan

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Getting anything on the PC through DSP is easy. The Dirac is the default output. Qobuz and everything on the PC runs through Dirac out to Motu.

The problem is the SPDIF/TOSLINK from the TV that comes in the MOTU's optical input right now is routed internally through MOTU in the main out. This means I can hear the TV but not with DSP.
To use DSP I have to chain DIrac with TOSLINK somehow. I am trying TOSLINK => Computer (from Motu) => Computer default out which is Dirac but have not been able to do so.
I understand that. That's why since the Mele does not accept Toslink/SPIDF you need something that does and that can get the signal to the Mele via USB where Dirac resides. There are no Toslink/Spdif to USB converters afik. The best solution which I already proposed is the Octo which will accept AES/EBU (Spdif actually, but you need a tranformer), and the Octo will in AES/USB mode send its output via usb to a PC where it can be received, you can do the Dirac processing and sent it right back out over the same bi-directional USB cable back to the OCTO where it will then do the digital to analog conversion and output the analog signal adjusted by Dirac. That's called loop back, and I was thinking there is some software which will enable some Motu units to do something similar--provided they have a Spdif input. (My Motu M4 does not). I know for a fact my Octo Dac 8 Pro will do this, btw. Obviously the Octo is pricey and difficult to obtain with a long wait time.
 

Sokel

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It's a pity that even old,cheap internal pc sound cards usually had an optical in (some had 2) you could route any way you like and that this function is now forgotten.
Maybe searching amongst the gazzilion of mini pc's can find one of them like that.
 

MCH

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The problem is the SPDIF/TOSLINK from the TV that comes in the MOTU's optical input right now is routed internally through MOTU in the main out. This means I can hear the TV but not with DSP.
To use DSP I have to chain DIrac with TOSLINK somehow. I am trying TOSLINK => Computer (from Motu) => Computer default out which is Dirac but have not been able to do so.
Why not a separate toslink capture card? There are a few for <50eur.

I wanted to ask you, in a system like yours, how do you change the confirmation? for instance, to switch from tv to streaming.
 
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Problem solved! No other hardware nor software needed.
Dirac can use the ASIO driver for MOTU and select / capture the main channels. These are the result of the mix in the MOTU AVB interface. In the mix I add both the computer 1&2 + toslink inputs (MOTU AVB web interface). That simple.


Wishful thinking. The channels Dirac grabs are all PC originated channels. I have not yet been able to apply Dirac to the TOSLINK / Optical input. Frankly I don't care as much about the Optical as I do about the music and movies I watch through the PC all have the Dirac.
 
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