• WANTED: Happy members who like to discuss audio and other topics related to our interest. Desire to learn and share knowledge of science required. There are many reviews of audio hardware and expert members to help answer your questions. Click here to have your audio equipment measured for free!

Review and Measurements of miniDSP SHD DAC, DSP And Streamer

Sometimes my SHD STUDIO's sound comes out with L channel and R channel switched. Pressing and holding the volume knob(the power is turned off.) does not return to normal. The only solution is to unplug and plug the DC plug.

I am using the roon and dirac live functions, but the left and right channels were reversed when both functions were disabled. Does anyone have the same symptoms as me?
 
25mS is not all that much regards lip-sync. If you're watching a TV show and a lip-sync issue is immediately noticeable, it's probably much greater than 25mS. :)
And usually audio is ahead of the video anyways. So, a little extra delay in the audio path might actually help the situation.

Dave.

That's a lot for gaming, and if you game, you've probably made sure to get a low latency TV/monitor as well.
 
That's a lot for gaming, and if you game, you've probably made sure to get a low latency TV/monitor as well.
Well, yet another application the miniDSP SHD was not designed for. :)
I guess my Camry/4runner analogy awhile back just didn't get any traction. :)

Dave.
 
This would be ok because SHD crossover could still be active putting LFE back to the subs.

Yeah my thoughts entirely. I don't see why minidsp couldn't offer a HT bypass mode on an input with a firmware update tbh.

Turning DSP off too for that input could also be done I suppose, though I agree that is an even more fringe use mode, then you'd lose your subs too in which case you have to ask why buy it in the first place?
 
Last edited:
Well, yet another application the miniDSP SHD was not designed for. :)
I guess my Camry/4runner analogy awhile back just didn't get any traction. :)

Pretty much all of Mini DSP's products come off as "Swiss Army Knife" sort of things to me.
 
Yeah my thoughts entirely. I don't see why minidsp couldn't offer a HT bypass mode on an input with a firmware update tbh.

Turning DSP off too for that input could also be done I suppose, though I agree that is an even more fringe use mode, then you'd lose your subs too in which case you have to ask why buy it in the first place?

It could keep the crossover with minimal latency while turning off Dirac or any FIR filters.
 
Pretty much all of Mini DSP's products come off as "Swiss Army Knife" sort of things to me.

Point is, MiniDSP is not thinking about this product from the consumer perspective with integration into a home theater or integration into home automation. Anthem is, that's why I bought an STR.

I think that's the key. MiniDSP appear to come from an embedded systems perspective. It feels like consumers who found their products (2x4 HD, 88DRC. etc). have brought them, kicking and screaming to the home audio world with the SHD, but the still don't want to give up their embedded systems roots, and fully embrace the consumer/home audio world.

So the SHD ends up being a "A really good DSP System, with some Dac, preamp capabilities". Rather than a "Really good Dac/Preamp, which also does room correction"
 
Last edited:
Sometimes my SHD STUDIO's sound comes out with L channel and R channel switched. Pressing and holding the volume knob(the power is turned off.) does not return to normal. The only solution is to unplug and plug the DC plug.

I am using the roon and dirac live functions, but the left and right channels were reversed when both functions were disabled. Does anyone have the same symptoms as me?

The issue has been reported in minidsp's forums. A member has contacted also support and they acknowledged that as a bug so it should be resolved with next release. As far as I understand, the issue is related to change of file format.
 
Oh, and I should note I'm in the US (San Diego, California).

Edit: it arrived in two packages (one was mic) on Tuesday and Wednesday. So 6 calendar days.

Thank you for sharing this info. I'm in Arizona and I ordered one yesterday. There's no indication of shipping times or even where it's shipping from.
 
Would be cool to get a test on the new miniDSP SHD Power. Claims to have the bones of the SHD with a good amplifier:
2x120W RMS (8Ohm/4Ohms)
THD+N < 0.005% (f=100Hz, 1W to 100 W, RL=8 Ω and RL=4 Ω)
 
Would be cool to get a test on the new miniDSP SHD Power. Claims to have the bones of the SHD with a good amplifier:
2x120W RMS (8Ohm/4Ohms)
THD+N < 0.005% (f=100Hz, 1W to 100 W, RL=8 Ω and RL=4 Ω)

This makes a lot of sense though I'm surprised they didn't use Hypex. I assume this is just for cost savings. This isn't much more than the regular shd and with the digital outputs you can upgrade your dacs and amp later if you want and use it like the studio.
 
The MiniDSP SHD is designed for 2.2 stereo listening. The majority of their potential customers who have 2.2 setups would have these speakers integrated in a home theater of some type. If miniDSP can't accommodate those customers with a HT Bypass they're losing out. Yes, I'm going to go buy a "4Runner" instead, and I'm not the only one. It's their loss.

It's not cheap but for $272, this device requires no additional power and when it received a trigger signal switches the output to Output 2.
This solves the problem for any 2-channel/HT system. Of course, you'd need two for the MiniDSP HD but that's the price of being a purist :)

https://www.markertek.com/product/a...tereo-xlr-balanced-remote-controlled-switcher

- Rich
 
Of you folks that own the SHD, the website says it even has Spotify support? (yes, not lossless, blasphemy!). Is it true that it has Spotify support? It seems like the only streaming software is Volumio and that does not appear to support Spotify.
 
Of you folks that own the SHD, the website says it even has Spotify support? (yes, not lossless, blasphemy!). Is it true that it has Spotify support? It seems like the only streaming software is Volumio and that does not appear to support Spotify.

It is true, Volumio has a Spotify plugin

Screenshot 2020-05-18 at 09.26.30.png
 
Anyone know if Dirac offers something like Dynamic EQ which can be found in Audyssey products? I sometimes listen to music late at night where I have to keep the volume low. Dynamic EQ boosts low and high frequencies so the music still sounds somewhat full at low volume, but get rids of that boost as you approach reference levels.
 
Anyone know if Dirac offers something like Dynamic EQ which can be found in Audyssey products? I sometimes listen to music late at night where I have to keep the volume low. Dynamic EQ boosts low and high frequencies so the music still sounds somewhat full at low volume, but get rids of that boost as you approach reference levels.

Not with the Minidisp SHD or the Dirac Live software, don't know about specific AVR implementations.
 
Anyone know if Dirac offers something like Dynamic EQ which can be found in Audyssey products? I sometimes listen to music late at night where I have to keep the volume low. Dynamic EQ boosts low and high frequencies so the music still sounds somewhat full at low volume, but get rids of that boost as you approach reference levels.

JRiver can do that.
 
Anyone know if Dirac offers something like Dynamic EQ which can be found in Audyssey products? I sometimes listen to music late at night where I have to keep the volume low. Dynamic EQ boosts low and high frequencies so the music still sounds somewhat full at low volume, but get rids of that boost as you approach reference levels.
An noted already it does not. Since I first purchased my SHD I have requested it as a feature. Have not loudness function or tone controls is about the only weakness in my opinion. There are manufacturers of Dirac units that do have Loudness functions like DEQ. For example Emotiva XMC1 etc have it. What most will do is to create a preset with a different curve to compensate for low volume listening. Tone controls and loudness controls are great tools and it is a shame so many units come with neither these days. I posted a request for a variable loudness like McIntosh or Yamaha used, or even Audyssey DEQ, but so far they have not Chose to add it. Hopefully some day. RME products also have loudness but no Dirac.
 
Back
Top Bottom