RME ADI-2 DAC or miniDSP SHD as preamplifiers?

[MaxBuck]

I'm considering both the above excellent components, with the idea of replacing my Adcom GFP-750 and the DAC in my Bluesound Node and also provide DSP for room correction. Would the output from each of them be appropriate to feed my NAD C298 power amp? What measurements, exactly, do I need to concern myself with?

 

[tw99]

The ADI-2 has far less capacity for implementing PEQ than the MiniDSP unit, with only 3 filters available at low frequencies, no Dirac support, and so on. On the other hand, the ADI-2 is better engineered and supported, MiniDSP is a little bit amateurish in some respects. If I only needed minimal room correction, I think I would pick the ADI-2 personally, but you’d have to pick the MiniDSP if you want much richer correction capabilities.
They both measure well, so there no real basis for choice in that respect.

 

[abdo123]

SHD without a doubt unless I had absolute need for a headphone jack.

 

[ehowarth]

The balanced output impedance of both the RME ADI-2 and minDSP SHD is 200 Ohm. This is easily compatible with the NAD C298 balanced input impedance of 56 kohms +280 pF.

Both volume controls are transparent.

RME also provides Loudness which is important for low volume listening. But its 5-band PEQ is insufficient for taming the modes in my complicated room. Your mileage may vary.

miniDSP has Dirac and an app for configuration.

If you need more DSP than RME offers and/or streaming then the miniDSP is the simpler solution.

(Because I already own an ADI-2 and C298, I run a 3-box solution with convolution filters on a Windows PC. This adds flexibility and future proofing at the cost of complexity.)

 

[TimW]

The SHD has 4 independent outputs in the form of single ended, balanced, and digital. It also has analog inputs, a built in streamer, and dirac live.

The RME is probably better built with nicer controls, screen and remote.

 

[Sharpi31]

I have the ADI-2 and love the configurable loudness control - it makes a huge difference at low level listening (small house + kids here). I also have a DDRC 24 with Dirac which is excellent (not as good a DAC as the RME, and no loudness, but the room correction is great). As neither the ADI-2 or DDRC 24 have digital outputs, I can‘t use both at the same time, so have to choose between loudness or Dirac. Dirac with a target curve with some LF boost has been the best compromise for me.

I’ve been considering upgrading the DDRC 24 to either the SHD Studio or DDRC 22D, so I can go spdif in + out and use the RME for DAC/preamp/loudness. I think I’ll end up trying the I2S output mod on the DDRC 24 first, and add an I2S > spdif module. The DDRC 24 internal processing is 48KHz (from memory both the SHD Studio and DDRC 22D are 96KHz) so I’m not expecting it to equal the performance of a new higher spec Minidsp device, but it seems like an easy mod so I might as well give it a go.

Apologies for rambling - my main point was that while the ADI-2 DAC is brilliant, I prefer a Minidsp with Dirac (and custom curve) for loudspeaker listening. If Minidsp add configurable loudness control, that would be perfect for me.

 

[amper42]

I use MacBook Pro with Audirvana wirelessly via UPnP to a RaspberryPi4 (Moode). The RPi4 USB connects to the RME ADI-2 DAC FS via USB. The RME is used as a DAC/Pre-amp that feeds a Purifi amp connected to Revel F328Be. Here's the shorthand version:
MBP->Audirvana->Wifi->UPnP->RPi4->Moode->RME ADI-2 DAC FS/used as a Preamp->Purifi amp->F328Be.

I decided against the MiniDSP SHD as I read user support complaints that were less than stellar and the return policy is non-existent. I also see a potential for China's threat to Hong Kong to be real. SHD Dirac support is nice but I'm totally happy with the RME ADI-2. This combination offers a great sound and while the RME EQ is limited Moode also offers an EQ option. To be honest, I listen to most music with EQ off on the RME. It's nice how the RME remote allows you to turn EQ off/on with the touch of a button.

 

[deercreekaudio]

RME also provides Loudness which is important for low volume listening. But its 5-band PEQ is insufficient for taming the modes in my complicated room. Your mileage may vary.

With regards to loudness function, what you could do with the miniDSP SHD would be to put a Fletcher-Munson loudness curve in the output PEQ section, which would come after the Dirac Live processing section that is on the input PEQ.

 

[roog]

I am another RME ADI -2 user, I have it as a DAC /preamp directly feeding a Naim NAP300 power amp. I use both the loudness and parametric EQ functions with the PEQ managing to take the edge off my room bass hump.

I find the configurable remote control very handy for switching EQ in and out and have found myself using less and less PEQ over time. I would like to try DIRAC and I am currently looking for an ‘ easy to use’ implementation of this. NAD perhaps?

 

[f1shb0n3]

ADI-2 DAC is brilliant, I prefer a Minidsp with Dirac (and custom curve) for loudspeaker listening. If Minidsp add configurable loudness control, that would be perfect for me.

This is exactly why I splurged on ADI-2 Pro FS BE feeding digital signal with Loudness control to SHD that does Dirac Live. Added a Topping D90 at the end for good measure (accidental pun intended) and can't imagine anything better sounding in terms of electronics.

 

[earthtodan]

I have a miniDSP DDRC-22 going into an RME ADI-2 FS. The variable loudness feature and the parametric EQ are not room-correction lite, and they are not a substitute. DIRAC is more than just a fancy EQ. Aside from taking measurements around the room and knowing what to correct, it does tricky things like phase adjustments. The problem with a room mode is that you can't get rid of cancellations and reinforcements by turning them up and down. DIRAC apparently deals with this by shifting the phase on one channel at the offending frequency so that the two speakers no longer reinforce each other there.

I had a mean peak around 80 hz in my square living room that was totally smoothed over, among other corrections. Couldn't have done it with hand tools.

My only quibble is that the DDRC has LEDs on the front that never turn off as long as it's plugged in, and are pretty bright at night. The SHD doesn't have this design flaw.

 

[f1shb0n3]

I have a miniDSP DDRC-22 going into an RME ADI-2 FS. The variable loudness feature and the parametric EQ are not room-correction lite, and they are not a substitute. DIRAC is more than just a fancy EQ. Aside from taking measurements around the room and knowing what to correct, it does tricky things like phase adjustments. The problem with a room mode is that you can't get rid of cancellations and reinforcements by turning them up and down. DIRAC apparently deals with this by shifting the phase on one channel at the offending frequency so that the two speakers no longer reinforce each other there.

I had a mean peak around 80 hz in my square living room that was totally smoothed over, among other corrections. Couldn't have done it with hand tools.

My only quibble is that the DDRC has LEDs on the front that never turn off as long as it's plugged in, and are pretty bright at night. The SHD doesn't have this design flaw.

MiniDSP SHD has another annoying flaw - when you turn it on it always goes automatically in standby and to turn it on you need to either press and hold the volume button or use the remote. Makes it pretty inconvenient for a fully hidden setup or if you want it to turn on automatically from a 12v trigger controlled outlet (as the device has no trigger input). Complained at MiniDSP forum about it: https://www.minidsp.com/forum/suggestion-box/19384-shd-disable-standby-mode-on-mains-power and as usual no response yet from DevTeam.

I have a satisfactory setup though with a 12V USB adapter on the SHD that turns on my amp and D90 DAC at digital out with auto-off option that turns on an off with the SHD. I use SHD's the remote to put it in an out of standby and amp and DAC follow. I would have preferred to not have to use the remote at all

 

[earthtodan]

Couldn't you just leave the SHD on all the time, and then switch source inputs as necessary? Or would you still have to manually wake it up out of standby mode? The DDRC-22 doesn't require much interaction.

 

[f1shb0n3]

Couldn't you just leave the SHD on all the time, and then switch source inputs as necessary? Or would you still have to manually wake it up out of standby mode? The DDRC-22 doesn't require much interaction.

I can leave everything on all the time, but prefer to not to use energy, generate heat and reduce lifetime of components. Interestingly the D90 DAC gets hotter in idle than SHD and Purify amp..