• 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!

Room correction solutions

ck42

Active Member
Forum Donor
Joined
Feb 11, 2020
Messages
121
Likes
95
Location
N. Atlanta
Looking for all-digital capable room correction solutions, it seems like the least expensive option out there is the miniDSP SHD Studio (w/Dirac)....with no competition.
Am I missing something? Are there really no other contenders in this price range?

Seems like miniDSP could offer the nanoDigi (all digital version of the 2x4 HD) with the Dirac upgrade. They do this with regular the 2x4 HD....so why not the nano-Digi which is the same thing, just minus the A/D/D/A. Maybe because it would cannibalize sales of the SHD?
 

abdo123

Master Contributor
Forum Donor
Joined
Nov 15, 2020
Messages
7,423
Likes
7,940
Location
Brussels, Belgium
Looking for all-digital capable room correction solutions, it seems like the least expensive option out there is the miniDSP SHD Studio (w/Dirac)....with no competition.
Am I missing something? Are there really no other contenders in this price range?

Seems like miniDSP could offer the nanoDigi (all digital version of the 2x4 HD) with the Dirac upgrade. They do this with regular the 2x4 HD....so why not the nano-Digi which is the same thing, just minus the A/D/D/A. Maybe because it would cannibalize sales of the SHD?

It would not cannibalise the sales of the SHD, because it can do way way more than the NanoDigi.

What’s wrong with the 2*4 HD?
 
OP
ck42

ck42

Active Member
Forum Donor
Joined
Feb 11, 2020
Messages
121
Likes
95
Location
N. Atlanta
What’s wrong with the 2*4 HD?

Primarily, the extra A/D - D/A conversion that would occur. Based on Amir's measurements, it would immediately become the weak-link in my audio chain by negating the performance of my system's DAC.

wondering if maybe there's some type of computer based solution (computer would run whatever software needed to act as a dedicated device in the audio chain - not talking about running on the computer with the source audio)
 

Daverz

Major Contributor
Joined
Mar 17, 2019
Messages
1,294
Likes
1,451
Perhaps https://www.hifiberry.com/shop/boards/hifiberry-dac-dsp/ ?

What are the current inputs to your DAC?

I believe the RPi4 is powerful enough to run a convolution engine (since people are successfully running them on RPi3s). Combine it with free (e.g. DRC-FIR) or non-free (e.g. Acourate) room correction software. You would route the output to a USB DAC or an S/PDIF Hat. I'm not sure how to deal with S/PDIF input in the RPi world.
 

Lorenzo74

Senior Member
Joined
Nov 17, 2019
Messages
343
Likes
311
Location
Italy, Rome
Primarily, the extra A/D - D/A conversion that would occur. Based on Amir's measurements, it would immediately become the weak-link in my audio chain by negating the performance of my system's DAC.

wondering if maybe there's some type of computer based solution (computer would run whatever software needed to act as a dedicated device in the audio chain - not talking about running on the computer with the source audio)
Don’t worry you ears cannot achieve the dynamic of the DDRC24HD (90db), don’t take as personal ;)
It’s the most convenient way to upgrade any audio system that still lack Dirac live. Then you have digital crossover capability for a 2.1 system.
I can’t discern it over much better dac... the weak-link cannot be a dac, is the room, then the speaker that our ear brain coupling...
hope this helped.
ps. No need to go from analog to digital. Ddrc24HD has spdif and usb input
best
 
OP
ck42

ck42

Active Member
Forum Donor
Joined
Feb 11, 2020
Messages
121
Likes
95
Location
N. Atlanta
So found an answer to one of my original questions....the nanoDIGI doesn't offer a Dirac option due to the less power DSP that is uses. My assumption was that the 2x4HD and nanoDIGI were using the same guts (DSP) and that the nanoDIGI simply supplied SPDIF outputs.
 
OP
ck42

ck42

Active Member
Forum Donor
Joined
Feb 11, 2020
Messages
121
Likes
95
Location
N. Atlanta
Nah thanks. Wanting standalone solution. Basically want something that would be the equivalent of the nanoDIGI w/Dirac, which for miniDSP would be the SHD Studio...for a LOT more money.
 

Hipper

Addicted to Fun and Learning
Joined
Jun 16, 2019
Messages
753
Likes
625
Location
Herts., England
DSP. There are two parts - one is measuring, the second is applying those measurements.

Room EQ Wizard (REW) is a free measuring software which can generate filters that you then move to hardware or software. You'll need a laptop, USB microphone and mic stand plus cable. And time! Time to learn to use REW and to take measurements.

I use hardware, a Behringer DEQ2496 (capable of digital in, digital out) and apply the REW filters to that. The Behringer can do measurements itself but REW offers so much more and is probably more accurate. The Behringer has ten PEQ filters and 31 GEQ filters for each of the two stereo channels, or as stereo. It has a modest ADC and DAC but I don't use them.
 
OP
ck42

ck42

Active Member
Forum Donor
Joined
Feb 11, 2020
Messages
121
Likes
95
Location
N. Atlanta
Hipper, appreciate the info. And yes, I am somewhat green when it comes to all of this RC 'stuff'....but I'm slowly absorbing things.
I have REW and a UMIK-1 and have done some measurements and played around, but that's about the extent of it.

I'm not at all opposed to having a PC behave as a standalone DIG-IN/OUT inline item in my audio chain. I just don't want the PC doing the RC to be the same PC that is sourcing the audio. (I have multiple source inputs and I want a solution that works for no matter the input signal, hence wanting some sort of standalone solution).

So using a PC with something like the DEQ2496 would be acceptable if it provides the RC capabilities that I need.
But, that's where the green part of me comes in. I'm still a little squishy when it comes to knowing exactly what I 'need'.
So a question would be: What would Dirac offer in terms of RC (that I'd want) that something like the DEQ2496 type of solution would not?
Or conversely, what could a DIY solution offer for RC that Dirac does not?

Also, there's then the comparison of the ease of use between Dirac and some home-grown type of solution using possibly multiple software pieces to do everything on a PC-based solution.
 
Last edited:

Lorenzo74

Senior Member
Joined
Nov 17, 2019
Messages
343
Likes
311
Location
Italy, Rome
Nah thanks. Wanting standalone solution. Basically want something that would be the equivalent of the nanoDIGI w/Dirac, which for miniDSP would be the SHD Studio...for a LOT more money.

are you ready for This?
https://www.audiosciencereview.com/...to-add-2-spidf-digital-outputs-to-unit.11326/
Dirac live, 2 analog out 2 digital out, usb-toslink-analog input.
500€ of BOM and a lot of soldering expertise

check also here:
https://www.audiosciencereview.com/...dsp-ddrc-24-and-dirac-live.16362/#post-582566
Best
 
Last edited:
OP
ck42

ck42

Active Member
Forum Donor
Joined
Feb 11, 2020
Messages
121
Likes
95
Location
N. Atlanta
Oooh! Oooh! I'm always down for soldering work. :p

So this IS technically possible then....minDSP just hasn't done it. Appreciate the response and links!
 

FrantzM

Major Contributor
Forum Donor
Joined
Mar 12, 2016
Messages
4,335
Likes
7,719
Oooh! Oooh! I'm always down for soldering work. :p

So this IS technically possible then....minDSP just hasn't done it. Appreciate the response and links!

True! This DIY solution 500 euros price, is about, half the miniDSP Studio's but ... since you're asking, ;), I would advise to save and and spring for the 900 euros + miniDSP Studio. Less headache, I would think.
 

boselover61

Senior Member
Joined
Nov 3, 2020
Messages
302
Likes
310
The upcoming onkyo and pioneer receivers with dirac live can be had for less than $1000 me think. Might wanna look into that
 
OP
ck42

ck42

Active Member
Forum Donor
Joined
Feb 11, 2020
Messages
121
Likes
95
Location
N. Atlanta
True! This DIY solution 500 euros price, is about, half the miniDSP Studio's but ... since you're asking, ;), I would advise to save and and spring for the 900 euros + miniDSP Studio. Less headache, I would think.
yeah, as enticing and fun as it might be, I'm not sure if it would ultimately be worth it. The SHD Studio is really slick. Just wish the price was about $200 less.
 

Hipper

Addicted to Fun and Learning
Joined
Jun 16, 2019
Messages
753
Likes
625
Location
Herts., England
Your issue seems to be more about cost then products available - not a criticism of course. Perhaps there may be used products that can help you.

Apart from DSP boxes (Antimode is another) there is the Lyngdorf amp with 'Room Perfect' - all too expensive though.

I've never used MiniDSP or Dirac but my impression is they are designed to make the application of DSP as easy as possible. That is always the problem with DSP - it is complicated.

What you could do is get the DDRC-24 including its ADC and DAC (or its DAC anyway) and before applying any changes just listen to check if you really can hear any difference to the sound. If it does damage the sound send it back.

I suppose it's possible to buy a small (quiet) PC with enough power to use DSP software like Audiolense or Acourate but I don't know what you would do about connectivity. With PCs there is also always the question of stability.

On the question of value, room correction is the single biggest quality change you can make to your system once you have reasonably decent gear. It really is the 'night and day' difference that you often get told about but never hear.
 

richard12511

Major Contributor
Forum Donor
Joined
Jan 23, 2020
Messages
4,335
Likes
6,700
Primarily, the extra A/D - D/A conversion that would occur. Based on Amir's measurements, it would immediately become the weak-link in my audio chain by negating the performance of my system's DAC.

wondering if maybe there's some type of computer based solution (computer would run whatever software needed to act as a dedicated device in the audio chain - not talking about running on the computer with the source audio)

I wouldn't worry too much about the extra A/D conversion. DAC performance doesn't really matter(unless you just want it for academic reasons).
 

Jmudrick

Addicted to Fun and Learning
Forum Donor
Joined
Oct 7, 2018
Messages
778
Likes
701
I use the $199 Paradigm PW-Link which incorporates Anthem Room correction. I think it's a steal (have one for each of my 2.2 systems).
 

win

Senior Member
Joined
Jun 17, 2020
Messages
430
Likes
432
Location
Irvine CA
the Dirac license, in and of itself, is $300, right? that + hardware is why things get expensive on room correction solutions.

I personally love my SHD studio and would happily recommend it
 
OP
ck42

ck42

Active Member
Forum Donor
Joined
Feb 11, 2020
Messages
121
Likes
95
Location
N. Atlanta
the Dirac license, in and of itself, is $300, right? that + hardware is why things get expensive on room correction solutions.

I personally love my SHD studio and would happily recommend it

Something I haven't had much like with is finding online examples of people setting up/installing Dirac on PCs...talking about hardware requirements, snags, tips...things like that. Right now, I don't know if I could run Dirac on a Celeron or an i9...how much RAM, etc etc.
 
Top Bottom