Good morning everyone!
As I’ve used DIRAC in my HT set up with great results, I’ve often wondered.. What would happen if I were to add a MiniDSP DDRC-22D between my Aurender N20 and my Reference DAC with DD?
Has anyone here ever tried this combo? I know I would be limited to AES, but that doesn’t concern me much.
I’ve been experimenting with this sort of set up between my Taiko Audio Extreme and my MSB Reference DAC digital director. I have a USB connection from the Extreme into a MInidsp FLex digital version and a toslink coming out of the Flex into the digital director. It’s a trade off because the best connection from the Extreme to the DAC is MSB’s ProUSB which I have to swap for the Toslink and also the Minidsp can’t cope with DSD. On the updside Dirac does do a really good job particularly at the low end. In the scan below green is no Dirac and red is with Dirac. You can see DIrac has flattened the frequency response below 100Hz and also extended the bottom end, You can give me a call if you’d like to discuss in person (+44 7596 226805). Alexander
What is the scale on your graph? Specifically the X Axis?
Hey, wondering why you didnt opt for the miniDSP SHD Studio since it (at least) has an AES/EBU digital output to connect to your DD? I use both ProUSB and AES and find that they both sound amazing through the DD with my Reference DAC. Gotta be better than toslink…No?
Fair question. Partly it was cost since the Flex is cheaper. Also my server and the Minidsp are on the other side of the room from my DAC so I need a c7m run of cable. That’s fine for the optical cable betwen Pro USB and DAC and I figured an optical cable betwen the Minidsp and the DAC rather than an electrical cable, hence the decision to use Toslink. Do you have experience to suggest an AES would be better?
And to answer the scale question the graph just shows the bottom c100Hz (the vertical line on the left just to the left of where it rolls off is 20Hz
My life expereince with TOSLINK is that its always sounded “thinner” than AES or virtually every other method of transfer. However, the DD does seem to be a pretty impressive source for leveling the playing field for all connections. Not sure it this would hold true for TOSLINK. The difference between SQ with Pro ISL and AES is hardly detectable after it’s been converted to fiber in the DD.
Thanks. Will have a think about whether to try AES
