MiniDSP Dirac crossover dilemma

NBPK402

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I am not sure which way to go in my situation... i eventually plan on running Audo3d, and Atmos, and I will be biamping 7 channels. I also want to run Dirac, but could just use YPAO until I get a new preamp down the road (could be a year or more down the road).
Here is the dilemma... I am not sure which parts to buy that will give me no problems with ground loops, hiss, etc. My balanced B&O module amps will be placed on the Klipsch Belle bass bins with up to 75' long balanced cables from my Yamaha cxa5100 preamp. I am thinking it is better to keep the crossovers separate from the Dirac, and possibly get a AVP down the road with Dirac builtin...hence waiting to see if someone comes up with an AFFORDABLE one with Dirac, Atmos, and Auro3d.

Options...
1: Buy 2x4 balanced kits with volume pots, and
power supplies for $114 each, and mount them in the amp cases on top of each speaker. If I do this do I need to have a USB cable hooked up at all times or just when setting them up?

2: Buy a MiniDSP DDRC88M, which will allow me to biamp 4 channels balanced, and provide Dirac. I would need 2 boxes to biamp 7 channels leaving me with 2 spare channels . This would mean I would need double the XLR cables as the crossovers would be next to my preamp. This would cost $1158 per box by the time I get the premade cables, and the crossover option. So $2316 for 2 boxes plus shipping.

3. Buy 2 MINIDSP 8x8 boxes, and I can do the crossovers for up to 8 channels for $750 with 8v gain vs 2v gain... I am thinking this might be the best, least expensive route, and appears to have the same perform ance as the DDRC88A.

I am thinking the 8x8 balanced kits are the least expensive option, but are there disadvantages to going this route other than not having any Dirac builtin? I have no problem building a box for them...just need to buy more balanced cables or put one box on top of my center channel, and the other in the rack running to the 4 surrounds @30' distance to the furthest bassbin.

I need to decide ASAP, if I need to integrate the space into my amp case design if I go with the 2x4s route.

Suggestions?
 
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chrapladm

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What are the sensitivity of your speakers?

I have been looking at the same question also for myself. I was looking at possibly going with a Dirac option from MiniDSP that just did 8 channels via HDMI or balanced and then use DCX's for XO's.

I am worried about having a quiet system and my mains will most likley be around 103db sensitive. Mini's are known to be quiet at all. SO I have also looked at buying a Hypex plate amp or possibly Pascle. But I dont have the money to try everything so not sure which option I am going to go. For me the plate option I was leaning towards but not 100% yet.
 

NBPK402

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What are the sensitivity of your speakers?

I have been looking at the same question also for myself. I was looking at possibly going with a Dirac option from MiniDSP that just did 8 channels via HDMI or balanced and then use DCX's for XO's.

I am worried about having a quiet system and my mains will most likley be around 103db sensitive. Mini's are known to be quiet at all. SO I have also looked at buying a Hypex plate amp or possibly Pascle. But I dont have the money to try everything so not sure which option I am going to go. For me the plate option I was leaning towards but not 100% yet.
My horns are 114db, my bass bins will be around 100db...not sure on the bass bins as they will be DIY versions of the Klipsch Belles. When I had my JBL2360As with the same drivers, and the DDRC 88M...as I recall they were dead quietuntil you got maybe 1 foot away from the speaker where you could hear a faint hiss.
 

chrapladm

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If that is your experience then that is a good one. I have heard bad things about the Mini's with any system over 110db. QSC PLD amp seems to be not too bad on the BMS coax which is about 114db. I will have to have a look at plate amps verse amp and mini to see which is better value for myself. Wont necessarily be the cheapest option just best option.
 

NBPK402

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The only time I had excess hiss with minidsp was with the balanced version 2x4. I have currently 2 unbalanced 2x4 kits, and they are dead quiet just likenthe DDRC 88m was. I do not know about their other products though. I did notice the gain was a max of 2v with the 2x4 vs 8 or 9v with the 8x8, and 88m, and was wondering if it really is a gain matching problem when you get excess hiss like minidsp claims. They also have an audiophile line you might want to check out that was just announced.
 

chrapladm

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Dont see the DRC88M anymore. I see the audiophile streaming lineup and it does look interesting. But they are only 2x4 so maybe I can try that for my stereo setup in the future. I will most likely buy a MiniDSP of some sort to try for my subs. Then also try it out of sensitivity speakers later on. Just have to narrow my choices down so I dont go way over budget trying to try everything out.
 

NBPK402

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The 88m is still available...it is an upgrade you do yourself via software. I upgraded mine from the A to the M, at the time, but supposedly you could buy a 88M that was already upgraded from them...maybe they did not have enough people wanting the M, so they went to upgrade only?
 

chrapladm

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Hmm I am liking the 4x10. Curious what issues there may be when using a 8x8 wih Dirac and then using a 4x10 for active XO's. What are you thinking about using?
 

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I am thinking of getting 2 8x8 kits, and then either get a standalone Dirac, or buy a new preamp with Dirac built in.

I wonder why the MiniDSP folks don't get the hint and make a 16x16 way kit and maybe piggyback another 8 out onto that...
 
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NBPK402

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I agree 100%. With Atmos, and other setups that require more than 8 channels it would be real nice especially for people biamping, or triamping as I am. I am still trying to figure out if I want to make 2 separate 8x8 boxes or make one box containing 2 8x8 boards in it. I am hoping I can fins an affordable preamp with Dirac, and Auro3d to go ish off the setup. If not I will end up buying a Dirac DDRC88d for my Dirac in addition to the 2 8x8 kits. It def would be nice to not to have to spend $1k+ for Dirac by itself in addition to needing it for 10.1 channels. They need to arrange for licensing with Dirac per channel IMO for people that want to do At is, and Auro3d.
 

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The only time I had excess hiss with minidsp was with the balanced version 2x4. I have currently 2 unbalanced 2x4 kits, and they are dead quiet just likenthe DDRC 88m was. I do not know about their other products though. I did notice the gain was a max of 2v with the 2x4 vs 8 or 9v with the 8x8, and 88m, and was wondering if it really is a gain matching problem when you get excess hiss like minidsp claims. They also have an audiophile line you might want to check out that was just announced.

Keep an eye on your gain structure here... Up to 2V is typical line level... Source to Pre and Pre to Amp and watch your impedance here too... These are the areas that some would call synergy... I have found that in my system 200 mV @ 1.2 k ohms is the sweet spot DAC to PreAmp...
 
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ddude003

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MacBook Pro, Custom i7 7700k De-lid 2xAsus1080ti GFX Audirvana Studio, Hang Loose Convolver, Pulsar Massive & 8200, LiquidSonics, SoX
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Cifte 12AU7 NOS & Genalex Gold Lion Tubes in Pre
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QoBuz Studio Premier, Amazon Prime & Netflix
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ThrowRug, SaddleBlankets, WideBand & Bass Traps...
There are a few 11.2-Channel Pre/Pros out there and if you bi or tri amp your front left and right speakers you are pretty much out into custom crossover/eq box land...

Or... Just grab yourself a 32 Channel Rupert Neve Designs 5088 Shelfford Console... 8^)... I may have seen an 8048 at the Village Recorder in another life... Or was that Pacific Ocean Post...
 
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NBPK402

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Update... I picked up a Xilica XP4080 for my front 3 channels. Next I will look for a new Preamp with Auro3d, and Dirac built in. I am currently waiting to see how the new Monolith is going to be for reliability, and features.
 

ddude003

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Yamaha RX-A850 Pro (the other 5 channels lol)
Computer Audio
MacBook Pro, Custom i7 7700k De-lid 2xAsus1080ti GFX Audirvana Studio, Hang Loose Convolver, Pulsar Massive & 8200, LiquidSonics, SoX
DAC
Chord Electronics Ltd. Qutest
Universal / Blu-ray / CD Player
Sony UBP-X700 /M Ultra HD 4K HDR & PS5
Front Speakers
Martin Logan ElectroMotion ESL
Center Channel Speaker
Martin Logan Motion C2
Surround Speakers
Martin Logan Motion 4
Surround Back Speakers
Martin Logan Motion 4 (yes, another set of these)
Subwoofers
Martin Logan Dynamo 700
Other Speakers or Equipment
Cifte 12AU7 NOS & Genalex Gold Lion Tubes in Pre
Video Display Device
Samsung The Premiere LSP7T UST Laser Projector
Screen
Elite Screens Aeon CLR3 0.8 Gain 103-inch
Remote Control
PrimaLuna, Lumin iApp, Samsung & Yamaha
Streaming Equipment
Netgear Nighthawk S8000 Streaming Switch, Lumin U1 Mini Streamer Transport
Streaming Subscriptions
QoBuz Studio Premier, Amazon Prime & Netflix
Other Equipment
ThrowRug, SaddleBlankets, WideBand & Bass Traps...
Update... I picked up a Xilica XP4080 for my front 3 channels. Next I will look for a new Preamp with Auro3d, and Dirac built in. I am currently waiting to see how the new Monolith is going to be for reliability, and features.

Very nice... Doesn't Legacy Audio use these to manage their speaker systems?
 

ddude003

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Yamaha RX-A850 Pro (the other 5 channels lol)
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MacBook Pro, Custom i7 7700k De-lid 2xAsus1080ti GFX Audirvana Studio, Hang Loose Convolver, Pulsar Massive & 8200, LiquidSonics, SoX
DAC
Chord Electronics Ltd. Qutest
Universal / Blu-ray / CD Player
Sony UBP-X700 /M Ultra HD 4K HDR & PS5
Front Speakers
Martin Logan ElectroMotion ESL
Center Channel Speaker
Martin Logan Motion C2
Surround Speakers
Martin Logan Motion 4
Surround Back Speakers
Martin Logan Motion 4 (yes, another set of these)
Subwoofers
Martin Logan Dynamo 700
Other Speakers or Equipment
Cifte 12AU7 NOS & Genalex Gold Lion Tubes in Pre
Video Display Device
Samsung The Premiere LSP7T UST Laser Projector
Screen
Elite Screens Aeon CLR3 0.8 Gain 103-inch
Remote Control
PrimaLuna, Lumin iApp, Samsung & Yamaha
Streaming Equipment
Netgear Nighthawk S8000 Streaming Switch, Lumin U1 Mini Streamer Transport
Streaming Subscriptions
QoBuz Studio Premier, Amazon Prime & Netflix
Other Equipment
ThrowRug, SaddleBlankets, WideBand & Bass Traps...
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