I listen to music attentively and care passionately about the way it sounds and is reproduced. I don’t have the luxury of a separate listening room, my hifi rig has to fight for it’s right to be, in our family lounge. An open plan L-shaped room with dry walls, large windows, concrete ceiling and wood clad concrete floor, so far from ideal! I have absolutely no room treatment other than a large, plush rug placed between and in front of my large floor standers. Over the last 40 years, I’ve upgraded components, 1 at a time and appreciated the sonic differences that component has made, be it beneficial or detrimental. The biggest sonic difference made was when I updated my sofas, so I know the room matters. I have invested in my hifi around the same as an average household would invest in a decent, large family car. I’m a 2 channel man. Old school. A purest and a minimalist. An analog man. That having been said, these days, I stream most of my music, it’s just so damned convenient! I would really like to see a comparison of an untreated room, electronically corrected against the same room professionally acoustically treated. Then, add electronic correction to the treated room. I think it would present for thought.
Thank you for your great reviews and channel Hans. Today I ordered an SHD Studio, on both the strength of your reviews and some Stereo Net Australia forum feedback. It will replace an Auralic Aries Femto that is giving me great service, however I do want to try Dirac!
it does ... the problem for me is, you cant really control the effect. You can just put the mic in different places and angels and take many different measurements and find the best for you. But it takes really much time. It would be much nicer if you can play with the phases in the software or tune to witch degree you want to apply the presets. Anyway ... even without that still pretty amazing result.
Are you sure you are using the Dirac 2 software? The UI you are showing looks like the Dirac 1 software. I just went through this process for my MiniDSP and I had to download Dirac 2 from the Dirac website - not the MiniDSP site (although I did have to update the firmware first via MiniDSP). The Dirac 2 software looks different.
It's the right plugin 1.7d2 but Dirac indeed has the looks of Dirac 1. Dirac 2 on Windows (Dirac Live 2.2.3) really looks much different and has the buttons in different places.
Hans I have to agree with Colin. Looks like you are using version 1. In Dirac 2 for instance when you choose sofa you get 2 other options. Also the GUI is different. Hope i'm wrong ;)
@@Goosefraba100 It's not in the bottom right for me but if I go to the "About" section mine says that it is Dirac Live 2.2.3. The UI is completely different.
Hans... very helpful review. Thanks! I do have a question. You mention using the SHD Studio as an external sound card on a computer. I've active speakers with TOSLINK inputs only (no COAX Digital inputs). I've an older MacPro Tower which has a TOSLINK output. Does hooking up the SHD Studio via USB to the MacPro allow me to output the SHD Studio's corrected digital audio via the Toslink output of the Mac?
The Hans Beekhuyzen Channel Ok. I have a MicroRendu already connected to a modi3. Wondering if I add the shd studio, or replace the MicroRendu and modi3 with the SHD. I only use Roon.
@@TheHansBeekhuyzenChannel Did you review the SHD Full version with the built in dacs? I don't see it. I'm trying to decide between the Studio or the Full version. How are the dacs in the full version?
If you want to stay in the digital domain - SHD studio ... i think all other devices make analog→digital→analog conversation. On the other hand SHD resamples everything to 96Khz ... theoretically not so good for a 44,1Khz input.
HI Hans. Thanks for the review. Have you heard any artifacts or degradation from the internal sample rate converter in the miniDSP as it converts 44.1 to 96 KHz? The older miniDSP products seemed to suffer some degradation, but if you did the SRC before, for instance in Roon or just on the Mac's Core driver, it didn't seem audible. What is your experience?
It makes no sense. There is already no room effect when you wear headphones. MiniDSP advises that the SHD Studio headphone amp be powered by channels with DSP bypassed.
My understanding is that Dirac Live 2 doesn’t work on Mac OS versions earlier than Mojave. If that’s true then that would mean I’d have to buy a newer MacBook.
DonR62 I don’t know if you want to buy a new MacBook, but there are ways of upgrading “unsupported” MacBooks with the newer releases of macOS. If you want to give it a try search for it on UA-cam.
I listen to music attentively and care passionately about the way it sounds and is reproduced. I don’t have the luxury of a separate listening room, my hifi rig has to fight for it’s right to be, in our family lounge. An open plan L-shaped room with dry walls, large windows, concrete ceiling and wood clad concrete floor, so far from ideal! I have absolutely no room treatment other than a large, plush rug placed between and in front of my large floor standers.
Over the last 40 years, I’ve upgraded components, 1 at a time and appreciated the sonic differences that component has made, be it beneficial or detrimental. The biggest sonic difference made was when I updated my sofas, so I know the room matters. I have invested in my hifi around the same as an average household would invest in a decent, large family car.
I’m a 2 channel man. Old school. A purest and a minimalist. An analog man. That having been said, these days, I stream most of my music, it’s just so damned convenient!
I would really like to see a comparison of an untreated room, electronically corrected against the same room professionally acoustically treated. Then, add electronic correction to the treated room. I think it would present for thought.
I focus on the digital front end only.
I believe they are on Dirac version 3 now :)
Thank you for your great reviews and channel Hans. Today I ordered an SHD Studio, on both the strength of your reviews and some Stereo Net Australia forum feedback. It will replace an Auralic Aries Femto that is giving me great service, however I do want to try Dirac!
Take your time to do the measurements and try some variations of the target curve. You'll be surprised, I'm sure.
@@TheHansBeekhuyzenChannel Thank you. Indeed, with some others' guidance, I have achieved a satisfying result, no doubt with room for more learning.
Great video, I should have bought a dirac, but the extra $300 is kinda steep, so I went with thr minidsp
Fair enough!
Will Dirac software fix stereo image issues due to reflections or just frequency response issues?
It does both but to a certain degree, of course.
it does ...
the problem for me is, you cant really control the effect. You can just put the mic in different places and angels and take many different measurements and find the best for you. But it takes really much time. It would be much nicer if you can play with the phases in the software or tune to witch degree you want to apply the presets. Anyway ... even without that still pretty amazing result.
Are you sure you are using the Dirac 2 software? The UI you are showing looks like the Dirac 1 software. I just went through this process for my MiniDSP and I had to download Dirac 2 from the Dirac website - not the MiniDSP site (although I did have to update the firmware first via MiniDSP). The Dirac 2 software looks different.
1.2.33 is the version number at the bottom right of his screen. what does yours say.
It's the right plugin 1.7d2 but Dirac indeed has the looks of Dirac 1. Dirac 2 on Windows (Dirac Live 2.2.3) really looks much different and has the buttons in different places.
Hans I have to agree with Colin. Looks like you are using version 1. In Dirac 2 for instance when you choose sofa you get 2 other options. Also the GUI is different. Hope i'm wrong ;)
@@Goosefraba100 It's not in the bottom right for me but if I go to the "About" section mine says that it is Dirac Live 2.2.3. The UI is completely different.
I also have to agree with Colin. The GUI for Dirac 2 looks much different than the one from Dirac 1. Like Hans I'm also using a mac.
Hans... very helpful review. Thanks! I do have a question. You mention using the SHD Studio as an external sound card on a computer. I've active speakers with TOSLINK inputs only (no COAX Digital inputs). I've an older MacPro Tower which has a TOSLINK output. Does hooking up the SHD Studio via USB to the MacPro allow me to output the SHD Studio's corrected digital audio via the Toslink output of the Mac?
The SHD Studio has no TOSlink output, only SPDIF.
@@TheHansBeekhuyzenChannel is there a reason for this hans?
I don’t know. I prefer SPDIF anyway.
I wonder if there’s an sq difference between this and, say, the much cheaper minidsp 2x4 which lacks a streamer. Any other differences? Any thoughts?
I am told there is. For one, the cheaper models run at 48 kHz in stead of 96 kHz.
@@TheHansBeekhuyzenChannel Thank you, Hans!
@@TheHansBeekhuyzenChannel The Dirac version ALSO is 48 and not 96! The HD version is 96.
A review of the shd would be great now that Roon has been integrated.
I would search for Dirac and Beekhuyzen in YT.....
The Hans Beekhuyzen Channel
Ok. I have a MicroRendu already connected to a modi3. Wondering if I add the shd studio, or replace the MicroRendu and modi3 with the SHD. I only use Roon.
@@TheHansBeekhuyzenChannel Did you review the SHD Full version with the built in dacs? I don't see it. I'm trying to decide between the Studio or the Full version. How are the dacs in the full version?
They have so many devices available. Could you make a video on which to chose? Thanks!
I only reviewed this one: ua-cam.com/video/zr_oqF9jb-8/v-deo.html
If you want to stay in the digital domain - SHD studio ... i think all other devices make analog→digital→analog conversation. On the other hand SHD resamples everything to 96Khz ... theoretically not so good for a 44,1Khz input.
HI Hans. Thanks for the review. Have you heard any artifacts or degradation from the internal sample rate converter in the miniDSP as it converts 44.1 to 96 KHz? The older miniDSP products seemed to suffer some degradation, but if you did the SRC before, for instance in Roon or just on the Mac's Core driver, it didn't seem audible. What is your experience?
PS. Have you upgraded the SMPS brick or was it unnecessary?
The SMPS works fine, better than LPS's I tried.
Would it make sense to use a minidsp for headphones or would that be overkill?
@@colinohenson Cool I'll look in to that.
I have not tried it so I can’t say.
It makes no sense. There is already no room effect when you wear headphones. MiniDSP advises that the SHD Studio headphone amp be powered by channels with DSP bypassed.
My understanding is that Dirac Live 2 doesn’t work on Mac OS versions earlier than Mojave. If that’s true then that would mean I’d have to buy a newer MacBook.
Correct
I had to upgrade to Mojave, because on Sierra it didn't work.
I was looking to purchase a miniDSP SHD Studio so now I have to budget for a new laptop as well 🤦🏻♂️ That’s the price of progress I guess.
DonR62 I don’t know if you want to buy a new MacBook, but there are ways of upgrading “unsupported” MacBooks with the newer releases of macOS. If you want to give it a try search for it on UA-cam.
Sebastian Stumpf, I had no idea that was possible. Thanks for the tip.