Experienced only: What have you done with room correction?

@burtlake 

Depends really on where you do the DSP.  If you use Roon for instance, you do it all before the streamer gets the data. If you use a DSP capable streamer/DAC then no difference.  If you use it only for the subwoofer (like I often do) then it's out of the way of the main DAC/Amp chain.

@burtlake

Interesting discussion and the tech is tempting to try out. One question; doesn’t the DSP do it’s own A/D and D/A conversion? After spending a relatively large sum on a DAC, it seems counterproductive to have the signal reconverted twice more downstream by a much lower cost device… am I off-base here?

@erik_squires

Depends really on where you do the DSP. If you use Roon for instance, you do it all before the streamer gets the data. If you use a DSP capable streamer/DAC then no difference. If you use it only for the subwoofer (like I often do) then it’s out of the way of the main DAC/Amp chain

Running DSP software on a Mac/PC source is similar to using a streamer (which is just a dedicated computer) as a source, everything is done in the digital domain upstream of your DAC.

The current line of miniDSP boxes running Dirac (like minDSP Flex and SHD) take digital in (USB/Toslink/SPDIF coax on Flex, plus Ethernet and AES-EBU on SHD) and do the DAC job themselves. Because you send them a digital signal, there’s no redundant ADC/DAC conversion stages. There’s also a studio model of their SHD which sends digital to a downstream DAC. The SHD models use a 96 kHz internal sample rate, so a Mac/PC can theoretically do better (Dirac and Sonarworks say 192 kHz there). The Flex uses 96 kHz also but says 48 kHz with Dirac licence, that may be across the board for their stuff?

I was using Tidal and thought about MQA but that makes DSP hard, fortunately Apple decided to do hi-res (and multichannel Atmos) on Mac around that time which made for a very simple setup (and I was happy to entirely avoid the AVP/AVR world). But consequently I can’t say anything useful about sonics via the miniDSP devices.

Thanks for the clear explanations! Didn’t realize all the possible executions. 

burtle,

Please tell me which advice/direction/system from the above

you plan to employ???

Also, will room correction removed unwanted distorted viewpoints?

Erik,

Full disclosure: We design and manufacture speaker systems (in the USA) that use full DSP, specifically digital crossovers and room correction.

First, DSP (Digital Signal Processing) is a broad term. Basically, anywhere there is digital signal there is DSP. Digital crossovers and room correction are a subset of DSP.

DSP/room correction (DSP/RC) can be much more than amplitude correction, often refereed to EQ. DSP/RC users only applying EQ are using only part of the technology's capabilities. There are simple units that are basically digital equalizers.

Comprehensive DSP/RC systems compensate for amplitude domain and time domain anomalies. Don't underestimate the importance of time domain corrections.

During the development of our Apollo series speaker systems we studied analog passive crossovers, analog active crossovers and digital crossovers for them. We developed the Apollos using all three technologies. Exploring digital crossovers allowed us to experiment with DSP/RC. We found that there are two basic categories: Manual, that requires much experience to sort out and semi-automatic, which are more user friendly. Our supplied DSP unit is user friendly.

We found that applying DSP/RC to a poorly designed speaker doesn’t automatically turn it into a gem. What we did prove to ourselves is that applying DSP/RC to a good speaker allows that speaker to get much closer to its full potential and do so in a much greater variety of listening rooms. And in many cases, improve the measured performance. Time domain issues inherent in the design are corrected.

IMHO, I have found that properly applied high quality DSP/RC makes the system sound more balanced from top to bottom, improves resolution, improves dynamic contrast, eliminates stress and just sounds more complete.

BTW, ASP (Analog Signal Processing) is a term not often used by audiophiles. Basically, anywhere there is an analog signal there is ASP. Technically, ASP/RC can be developed and applied to a system.