The What: miniDSP has launched the all-new Streaming HD (SHD) series stereo processor featuring Dirac Research's Dirac Live room correction platform.
The What Else: The Dirac Live-enabled miniDSP SHD series brings to market a stereo processor designed from the ground up to achieve the highest performance with the most flexibility. With its floating point processor, 32-bit converters, quad-core ARM streamer, multichannel USB audio, Volumio network audio support, and more, the SHD series delivers natural, realistic, and transparent sound to streaming audio.
The SHD series joins an extensive portfolio of Dirac Live-enabled miniDSP products that combine miniDSP’s expertise in digital signal processing with Dirac’s expertise in audio optimization and room correction.
“Few in the industry are as passionate about audio as those at miniDSP, which is why our years of extensive collaboration have yielded such astounding results,” said Niklas Thorin, Dirac’s GM of high performance. “The Streaming HD series is the ideal product to introduce Dirac Live to the streaming market, as it truly captures the full potential of our room correction capabilities. With this SHD series introduction, the bar has now been raised for high definition audio streaming.”
Dirac Live is a patented room correction solution that not only corrects the frequency response, but also the impulse response, of the loudspeakers in a room. The solution provides true impulse response correction over a large listening area, improving the depth, the positioning, and distinction of individual voices and instruments.
In an effort to satisfy the needs of all miniDSP customers, the company will release two versions of the SHD series: the SHD full rack-mount unit, an analog and digital All-In-One-Does-It-All unit, and the SHD Studio, a more compact, all-digital solution available at a lower cost and suited for those who already own a DAC. SHD Studio comes with all features of the full version, but without the analog component.
Both versions of the SHD series come equipped with an embedded Volumio network audio music player that allows for the streamed audio to be controlled via smartphone, tablet, or desktop-based app.
“Regardless of hardware design and sophistication, certain external variables are always going to negatively impact audio quality—that is unless you implement a digital room correction solution like Dirac Live,” said Antoine Rouget, CEO at miniDSP. “Dirac Live reduces these variables and equips our products with the degree of performance consistency necessary to satisfy the discerning ears of the miniDSP community. We’re excited to work yet again with Dirac to introduce its Dirac Live room correction solution to the streaming processor market.”
The Bottom Line: Using multiple measurement and mixed phase correction, Dirac Live helps audio systems to create a natural, realistic, and transparent sound with tighter bass and reduced room modes, in a way previously not possible.
