Audio GD DI-20HE

[Jimbo]

Having looked at room acoustics and relation to speaker interaction these are my thoughts Kevin for what they are worth.

There is a move to assessing a listening environment in order to try and get a flat frequency response which is driven by the use predominantly of Room EQ Wizard which is available to download for free. Hifi pundits and some manufacturers like to use it as a tool to look at the frequency response of a given system in a room and adjust equipment or the room accordingly either through room treatment or DSP.

I have heard the effects of both and room treatment would be my much preferred way to go as any system I have heard which has DSP applied to it sounds terrible. Basically it retunes your speakers and limits or boosts their performance to compensate for the room but from what I have heard it makes you wonder why you would bother buying a pair of speakers based on the sound or performance when DSP can trample all over them. Room treatment just controls the room characteristics and not the system which in my book sounds way better as I have heard the results.

RW will tell you what the frequency response is in your room and has been suggested as a tool for speakers placement or addition of room acoustic treatment but it depends where you put the microphone in the room and then what did you do if it even requires you to move either your chair or speakers or both into a position which is domestically entirely unsuitable. I believe when using Mini DSP device however part of the calibration process does mean it takes measurements of you room from lots of positions using their microphone.

Personally and I have spoken to others about this, I would adjust your system according to what sounds best to you and not bother measuring it. But if you do go down this route and you want to flatten the response I would suggest room treatment and speaker placement rather than DSP. And if you really want to EQ the system to sound better (flatter response) in the room I would maybe consider analogue EQ rather than DSP.

[CageyH]

I have no domestic constraints to consider, other than fitting everything in to the space.
I could give myself more space by relocating my SIM racing rig, but that means dismantling it.
At normal levels, my system sounds ok to me, but not many people have heard it.

Ideally I need to spin my room round 90°, but I am not sure I will gain much.

[Jimbo]

I have no domestic constraints to consider, other than fitting everything in to the space.
I could give myself more space by relocating my SIM racing rig, but that means dismantling it.
At normal levels, my system sounds ok to me, but not many people have heard it.

Ideally I need to spin my room round 90°, but I am not sure I will gain much.

If your system sounds OK I wouldn't worry what others may think. It is all about YOU.

I know there are weaknesses in my system but I am generally OK with them. To fix a lot of them I would have to either radically change a lot of the system (New speakers) or keep adding room treatment which I am slowly.

Maybe think of the area that bugs you the most and concentrate on improving this. I have found even small changes ie seating position or speaker position can give you huge gains.

I have heard what DSP did to a friends system recently and it sucked the life out of it however this was built into his speaker system.

[Macca]

DSP won't make a silk purse out of a sow's ear that is true.

I agree that starting with a good speaker and a good room acoustic (passive treatment) is the way to go.

To avoid confusion for anyone reading this who is not aware, a flat response in room is not desirable, it will sound way too bright. You want a smooth response tilted down towards the high frequencies. That will sound natural and balanced. A flat response is what the speaker should produce in an anechoic chamber, not in a room.

[Mr. C]

Kev

R26 is a quality dac for the outlay, clock later

[CageyH]

Kev

R26 is a quality dac for the outlay, clock later

Thanks Tony. A noticeable step up from the AK version of the RME?

[CageyH]

If your system sounds OK I wouldn't worry what others may think. It is all about YOU.

I know there are weaknesses in my system but I am generally OK with them. To fix a lot of them I would have to either radically change a lot of the system (New speakers) or keep adding room treatment which I am slowly.

Maybe think of the area that bugs you the most and concentrate on improving this. I have found even small changes ie seating position or speaker position can give you huge gains.

I have heard what DSP did to a friends system recently and it sucked the life out of it however this was built into his speaker system.

My seating position is against the rear wall. I was looking at GIK photo panels to help with the reflections.
I have a pitched ceiling/roof, I am sat in the spot with the highest point.
I only have three walls, as I am on a mezzanine floor, which is open at one side. Floor space is about 4m x 7m.
I have a velux window, which is located outside of the mezzanine area.

My system would probably benefit from firing down the room, but with the confinement, I ended up putting a desk in my mancave, which has stayed for home working.

[Jimbo]

My seating position is against the rear wall. I was looking at GIK photo panels to help with the reflections.
I have a pitched ceiling/roof, I am sat in the spot with the highest point.
I only have three walls, as I am on a mezzanine floor, which is open at one side. Floor space is about 4m x 7m.
I have a velux window, which is located outside of the mezzanine area.

My system would probably benefit from firing down the room, but with the confinement, I ended up putting a desk in my mancave, which has stayed for home working.

You would be best sitting with the open side of the mezzanine behind you and the speakers facing towards you then that would get rid of one major acoustic problem. Then add some first reflection panels on the two side walls and this may help?

[CageyH]

I know. It is best for listening to music, but rubbish for anything else.
Two options - move the room around, which will involve relocating network cables etc. and compromise on working space, or move my main system into the home cinema room, and set up a 2nd system in my mancave.
They are next to each other, so no big inconvenience.

[Jimbo]

Thanks.

I am torn between a new DDC or a DAC.
I currently have an RME ADI-2 DAC 2 FS, and I am half tempted by a Gustard R26.
The other option is the Audio-GD DI-20HE.

I think that the DAC is likely to make the biggest difference.

I think the R26 would definitely give you a bigger leap in performance. I would go for this DAC rather than any of the other R2R DACs on the market. Here is a great review from someone who has compared it against some of the top DACs out there.

https://soundnews.net/sources/dacs/a...R%20converters.