Been listening all night. Don't want to stop.

[Scooboo81]

Also, if I use my auralic aries mini as a source with this....can I bypass using volumio, and just use the auralic lightning DS app or Roon instead?

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I don't use Roon nor do I have experience with the Aries Mini, so can't help you there. However, I do believe the SHD may now be Roon compatible, but research for yourself to make sure. I personally have no interest in Roon. Regarding Volumio, the SHD has a special version built in that performs just fine, but I prefer to use my MacPro music server / Audirvana to feed the SHD.

Does volumio still charge a fee for tidal integration? I know they do with the volumio Primo streamer


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[ogs]

SHD studio would be excellent with the Reactor Custom as it has AES/EBU capabilities. If one can get the Custom as a private person that is...

Looks like the Reactor Custom might. These came to market just after I acquired the consumer Duo Reactor 900, I believe. However, they also have a smaller output rating (800w vs 900w). I don't see why an individual couldn't purchase them. One could touch base with Devialet Support to inquire.

With the Custom either AES/EBU for the SHD/Dirac or the Dante virtual ASIO sound card with Dirac on the same PC. If Roon is the player, SHD is the only alternative as long as Dirac is necessary (which I guess it is..). Both AES/EBU and Dante would most likely sound better than your current Toslink arrangement.
Finally, if RAAT ever comes to Phantoms that would be brilliant for your current Reactors, but you'd have to go with a different room correction software. Pity Roon and Dirac can't agree on how to work together. If there ever was a missed opportunity...

[supaDean]

@ogs 

"Both AES/EBU and Dante would most likely sound better than your current Toslink arrangement."

My original post wasn't at all technical in nature... I was simply sharing my enjoyment of a night's listening session. But, I'll address your technical comment, though perhaps tech discussion should be in a different thread.

Your quote sounds like speculation or assumption, and ergo perhaps means nothing... unless you have a basis for this comment and wish to back it up? Is it because of assumed higher quality clock? I'd honestly like to know. I'm not versed in Dante and not very versed in the science of AES-EBU.

What I do know, is that USB operates at 32bit on the SHD Studio, which is how I am feeding signal to the SHD Studio. AES-EBU, on the other hand is typically 20 to 24bit max.  The Reactors receive a digital signal via Coax SPDIF / TOSLINK, accepting up to 24bit/96kHz via its TOSLINK input. This digital signal reaches the internal Reactor DACS which take care of any jitter etc. 

Bit and sampling rates only mean so much anyway (jitter aside). The mastering quality of music is what is truly important.

I've no interest in Roon.

[ogs]

I know from using Toslink, copper coax and AES/EBU from a Mutec MC-3 +USB to a Devialet 250 Pro CI. I preferred AES/EBU. Toslink was close, but sounded softer and more veiled. Allo omitted Toslink in their DigiOne and was quite vocal about it. The text is still available on Allo's web site: "Optical had to go… by definition it has a jitter of 4ns. That’s 4000ps. We simply removed it...."
Toslink has it's merits. It has galvanic isolation, which in some cases makes it a better choice than metal. It is quite easy to make it work.
For Phantoms it is the only digital input (not strictly correct as ethernet streaming is also digital, but requires a player protocol of some kind). Now the Reactor Custom has AES/EBU and Dante. Toslink is gone from the Custom.

[supaDean]

I see.... your original statement was based on personal hearing experience, not withstanding other factors contributing to what you were hearing. Personally, with respect to the Reactors, USB or Coax SPDIF inputs would've been great. Toshiba's TOSLINK protocol chose a max of 24/96 only to retain stability over certain lengths of cable, which is quite short, and therefore not suitable for multi-room installations. In any event, what Devialet has accomplished with the Phantoms is astonishing. It's a great time to be into audio.

If money and space were no object, I'd be checking out the Kii Audio THREE BXT System; another astonishing system.

[ogs]

Your setup is actually very clever. Audio routing within the SHD Studio allows you to send L and R to separate outputs. I researched a solution like this for Phantoms (to skip Dialog and Spark) a few years ago. At that time there was no (good) way to do it. If the SHD+Dirac existed back then I'd be a Phantom owner myself today!
Some Toslink implementations can support 192kHz. The main optical on the Expert amps and the Mutec for example. And the 'big' Phantoms... I do not think high sample rate is the most important, however. My current setup is limited to 24/48.

[supaDean]

Your setup is actually very clever. Audio routing within the SHD Studio allows you to send L and R to separate outputs. I researched a solution like this for Phantoms (to skip Dialog and Spark) a few years ago. At that time there was no (good) way to do it. If the SHD+Dirac existed back then I'd be a Phantom owner myself today!
Some Toslink implementations can support 192kHz. The main optical on the Expert amps and the Mutec for example. And the 'big' Phantoms... I do not think high sample rate is the most important, however. My current setup is limited to 24/48.

I know I can send 24/192 over Toslink, but there's a cable length stability issue on long runs (from what I've researched), so 24/96 has been the safe norm. I suppose all Phantoms could have been designed to receive 24/192 over Toslink, but 24/96 is safe. Anyway, I don't get hung up too much on these numbers.

The routing on the SHD is excellent. It allows for a great crossover, whether bi-amping speakers or for subwoofers. Or send a stereo signal to a headphone amp via 3 and 4.

[Scooboo81]

I've now ditched roon and gone with a 30 day trail of Audirvana. So far so good, I'm impressed. Bass seems a little more pronounced yet tighter.....might be in my head, but stereo imaging sounds more spacious too.Once life returns to normal I may indeed invest in the mini DSP SHD.

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[bpo]

Your setup is actually very clever. Audio routing within the SHD Studio allows you to send L and R to separate outputs. I researched a solution like this for Phantoms (to skip Dialog and Spark) a few years ago. At that time there was no (good) way to do it. If the SHD+Dirac existed back then I'd be a Phantom owner myself today!
Some Toslink implementations can support 192kHz. The main optical on the Expert amps and the Mutec for example. And the 'big' Phantoms... I do not think high sample rate is the most important, however. My current setup is limited to 24/48.

I know I can send 24/192 over Toslink, but there's a cable length stability issue on long runs (from what I've researched), so 24/96 has been the safe norm. I suppose all Phantoms could have been designed to receive 24/192 over Toslink, but 24/96 is safe. Anyway, I don't get hung up too much on these numbers.

The routing on the SHD is excellent. It allows for a great crossover, whether bi-amping speakers or for subwoofers. Or send a stereo signal to a headphone amp via 3 and 4.

As an owner of a pair of Devialet Phantom Classics, I'm fascinated with this set-up.  It might be obvious, but I can't tell - are you using two of the SHD outputs so you have separate L&R Coax SPDIF / TOSLINK runs to each Reactor?  If so, how have you paired them / synced them?  Or do you have a single Coax SPDIF / TOSLINK feed going into one of the Reactors and you've stereo paired them via the Devialet app?  Very, very interested to know as I would love to pull the trigger on the SHD Studio as it seems like just the solution for room correction.  Any other advice on this would be greatly appreciated!

[Jamington2004]

I use a Dspeaker Antimode 2.0 optical into gold phantoms for
Room correction - also brilliant at taking the bass boom and opening up the sound!

And you don’t even need a computer - just press a button and bosh!

You do need a streamer though Was considering the Minidsp too so I could use the streamer - and headphone output, but it’s quite expensive for what I need it for ultimately compared to the Dspeaker

But either option would show must people what they are missing out in if they don’t like artificially room enhanced bass boom Most of the world probably do - my mates love it when I Airplay straight phantom instead of through the Dspeaker, much “bassier”