Using Dirac Live from NAS?

[Danold]

Hi: Before I plunge into using a NAS I am wondering how and where in the chain will I install Dirac? Doesn't Dirac Live need a computer as hardware basis?

 

Thanks

[Kal Rubinson]

Hi: Before I plunge into using a NAS I am wondering how and where in the chain will I install Dirac? Doesn't Dirac Live need a computer as hardware basis?

Yes. How are you planning to play the files from your NAS?

[jjkale]

Kal,

Can you please give a brief explanation of the chain for employing DLRCS, i.e. where does bass management fit?

NAS...Broadwell NUC w JRiver...PreAmp.

I think I have seen recommendations for applying BM in JRiver prior to DL and alternatively out of PreAmp.

There are a lot of interpretations out there.

Thanks very much.

[Danold]

Yes. How are you planning to play the files from your NAS?

 

Hi Kal: Well, that is the question. Until now I haven't used a NAS and played from my MP, iTunes via Devialet AIR and ethernet. In the future, though, I want put all my music on a NAS as my new Mac won't have enough disk space.

 

What are the options on Mac to play the files, e.g. when I use a QNAP?

[Kal Rubinson]

Can you please give a brief explanation of the chain for employing DLRCS, i.e. where does bass management fit? NAS...Broadwell NUC w JRiver...PreAmp.

In the NUC as the output from JRiver.

I think I have seen recommendations for applying BM in JRiver prior to DL and alternatively out of PreAmp.

There are a lot of interpretations out there.

Apply BM in JRiver prior to DL so that DL is actually EQing the individual speakers per their position in the room.

[Kal Rubinson]

Hi Kal: Well, that is the question. Until now I haven't used a NAS and played from my MP, iTunes via Devialet AIR and ethernet. In the future, though, I want put all my music on a NAS as my new Mac won't have enough disk space.

 

What are the options on Mac to play the files, e.g. when I use a QNAP?

 

Playing from a NAS is the same as playing from an attached drive. The player software just needs to be pointed to the appropriate directories. I cannot commnet on anything Mac specific.

[ecwl]

If OP is to add a NAS, you would still use iTunes to point to the NAS to get the files and play it through Devialet Air. This is because Devialet currently does not support direct playback from a DLNA/uPNP NAS. It is impossible to predict whether they will or will not in the future.

 

Using Dirac is more complicated mainly because it doesn't integrate well with Devialet Air. I believe you would have to have the computer directly connected to the Devialet Expert using USB or Toslink for playback (but you can still use iTunes). And you would run Dirac on your Mac so the digital audio signal your computer sends to the Devialet via USB or Toslink would be processed by Dirac already. You cannot stream that Dirac-processed signal to Devialet Air wirelessly. That's a limitation of Devialet.

 

So OP's question is not really about Dirac or NAS... It's really about what Devialet Air can and cannot currently do. Obviously, if you wait long enough, Devialet might support DLNA/uPNP NAS playback or Dirac-like room correction feature. But then it might not...

[jjkale]

Thanks very much Kal.

One more specific question about DLRCS implementation.

What about the USB DAC output on the Oppo 105D? I don't believe this will pass a .1 channel created by BM in JRiver. Is there an alternative for bass management in this case?

Thanks very much for your guidance.

[Kal Rubinson]

Thanks very much Kal.

One more specific question about DLRCS implementation.

What about the USB DAC output on the Oppo 105D? I don't believe this will pass a .1 channel created by BM in JRiver. Is there an alternative for bass management in this case?

Thanks very much for your guidance.

?? Dunno. Use the analog outputs if you require BM.

[ecwl]

Jjkale, the USB DAC feature of Oppo 105D only works as a stereo DAC with analog outputs. So obviously, any bass management for the 0.1 channel would have to be done after the stereo analog output from Oppo 105D, as Mr Rubinson pointed out

[jjkale]

ecwl and Kal,

Right. Thanks for the insight.

I will shut it after this last question: If I apply BM after stereo analog output from Oppo, does that trash the DLRCS that occurred way back in the computer?

Thanks again.

[Kal Rubinson]

ecwl and Kal,

Right. Thanks for the insight.

I will shut it after this last question: If I apply BM after stereo analog output from Oppo, does that trash the DLRCS that occurred way back in the computer?

Thanks again.

Not trash but compromise. Can't you do BM way back in the computer?

[ecwl]

Jjkale, whereas I'd say no and I'm not sure how compromised the signal would be but it'll be suboptimal. If you're going to use DLRCS for JRiver in 5.1/7.1 and connect that via HDMI to your receiver or Oppo, all the room correction and bass management would be done in the computer. That's probably optimal as Kal suggested.

 

If you insist on using the Oppo as a stereo USB DAC (and I don't know why you would), you can connect the Oppo to your receiver and have your receiver do bass management, like split the 2.0 analog audio signal into 2.1 so that say anything above 80Hz goes to your front speakers and anything below goes to your subwoofer. Now, if you want to run DLRCS with that, you would start off with this 2.0 to 2.1 setup, and then run DLRCS on 2-channel signals through this new USB DAC setup into the receiver with BM to 2.1. DLRCS would then correct for the measured combined subwoofer and speaker signals. But as Kal implied, this is suboptimal. Because you're taking a digital signal, performing room correction, sending that signal to a USB DAC to convert it into analog and then sending it to your receiver to convert it back into digital so that the receiver can do bass management and then the digital signal would be re-converted into analog to go to your front speakers and subwoofer separately.

 

With the previous HDMI setup, you're just taking the digital signal, be it 2.0, 5.1, 7.1 and processing it in JRiver & DLRCS so that you get a 5.1/7.1/2.1 digital output that you're sending to your HDMI receiver and then the receiver should bypass all its internal processing except to convert each channel back into analog to send to the correct speakers. So you're doing a single DA conversion.

 

Hope that's helpful.

[jjkale]

ecwl,

Thanks.

Not sure if you are familiar with the Oppo, but it has a very good DAC. And when you employ the asynch USB the ESS 32 reference gets stacked. If you don't believe me, ask Kal! See Gene's review on Audioholics, and all the others as well.

I absolutely agree with you that an A-D conversion following JRiver BM, DLRCS, and Asynch USB DAC is not a great idea. However, this is not what I would do. I would propose to perform analog BM with either an Emotiva XSP1 or Parasound P7. I am just trying to determine if that would be "suboptimal" after performing Dirac Live back in the computer.

My view is that the use of multiple subs is very important in managing an audiophile's sound field. Arguably, managing the sound field below the Schroeder frequency is the most important element in the audiophile playbook.

Kal, if you have any patience remaining, thoughts?

thanks Brothers,

[Kal Rubinson]

ecwl,

Thanks.

Not sure if you are familiar with the Oppo, but it has a very good DAC. And when you employ the asynch USB the ESS 32 reference gets stacked. If you don't believe me, ask Kal! See Gene's review on Audioholics, and all the others as well.

I absolutely agree with you that an A-D conversion following JRiver BM, DLRCS, and Asynch USB DAC is not a great idea. However, this is not what I would do. I would propose to perform analog BM with either an Emotiva XSP1 or Parasound P7. I am just trying to determine if that would be "suboptimal" after performing Dirac Live back in the computer.

My view is that the use of multiple subs is very important in managing an audiophile's sound field. Arguably, managing the sound field below the Schroeder frequency is the most important element in the audiophile playbook.

Kal, if you have any patience remaining, thoughts?

thanks Brothers,

Suboptimal is the word and not a pun.