Anyone using Dirac Live digital room correction technology for HiFi to improve sound performance?

Vlad.Grigorian

I want to try DIRAC Live for my Media Server. How is it different from my AVR auto-calibration? Another question - since the DIRAC software will run on the Media Server (which is a Windows 7 PC), will my AVR defeat the changes made by DIRAC because it has its own calibration? How do these calibrations reconcile?
Thanks for all of your informed (or not so informed) opinions.

tonyb

They don't reconcile, you use one or the other. I would imagine it's designed for HT pc use and active speakers. If you have a receiver in the mix, to avoid the receivers calibration software you'd have to run it in direct analog mode and have all connections in the analog domain. Anything connected digitally will force the receiver to do conversions.

Be aware though, as far as I can tell, DIRAC is only capable of 24/96 PCM, as of early summer anyway. Kinda of expensive too for what it is.

That said, if your unhappy with your sound and you have an extra 6-800 bucks burning a hole in your pocket....software would be the last thing I'd be looking at to improve the sound quality.

Vlad.Grigorian

tonyb wrote: »

That said, if your unhappy with your sound and you have an extra 6-800 bucks burning a hole in your pocket....software would be the last thing I'd be looking at to improve the sound quality.

Thanks, Tony. No, $800 isnt burning a hole in my pocket, LOL! I found the software a bit expensive too. Never bought it. Went as far as downloading a trial, but when it told me it cant use my calibration microphone I simply uninstalled it.

There are no deficiencies in the current setup other than bass dead zones in a few spots. But since I have plenty of juice in my subs i simply increase their volume by 3-4db and its done. I doubt Dirac will help with that (room treatments will). I just wanted to play with it and wanted to gather some information.

Also, you mentioned it does 24/96. That is less than my external DAC, but I doubt there would have been an audible difference. The sound would have gone through the DAC anyway.

You said the Dirac processed sound would have to go through the AVR in "PURE DIRECT" mode. That is not what I want. This bypass mode robs the sound of tone control, phase control, etc , although a lot of people say it is the way around. Pure is better. To each is own.

I may just buy the calibration mic they suggested and retry the Dirac.

tonyb

I don't know either if I'd waste the coin on the mic for a trial period if you have no intention of dropping the coin to buy the software.

Do you plan on removing the receiver from the mix ? Otherwise I don't see a way around using the analog inputs and a analog direct feature of the AVR. Unless you have a separate preamp you plan on using.

There are many other good software programs for computer music also, assuming you want it just for music.

HT really isn't that hard to do/setup, 2 channel takes more thought to get right if you ask me.

flax

Hello Vlad,

I stumbled upon this thread and I work for Dirac Research so even if my point of view may admittedly be biased I'd like to clarify some points...

- when installed in your Windows 7 PC HTPC Dirac Live 7.1 will operate in the digital domain and no conversion of any sort will be applied

- I read that you could not install your measurement calibrated microphone... as far as I know any measurement calibrated mic can be used as its file can be loaded in the application, which issue did you have?

- The current version of Dirac Live 7.1 works up to 192 KHz

- Dirac Live is very different from an AVR automatic calibration... you will find relevant info here: http://www.stereophile.com/content/music-round-66

Flavio

tonyb

flax wrote: »

- when installed in your Windows 7 PC HTPC Dirac Live 7.1 will operate in the digital domain and no conversion of any sort will be applied

Yes, but when connected out in the digital domain to a receiver, the receiver will then make conversions. Would this not interfere with the Dirac software ? I don't see how the 2 different calibrating softwares won't collide.

If your just using a HTPC....gotcha, different story....but the OP has an AVR in the mix.

Vlad.Grigorian

Yeah, Tonyb is right. An AVR is in the mix. Thanks everyone who posted.