I know that Outlaw has a full Home Theater Processor in the works, but for the interim, is there any thought to offering the MiniDSP DDRC-88A 9http://www.minidsp.com/products/dirac-series/ddrc-88ahttp://www.minidsp.com/products/dirac-series/ddrc-88a) in packages with the 975 and an amp? I have not gotten an 88A yet, but the early reviews and user report on the Dirac implementation in the 88A are awfully positive. I am really tempted to get one to pair with m 975 set-up in the family room...

Ted

For me, personally, I can't see buying an outboard room correction device that costs almost twice the current price of the 975. However, full disclosure, I have exactly zero experience with room correction of any sort beyond my trusty SPL meter and using the on board adjustments of my processors. I suppose I might give auto-correction/setup a try if I ever purchase a processor that happens to include it, but I can't see it being a selling point for me and I definitely am not the target demographic for the DDRC-88A.

I would doubt that Outlaw would offer a DSP as a separate device. Let us know how it works with the 975 if you get one.

To me an external unit for eq makes sense. Like Owl's Warder I have never found room correction to be needed for anything more than a two channel system. I did a test drive on an Emotiva processor prior to my M-975 purchase and while I can see how some people would like the idea of semi automated room correction the Emotiva unit was underwhelming at the price.

I think I remember reading the processor in the 975 had some sort of room correction available but it ended up sounding worse than going with a manual set up.

From just looking at the unit mentioned above I would prefer a different method of connecting the processor to the eq. Maybe agree on an industry standard for the RS-232 port protocals so it could be used as opppsed to the extra interconnects.

Other than the automated part the Dirac based unit mentioned above is nothing new. White Instruments in their "Paramedic" line of eq units has one model offering up to 48 individual channels. The White Instruments units are big time out of date but could be revamped for home application.

I could see an implementation where the eq module could be a one time buy. People could then upgrade processors to keep up with any new codex they could not live without.

I could see the value of the device if I was reviewing different speaker setups or doing demos of different speakers but....once I got the room tweaked I don't know that it would provide me $1000 worth of improvement in my system over what is already there between Audyssey and my Radioshack meter.

We are looking at this differently. I see the eq as a one time only purchase. If I felt the need for full eq I could purchase an external unit to run with our Model 975. Come upgrade time unplug the 975, plug in the new processor with no new wires. We could upgrade to any channel configuration supported by the processor with the only new wires being between the external eq and the amplifier channels for the new speakers.

If you think about how much full function pre/pros can run, not buying eq every time you upgrade the expense would break even quickly.

Since almost all of the processors out there now have some sort of processing on board a separate unit would provide some redundancy to what is already there and since I at least rarely swap out my processor the need is minimal. Once I get my room setup, the need to compensate is minimal. At $1000 it is way more expensive than the on board equipment which is pretty robust in some cases by itself. Emotiva offers the Dirac Live system on the XMC-1 as a $100 upgrade so I am skeptical of the value of an separate unit.

How would Outlaw pay for a room correction package should they decided to add something? Is there a per unit licensing fee? Anyone have any idea what the different packages might cost? I know Audyssey offers different levels of the software and it seems Dirac does as well.


I just looked and the full Live version of the Dirac program runs $727.38 for the PC version. If that number also applies to a top line pre/pro then buying room correction once in the form of a seperate processor could end up being the better long term value.

There is a licensing fee for all of the high end room correction products such as Trinnov, Dirac and Audyssey. Many of the big players in the industry have gone so far as to develop their own proprietary processes to avoid having to pay the fee. Yamaha (YPAO) and Anthem (ARC) come to mind, to be specific, whereas Emotiva chose to license Dirac standard included in the XMC-1 and they offer the full version for an upgrade fee.

I would expect that a single user licensing one of the corrections would pay a lot more than someone getting it embedded in a processor just because of economy of scale available to the larger companies. This is similar to getting Microsoft Office as part of your new computer from Dell for $99 and paying $650 for it from Best Buy as a stand alone product.

Getting the stand alone product could indicate that you are going to use it in some professional manner and that could put an onus on the product to perform up to some standard that is implied but does not exist.

I agree that some one could create a product that incorporates several of the room correction products in one device which would give a user the ability to choose the one that fits their systems the best. Maybe even allow one RC to be used in one area and a different RC in another area. I have an HT room and a Music room and the rooms are so different it might be useful but...I wouldn't pay big bucks for it unless it was astoundingly good.

I am not sure what you meant by "some professional manner". If you are referring to a concert hall application units of this type would be less than useless. When I was doing pro sound for a living I did not like any of the computerized gear but have used a number of different pieces with my favorite being the Paramedic units from White Instruments. 48 channels with dozens of adjustable bands per channel with adjustments including width of band as well as db per octave adjustment. For analog units 6th octave offers the most adjustability without stomping on a neighboring frequency.

Biggest problem with eq is most people have no idea how it is to be used so automated systems have found their place in the industry. I did an in home demo of an Emotiva unit with Dirac and was not impressed. My friend who loaned me the Emo unit borrowed my Outlaw when I went on vacation. He bought a 975 and put the Emo on the auction site. Even with the eq switched off the Emo did not match the Outlaw for openess of the soundstage. One can shut off the eq but the circuity is still in the signal path. For stereo pick up a pair of 31 band units and a copy of REW and be done with it.

Different strokes for different folks.