Room Correction Hardware/Software Issues, Options. Please Advise.

[oltos]

Please excuse this lengthy post but I didn't want to forget asking every question I had about this complex topic, and if I'm going about solving my problems in the best sounding way.

Media players like roon rightly have their adherents especially if it may offer seamless solutions for room correction.
https://community.roonlabs.com/t/solution-for-4-channel-motu-m4-or-focusrite-audio-interface-and-xo-in-a-f-a-s-t-configuration/139931

However, I don't like being tied to one particular player-be it Foobar, JRiver, VLC or my old version of Samplitude DAW.

Presently, my bigger problem is that my custom designed main speakers are still away from being built, I haven't time yet to shop for and settle on a DAC (s) and have no hands on experience using Camilla, DIRAC Live, REW or any other room correction software. And based on the following questions I won't yet know which if any RC software can best help me correct any glaring room mode problems, beyond what I will first need learn to correct acoustically (as all experts advise).

Then how to compensate for however much gain loss the software may cause, where the DACs' output voltages might be inadequate to cleanly drive my main speakers power amp and/or the plate amps of my four Rythmik F12 subs.

Additionally, while these MCH DACs likely sound amazing at least for the price https://www.oktoresearch.com/dac8pro.htm https://motu.com/products/avb/8a https://beta.prismsound.com/products/titan/ , how good will their tonality and other subjective sound quality metrics (e.g. soundstage size, imaging) be for use in the entire system? That is, should I instead use one of these MCH DACs for my subs only and use a perhaps better sounding stereo DAC for the main speakers? https://www.kitsunehifi.com/product/holo-audio-may-dac/

I'm thinking that this may be advantageous because my main speakers and subs are passively crossed and because DACs chips (AKM) used in some stereo DACs may be easier to configure and also use with output stages to help reduce intersample overs distortion, which unfortunately is often a direct consequence of the "loudness wars" between competing record producers and/or artists. https://benchmarkmedia.com/blogs/application_notes/intersample-overs-in-cd-recordings?_pos=1&_sid=0eeb1f150&_ss=r

Much discussion about that ongoing tragedy here https://gearspace.com/board/mastering-forum/1401406-intersample-clipping-audible.html

At the same time at least some of those RC software and/or DAC choices may also depend on the following:

First, my passively crossed mains only play down to 70Hz, though I suspect that any of those three MCH DACs-perhaps especially the Okto (a good choice even though unlike the other two it has no ADCs??) will reproduce that range from ~ 65Hz on down quite faithfully. Yes?

Second, would there be audible or disastrous timing issues if two USB ports from my pc (music source) each feed the USB input on the stereo DAC and MCH DAC? If yes, can it be solved by simply connecting one of the PC's USB ports to a USB hub to thereby feeding both DACs from the same USB port? If neither of those fixes work then what might?

Third, would there be any benefit to using the "better" sounding stereo DAC for the main speakers and the MCH DAC for the subs but to only have the subs' DAC in the "convolving" filter loop, since it's the subs which mostly interact with the room's mode (e.g. standing waves). Yes?

Fourth, as most MCH DACs are made for the pro audio community they include an ADC for each channel, where consumer DACs like the Okto don't have any built in ADCs. Obviously, this would require that a separate ADC would needed be used between the PC's USB input and the test signal recording microphone (and if need be a mic preamp) for the live recording of each test tone playback by a speaker and sub. So what model ADC and mic to use?

Fifth, which if any RC software flavor might likely impose the least amount of gain loss to avoid needing line stages between the DACs' outputs and the mains power amps or subs' plate amps?

Ultimately, what worries me is that using two different DACs will make part of what's heard sound colored, but I can't know for sure. And then how problematic are the other questions. Please advise.

 

[TLS Guy]

Please excuse this lengthy post but I didn't want to forget asking every question I had about this complex topic, and if I'm going about solving my problems in the best sounding way.

Media players like roon rightly have their adherents especially if it may offer seamless solutions for room correction.
https://community.roonlabs.com/t/solution-for-4-channel-motu-m4-or-focusrite-audio-interface-and-xo-in-a-f-a-s-t-configuration/139931

However, I don't like being tied to one particular player-be it Foobar, JRiver, VLC or my old version of Samplitude DAW.

Presently, my bigger problem is that my custom designed main speakers are still away from being built, I haven't time yet to shop for and settle on a DAC (s) and have no hands on experience using Camilla, DIRAC Live, REW or any other room correction software. And based on the following questions I won't yet know which if any RC software can best help me correct any glaring room mode problems, beyond what I will first need learn to correct acoustically (as all experts advise).

Then how to compensate for however much gain loss the software may cause, where the DACs' output voltages might be inadequate to cleanly drive my main speakers power amp and/or the plate amps of my four Rythmik F12 subs.

Additionally, while these MCH DACs likely sound amazing at least for the price https://www.oktoresearch.com/dac8pro.htm https://motu.com/products/avb/8a https://beta.prismsound.com/products/titan/ , how good will their tonality and other subjective sound quality metrics (e.g. soundstage size, imaging) be for use in the entire system? That is, should I instead use one of these MCH DACs for my subs only and use a perhaps better sounding stereo DAC for the main speakers? https://www.kitsunehifi.com/product/holo-audio-may-dac/

I'm thinking that this may be advantageous because my main speakers and subs are passively crossed and because DACs chips (AKM) used in some stereo DACs may be easier to configure and also use with output stages to help reduce intersample overs distortion, which unfortunately is often a direct consequence of the "loudness wars" between competing record producers and/or artists. https://benchmarkmedia.com/blogs/application_notes/intersample-overs-in-cd-recordings?_pos=1&_sid=0eeb1f150&_ss=r

Much discussion about that ongoing tragedy here https://gearspace.com/board/mastering-forum/1401406-intersample-clipping-audible.html

At the same time at least some of those RC software and/or DAC choices may also depend on the following:

First, my passively crossed mains only play down to 70Hz, though I suspect that any of those three MCH DACs-perhaps especially the Okto (a good choice even though unlike the other two it has no ADCs??) will reproduce that range from ~ 65Hz on down quite faithfully. Yes?

Second, would there be audible or disastrous timing issues if two USB ports from my pc (music source) each feed the USB input on the stereo DAC and MCH DAC? If yes, can it be solved by simply connecting one of the PC's USB ports to a USB hub to thereby feeding both DACs from the same USB port? If neither of those fixes work then what might?

Third, would there be any benefit to using the "better" sounding stereo DAC for the main speakers and the MCH DAC for the subs but to only have the subs' DAC in the "convolving" filter loop, since it's the subs which mostly interact with the room's mode (e.g. standing waves). Yes?

Fourth, as most MCH DACs are made for the pro audio community they include an ADC for each channel, where consumer DACs like the Okto don't have any built in ADCs. Obviously, this would require that a separate ADC would needed be used between the PC's USB input and the test signal recording microphone (and if need be a mic preamp) for the live recording of each test tone playback by a speaker and sub. So what model ADC and mic to use?

Fifth, which if any RC software flavor might likely impose the least amount of gain loss to avoid needing line stages between the DACs' outputs and the mains power amps or subs' plate amps?

Ultimately, what worries me is that using two different DACs will make part of what's heard sound colored, but I can't know for sure. And then how problematic are the other questions. Please advise.

If your speakers are any good, you are not going to need room correction most likely. I don't use it and never have. I have no need or time for Audyssey, Dirac, YAPAO or any other of those contrivances. I suppose you could run into the odd dog of a room, but I have not encountered it. I have three systems here and room correction is not engaged in any of them. This problem arises from speakers and their polar response. In short, their axis and off axis response not matching. Then people clutter their walls with all sorts of weird fabrics and objetda in vain attempts to tame the reverberant field. Trying to curb FR ills at a distance with a microphone and fancy, or no so fancy software is doomed to failure.

As far as DACs are concerned I doubt anyone could tell a significant difference. That is another area full of subjective audiophool kant.

Your speakers are the only part of the chain that will really determine if you have a satisfying system or not. Unfortunately when it comes to speakers, the answer is more than likely not.