TOPIC:

Hi, would be great if minidsp would offer a flex eight with digital output like you have for Flex. 

With nanodigi no longer in the lineup, this would next-best thing.

Yes. Along with no doubt, a number of others, I would then buy it
I would think as it’s essentially removing the DACs and routing the digital signals direct to outputs,  rather than having to develop a new stage, it’s relatively straightforward 

So dear miniDSP, what is the probability that (like the original Flex) a digital out version will be introduced, and when? 

+1000

I doubt the spdif would be “that” hard to find on the board 

 

I don't think so. 
Communication between DSP and the DAC's is most likely I2S.
So, if needing S/PDIF outputs it would involve adding alternative circuitry, four pulse transformers, etc, etc.

Dave.

dreite wrote:

I don't think so. 
Communication between DSP and the DAC's is most likely I2S.
So, if needing S/PDIF outputs it would involve adding alternative circuitry, four pulse transformers, etc, etc.

Dave.

I read the sharc does i2s and spdif simultaneously and are both active simultaneously on output pins 

wouldnt one need to locate that and add a resistor to spdif to make a coax spdif connection or something?

idk I might be thinking something completely different 

Even the SHARC board required an outboard S/PDIF conversion from logic-level to consumer.
That sort of thing is already inside the four-channel Flex (digital) unit.  But the eight-channel version is obviously more dense.  So, not undoable, but I would imagine a fair bit of work.

I don't see the point in it anyways.  You're not going to add external DAC's that would be any better than the existing internal ones.  Maybe slightly better, but at what trade-off in expense and system complication.
I think the Flex 8 is a pretty well conceived and sorted unit just the way it is.  Once all the bugs are worked out, I think they'll have another winner.

Dave.

I would certainly buy a FLEX Eight Digital and add an outboard 8-channel DAC - there is certainly room for improvement for modest outlay.
So is a FLEX Eight Digital forthcomoing?

Jan

Many of us already have great dacs or power dacs and a Flex 8 with spdif/hdmi/I2S digital out would truly be flexible! 

Hear! Hear!

jan.didden wrote:

I would certainly buy a FLEX Eight Digital and add an outboard 8-channel DAC - there is certainly room for improvement for modest outlay.
Jan

Examples??

Dave.

Topping DM7?

Jan

Yes, but costs $ 400 more for the same performance. But YMMV.
Point is that a FLEX Eight Digital would make this a killer combo.

Jan

Yeah, I'm aware of that one.  Most eight-channel DAC's are USB input/decoders though.
I assume you'd like miniDSP to produce something with four SPDIF/AES outputs???

Anyways, the DM7 is $500, so you've just doubled the price of the Flex-8.
I don't think that qualifies as "modest outlay".....in my opinion.

I have numerous nanoDIGI units so I'm aware of the conceptual attractiveness of this scheme.  However, it can quickly get quite expensive as a solution when adding four DAC's that might be rather expensive.  Very quickly you can run into a value-based issue here.

Dave.