TOPIC:

I'm enjoying my new nanoAVR DL very much (spending too much time playing with it) and is amazed at it's power and capabilities. I'm currently considering adding the nanoAVR HD to the chain (either before or after the DL). Can I use it just for timing, crossover, level and bass management functions and not use the PEQ function? If so, how can I bypass the PEQ (couldn't find it in the manual).

Currenty, two types of signals are fed into my AVR from the nanoAVR DL; 7.1 and 2.0. Both signals have to go through a DSP in the AVR so that bass management is applied. The 2.0 signal is then further matrixed (Stereo mode in AVR) into a 2.1 signal where bass management is applied. Don't get me wrong, it sounds good, but it sounds a lot better when the AVR is in DIRECT mode (doesn't go through the DSP). The drawback to this is no bass manage is applied and my subwoofer is not active (the 2.0 signal remains a 2.0 signal, not a 2.1). Stereo mode is the only way I can get a signal to the subwoofer when fed a 2.0 signal from the nanoAVR DL.

I think that the reason it sounds better in Direct mode is that all speakers are playing signals that were equalized by the nanAVR DL for that particular speaker. With the AVR being in Stereo mode, signals being played by the subwoofer were initially equalized for some other speaker. If I insert a nanoAVR HD before the nanoAVR DL, the nano AVR DL will receive a signal that has been bass managed from the nanoAVR HD and pass on discrete signals to the AVR equalized for the correct speaker. This way I can use the Direct mode in the AVR for all signals and not send it through an additional DSP.

Is my logic correct? Any comments are welcomed.

Thanks

The AVR settings need to be the same when listening as when you did the Dirac Live calibration. I'm not entirely clear on if you have different AVR settings for these two situations (7.1 and 2.0) or not, but perhaps something to look at.

When I performed the calibration, the AVR was in ALL STEREO mode. This mode activates all 8 channels as well as bass management. Direct mode activates all 8 channels but there is no bass management. During play back, when the AVR senses a 7.1 signal, it can automatically be set to go into ALL STEREO (BM) or DIRECT (no BM) modes. When it senses a 2.0 signal (from CD's and other 2 channel sources), it can only be set to automatically go into STEREO mode (2,1 with BM) or DIRECT mode (no BM or subwoofer). In both cases it can also be configured to automatically go into one of the matrix modes (PL II, NEO 6, etc), but it doesn't sound good.