# New Minidsp Car Amp - Harmony 8x12



## WhereAmEye? (Jun 17, 2013)

Hey people.

Anyone _cough_ @ErinH _cough_ have any beta testing results for this new amp? I saw it on the Q4 Newsletter this morning and was intrigued.










This is the only information I can find.


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## Truthunter (Jun 15, 2015)

Lol, I was just going to post this.

The biggest news about this is it has 12ch DSP and Dirac Live built in!


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## naiku (May 28, 2008)

Truthunter said:


> I was just going to post this.


Same.

I emailed MiniDSP to see if they are willing to provide any information, I doubt they will provide me with anything much, if at all, but am pretty interested in this unit. Being able to cut out amps, distribution blocks, RCA's etc is very appealing. A lot would depend on the power available, can it be bridged, is it stable at 2ohm and so on. I currently have 8 x 100W and 1 x 500W (PDX amps) and while I would be very surprised this will provide that level of power, if it is 50W per channel and can be bridged to a decent level for a subwoofer then I may be tempted to sell my current DSP and amps. Looks to be about 1.75x the length of the C-DSP 8x12, hard to gauge the width and the heat sink looks reasonable, especially considering heatsinks on typical Class-D amps.

Waiting (im)patiently.


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## Jroo (May 24, 2006)

this is very exciting. 12ch DSP and Dirac Live built in, sounds very good on paper.


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## Petererc (Dec 28, 2016)

Looks like 80 amp of fusing so no powerhouse for 12 channels. But yea power, ground, remote, rj45 and optical cable run, maybe usb to front for tuning, sweet


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## Huckleberry Sound (Jan 17, 2009)

Thump!!!


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## DaveG (Jul 24, 2019)

Petererc said:


> Looks like 80 amp of fusing so no powerhouse for 12 channels. But yea power, ground, remote, rj45 and optical cable run, maybe usb to front for tuning, sweet


Probably 12 x 75 watts. Now if they make the channels bridgeable that would be a big plus!


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## Truthunter (Jun 15, 2015)

Staggered Power! … but doubt it


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## Jroo (May 24, 2006)

if 12 x 75 but bridgeable, I could certainly work with that


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## naiku (May 28, 2008)

Truthunter said:


> Staggered Power! … but doubt it













But yeah, I doubt it.


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## Petererc (Dec 28, 2016)

Minidsp will rule the world when they release the hi res head unit to run this puppy (wishful thinking)


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## cman (Aug 24, 2020)

Why can’t they make it larger with higher power... ugh.. or at least I hope they have a couple higher watt channels for mids or bridgable...


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## Sound MD (Oct 13, 2020)

WhereAmEye? said:


> Hey people.
> 
> Anyone _cough_ @ErinH _cough_ have any beta testing results for this new amp? I saw it on the Q4 Newsletter this morning and was intrigued.
> 
> ...


Damn. Right as I am planning an install... Do I wait??... Lol


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## ErinH (Feb 14, 2007)

WhereAmEye? said:


> Hey people.
> 
> Anyone _cough_ @ErinH _cough_ have any beta testing results for this new amp? I saw it on the Q4 Newsletter this morning and was intrigued.
> 
> ...


I was asked if I wanted to but I just had way too much going on, so I passed. I actually recommended one of my friends to beta test it but I don't recall if they ever went through with it.


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## bbfoto (Aug 28, 2005)

Looks great! Would be killer if it used Purifi's Eigentakt amplifier modules.


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## cman (Aug 24, 2020)

bbfoto said:


> Looks great! Would be killer if it used Purifi's Eigentakt amplifier modules.


Or Hypex modules like the biketronics with a full dirac dsp.... I’m dreaming...maybe someday


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## Serieus (May 27, 2011)

Looks sweet, interested to see price & specs.


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## banshee28 (Mar 23, 2006)

Wow, this is very nice! I have been waiting for pretty much this exact unit from mini and was hoping they would build it soon as it seems like an obvious big hit! Like a few others have said though, it really needs to be able to bridge half those channels for those who really only need it for a 6 channel or so like me, lol. It needs to be flexible! Either way I am sure they will keep improving this over time. Will be watching this one.


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## bbfoto (Aug 28, 2005)

I'll be pleasantly surprised if any of the channels are bridgeable.

And even if so, I don't think it's going to net in anything close to 500w @ 2 ohms that would be my minimum requirement for use on a subwoofer.

They're probably targeted towards OEM integration/replacement of people with 10-12 channel OEM systems.

Still very cool. Would be great if it has a direct USB input for audio. The description in the graphic does say, "USB Audio". 

The new _3D Ambisonic USB Recording Microphone_ is very interesting to me as well. And @ErinH might be interested in the _Avermetrics AverLAB portable high performance audio analyzer..._scroll down the page.






News Releases


miniDSP is a leading manufacturer of Digital Audio Signal Processors for the HomeTheater, Hifi, headphone and Automotive market. Join our large community of Audiophiles, Engineers and DIYers using our innovative products.




www.minidsp.com


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## dgage (Oct 1, 2013)

What about the multichannel mic? That one looks intriguing as well. Cool stuff coming out of MiniDSP.


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## naiku (May 28, 2008)

dgage said:


> Cool stuff coming out of MiniDSP


Agreed, there's also a new remote coming out for the 8x12 and 8x12DL with an OLED panel. @Truthunter discovered it in some firmware update files and MiniDSP confirmed the existence of the device.


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## banshee28 (Mar 23, 2006)

bbfoto said:


> I'll be pleasantly surprised if any of the channels are bridgeable.
> 
> And even if so, I don't think it's going to net in anything close to 500w @ 2 ohms that would be my minimum requirement for use on a subwoofer.
> 
> ...


 Yea I agree prob not bridgeable much, but we will see. Perhaps they should have 2 versions of this a 12 ch as they show here and a 6 ch each with double the power, or even better "staggered" power.

Also I wonder if there is much improvement to warrant an upgrade from a UMIK-1 to the new UMIK-2? I just noticed this Amibisonic MIC! That looks great too, may have to at least upgrade to that one, lol.


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## banshee28 (Mar 23, 2006)

...


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## WhereAmEye? (Jun 17, 2013)

Future reference: if anyone wants to sell their 8x12 dsp to get this new amp...I want dibs!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## naiku (May 28, 2008)

WhereAmEye? said:


> Future reference: if anyone wants to sell their 8x12 dsp to get this new amp...I want dibs!


I'll keep you in mind, waiting for MiniDSP to post both power ratings and a price, then I will make a decision on the current set up.


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## banshee28 (Mar 23, 2006)

WhereAmEye? said:


> Future reference: if anyone wants to sell their 8x12 dsp to get this new amp...I want dibs!
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


Not a DSP, but I may end up selling my last DDRC-24 if I decide to get this, but all depends on specs. Will be interesting. I like the idea of all in one units and the clean setup! 

It will also be interesting to see what this unit plus the Ambisonic MIC can do tuning a system.


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## mfenske (Feb 7, 2006)

I think I need this! I was leaning towards an 8x12 and class D amp. If I can do so in one chassis all the better. I'd looked at a few of the Mosconi type and their processors were a bit limited.


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## JCsAudio (Jun 16, 2014)

I recognize the power input blocks that look exactly like the ones that come on a Pioneer amplifier. I wonder if they use the same build house?


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## lingling1337 (Oct 14, 2019)

JCsAudio said:


> I recognize the power input blocks that look exactly like the ones that come on a Pioneer amplifier. I wonder if they use the same build house?


More likely there are only so many input block types out there.


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## CCole (Sep 9, 2020)

I’m excited to see this tech coming to car audio. I imagine we’ll see a lot of this in the near future. A couple home audio manufactures have been releasing 8 to 16 channel distributed audio amps with DSP, bridging, matrix(input/output assignment), and auto room correction. Anthem MDX-8/16 is the one I’ve sold 12-15 times with impressive results. Great product!! Even if they only help with TA and basic eq settings using the auto setup would help the install world tremendously. At least mid/entry level installers would be able to deliver a better sounding product. 
3-way active fronts, coax rear, and 4ch bridged to a DVC sub with DSP and auto correction from one unit. 
Holy **** Batman!


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## PaperLion (Aug 15, 2019)

How does Dirac Live compare with Helix auto tune?


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## dgage (Oct 1, 2013)

PaperLion said:


> How does Dirac Live compare with Helix auto tune?


I haven’t used Helix Auto Tune but Dirac is more sophisticated as it is one of the best mainstream algorithms for home theater. With 3.0, I’d say it is quite a bit more advanced than Helix’s algorithm as it has had more time to improve since Dirac 1.0 was released in 2008. You can actually read up on the Dirac algorithm as they have white papers discussing the time and phase alignment strategies. And there have been some users that have done quite a bit of work with Dirac for the car and say that it is better than what most good tuners can do and it would take a really good/master tuner to have a better tune than Dirac, which would take many hours vs 15 min (someone experienced with Dirac). But this also assumes the install is solid first as there’s not much tuning can do to fix a poor install.


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## WhereAmEye? (Jun 17, 2013)

naiku said:


> Agreed, there's also a new remote coming out for the 8x12 and 8x12DL with an OLED panel. @Truthunter discovered it in some firmware update files and MiniDSP confirmed the existence of the device.


I want to know more about this. I wonder how long before they update us on appearance and functionality?


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## Petererc (Dec 28, 2016)

I reached out to Minidsp via email. Maybe if they get more requests they will look into it.

“For the Head unit, it's an interesting idea... We haven't thought of this to be honest as we focus more on the DSP side (i.e. accessory). We can however suggest it to our team for future ideas. ”

They also senta link to the USBstreamer B, if I didnt just buy a DAC i would have picked one up.


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## JVD240 (Sep 7, 2009)

Petererc said:


> I reached out to Minidsp via email. Maybe if they get more requests they will look into it.
> 
> “For the Head unit, it's an interesting idea... We haven't thought of this to be honest as we focus more on the DSP side (i.e. accessory). We can however suggest it to our team for future ideas. ”
> 
> They also senta link to the USBstreamer B, if I didnt just buy a DAC i would have picked one up.


The "head unit" market is shrinking by the day. 

That's why everyone is focusing on integration units.


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## naiku (May 28, 2008)

WhereAmEye? said:


> I want to know more about this. I wonder how long before they update us on appearance and functionality?


Last I heard from them, they were basically waiting on a photographer to come and take some pictures of it, at which point I assume it will appear on the website either orderable, or as a pre-order.


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## MitchWolos (Aug 4, 2015)

PaperLion said:


> How does Dirac Live compare with Helix auto tune?


The Helix auto tune uses the built in RTA to adjust the selected channels to the desired curve using the 1/3 octave channel EQs.

Dirac calculates custom IIR and FIR filters to correct the frequency and time domain.


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## WhereAmEye? (Jun 17, 2013)

naiku said:


> Last I heard from them, they were basically waiting on a photographer to come and take some pictures of it, at which point I assume it will appear on the website either orderable, or as a pre-order.


Should be soon! Got this email from the dev team today. 



> Thanks for your interest in our products.
> We hope to release it in the coming week of Nov. Thanks for your patience.



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## cman (Aug 24, 2020)

Anyone know the power ratings yet?


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## WhereAmEye? (Jun 17, 2013)

cman said:


> Anyone know the power ratings yet?


It looks like they'll put the amp and the new remote on their website simultaneously. Might even add a few extra goodies that noone is expecting
🚶‍♀️🏃‍♀️🏃‍♀️


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## Truthunter (Jun 15, 2015)

WhereAmEye? said:


> It looks like they'll put the amp and the new remote on their website simultaneously. Might even add a few extra goodies that noone is expecting
> 🚶‍♀️🏃‍♀️🏃‍♀️


My goodness... I read that as: "It looks like they put the amp & remote on the website" ... went on there and looked around only to be disappointed 

And what are these extra goodies you speak of?


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## WhereAmEye? (Jun 17, 2013)

Truthunter said:


> My goodness... I read that as: "It looks like they put the amp & remote on the website" ... went on there and looked around only to be disappointed
> 
> And what are these extra goodies you speak of?


Dang sorry to disappoint! That's just the worst.

I don't know of anything in particular it just seems like something they would do.

I'm hoping for an app that will connect and tune for on-the-go changes.


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## squiers007 (Sep 12, 2012)

Anyone have an update on this? Really interested to see the remote before I pull the trigger on the 8x12.

Sent from my Pixel 4 using Tapatalk


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## Truthunter (Jun 15, 2015)

squiers007 said:


> Anyone have an update on this? Really interested to see the remote before I pull the trigger on the 8x12.


I've been checking the website daily but no dice yet. Wondering if the riots in Hong Kong could be effecting MiniDSP operations 😕


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## doeboy (May 2, 2012)

Thanks for your interest in our products.

Indeed, a new remote is coming up and will be on the shopping cart in the coming week. We will start shipments for the 8x12/8x12DL with the new remote in 2weeks time. 


I just got this in email today.


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## vactor (Oct 27, 2005)

i may have found my next amplifier


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## Truthunter (Jun 15, 2015)

Remote now available:
CDSP OLED Remote











But not seeing the Harmony DSP/Amp listed yet.


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## JCsAudio (Jun 16, 2014)

Looks similar to the Dayton 408 remote.


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## naiku (May 28, 2008)

You're right, it does have a knob and a display!


Waiting patiently now on the Harmony unit to show up on the website, this remote is listed as being compatible so it can't be long until that is also on there.


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## Truthunter (Jun 15, 2015)

JCsAudio said:


> Looks similar to the Dayton 408 remote.


I can't say I agree

Dayton Remote:









MiniDSP Remote:


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## naiku (May 28, 2008)

Truthunter said:


> I can't say I agree


That's because you are looking at it wrong.


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## JCsAudio (Jun 16, 2014)

Ahh-ha! I see the difference now. Thanks for those clarifying pictures Truthunter.


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## dBassHz (Nov 2, 2005)

What the hell! I just saw this post after ordering a C-DSP 8x12 DL today and the remote was not an option on the order page! Hopefully, I can get them to include it in my order.


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## doeboy (May 2, 2012)

I can say dBass I was told they would start including them with the product. I just don't know if you got in just prior to the switchover or not. They know about DIYMA that is for sure.


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## naiku (May 28, 2008)

Look what popped up on the site today... Harmony DSP 8x12

Seems a bargain, if you already have a UMIK-1 it is $999. 40W per channel, bridgeable and the outputs can be used to drive external amplifiers. I would be very tempted to swap my current set up, would configure something like this:

Channel 1 & 2 - Tweeters
Channel 3 & 4 - Mids
Channel 5 & 6 - Rear Fill
Channels 7/8 & 9/10 - Bridged Midbass
Channels 11 & 12 - Output to mono amp for subwoofer.

Doing that I could sell my current PDX V9, PDX F4 and C-DSP 8x12DL and cut down to essentially 2 boxes, 1 set of RCA's, less wiring overall. My biggest concern though, going from 100W to 40W and 80W on the midbass. Still, pretty tempting though, just a shame I can't demo 40W in my current system without first buying one.


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## banshee28 (Mar 23, 2006)

Well its official... Its listed on their site now!


Power output12 x 40 W RMS (4 Ω load, BTL mode)
6 x 80 W RMS (2 Ω load, PBTL mode)

However not sure how beneficial this would be for most, esp with a 3-way front only setup. I think I will stick with my P6 for now and use Dirac before it...Maybe they will build another model geared more towards this type of setup.


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## DaveG (Jul 24, 2019)

Looks like they hit all their marks... except the low 40 watts output.


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## Petererc (Dec 28, 2016)

what seems dumb to me is it is only 150 more the the cdsp 8x12DL. Crap even the oled remote will existing users back another 50. If i was in the market for a dsp this would be a no brainer. Even just to run the harmony on rear fill and tweeters would be comparable to purchasing a 4 channel amp with the cdsp. 
Plus it has USB input, wtf..


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## naiku (May 28, 2008)

Petererc said:


> what seems dumb to me is it is only 150 more the the cdsp 8x12DL. Crap even the oled remote will existing users back another 50. If i was in the market for a dsp this would be a no brainer. Even just to run the harmony on rear fill and tweeters would be comparable to purchasing a 4 channel amp with the cdsp.
> Plus it has USB input, wtf..


If you factor in that the Dirac upgrade costs $330, you are getting the 12 channel amp / dsp for $620 ($999 less the $50 OLED remote and the Dirac cost). 

That power rating is literally the only thing holding me back from listing everything in the classifieds.


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## Petererc (Dec 28, 2016)

I believe the USB streamer is 105 add on. 
Power rating is a bust for me as well. Have to wait and see what they release next


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## Chris12 (Sep 20, 2018)

If minidsp manipulated the power to where it could just supply sufficient power to the tweeter and midrange, I could see this being a no brainer. 

They're certainly on to something here, I just don't think they quite hit the mark.

Exciting to see the progression of this company though. They're making excellent products at extremely competitive prices.


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## dBassHz (Nov 2, 2005)

They replied back that they we're going to include it for free, but with the price of Harmony I might ask for that instead. Anyone have a link to a toslink to RCA adapter that doesn't require power?


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## squiers007 (Sep 12, 2012)

dBassHz said:


> They replied back that they we're going to include it for free, but with the price of Harmony I might ask for that instead. Anyone have a link to a USB - 12 RCAs connection adapter?


So they ARE going to be including the new OLED remote with the C-DSP 8x12?


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## dBassHz (Nov 2, 2005)

squiers007 said:


> So they ARE going to be including the new OLED remote with the C-DSP 8x12?


They said that they would include it in my order because I also ordered a 4x10 HD. Not sure if they are going to start including it with the C-DSP 8x12.


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## naiku (May 28, 2008)

Petererc said:


> I believe the USB streamer is 105 add on.


Nope, the USB streamer is not required, at least that's not how I am reading it in the manaul... "Connect to an available USB port on a computer, tablet, phone, streamer or Android-based head unit. In some cases you will need an appropriate adapter."

Sounds like just plug in the USB and go, I would guess the appropriate adapter means USB-C to USB-B for the DSP connection.



Petererc said:


> Power rating is a bust for me as well.


I'm trying to figure out if I could make it work, was thinking I could keep the PDX-V9 for midbass and subwoofer, use channels 1, 2, 3 and 4 on the Harmony for tweeters and rear fill, then bridge channels 5, 6, 7 and 8 for midrange, using the last 4 outputs to feed the PDX-V9. 40W is likely fine for tweeters and rear fill, 80W should be plenty for mids and that leaves the V9 providing power to midbass and sub which would need that extra power.


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## Petererc (Dec 28, 2016)

The USB streamer is an add on for us regular cdsp folks, which makes the harmony even more of a better value.


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## Petererc (Dec 28, 2016)

naiku said:


> I'm trying to figure out if I could make it work, was thinking I could keep the PDX-V9 for midbass and subwoofer, use channels 1, 2, 3 and 4 on the Harmony for tweeters and rear fill, then bridge channels 5, 6, 7 and 8 for midrange, using the last 4 outputs to feed the PDX-V9. 40W is likely fine for tweeters and rear fill, 80W should be plenty for mids and that leaves the V9 providing power to midbass and sub which would need that extra power.


That could work if ya wanna be the guinea pig. The unit is approx. 12”x 6”. I don’t know a lot about it but wonder components they are using for amplification., Maybe a chip?


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## banshee28 (Mar 23, 2006)

Petererc said:


> That could work if ya wanna be the guinea pig. The unit is approx. 12”x 6”. I don’t know a lot about it but wonder components they are using for amplification., Maybe a chip?





naiku said:


> I'm trying to figure out if I could make it work, was thinking I could keep the PDX-V9 for midbass and subwoofer, use channels 1, 2, 3 and 4 on the Harmony for tweeters and rear fill, then bridge channels 5, 6, 7 and 8 for midrange, using the last 4 outputs to feed the PDX-V9. 40W is likely fine for tweeters and rear fill, 80W should be plenty for mids and that leaves the V9 providing power to midbass and sub which would need that extra power.


Yea, I think there are prob use cases out there for this unit, but to me, I would only want to upgrade if it was a very good to perfect fit. Otherwise, not sure how much there is to gain at this point? I hope there is another version soon that will fit that need! Either MiniDSP with a new model or Helix with even better TA and AutoTune and more power, etc.... Lets see what we get for 2021.


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## naiku (May 28, 2008)

Petererc said:


> That could work if ya wanna be the guinea pig. The unit is approx. 12”x 6”. I don’t know a lot about it but wonder components they are using for amplification., Maybe a chip?


I'd be lying if I said I was not tempted, I'd have to see realistically what a PDX F4 and C-DSP 8x12DL are worth on the used market first though before doing anything.


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## mfenske (Feb 7, 2006)

Oh man! I think I need this. I like that you can set the outputs to line if you want larger amps. For my system the 40 watts should be plenty. The only possible issue I see is that while my car says it has SPDIF output (to the factory amp) I'm not sure how I'd actually wire it?


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## doeboy (May 2, 2012)

THe OLED is replacing the old control for the CDSP 8x12. If you are concerned about low wattage being an issue then just get a high efficiency speaker. I do think the price point is interesting as the one without the amplifier isn't that much cheaper.


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## vactor (Oct 27, 2005)

this thing looks great! can't believe people are poo pooing over a few watts. not even gonna be able to hear the difference between 40 and 75 watts. very very interesting and the price is very competitive too.


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## geolemon (Aug 15, 2005)

vactor said:


> this thing looks great! can't believe people are poo pooing over a few watts. not even gonna be able to hear the difference between 40 and 75 watts. very very interesting and the price is very competitive too.


I'm on the fence.
I think 40w is fine for tweeters and small mids. But that's not exactly leaving much headroom - something that's important to the same demographic who's interested in this.

Its not going to power my Exodus Anarchy XBL^2 6.5" midbass. And I have four of them.

Now, I could do the midbass bridged to four 80w channels - but now I have no outputs left for my sub amp... and even 80w is less than I was planning (and again - headroom).

I agree - very close to something I'd be interested in.

My guess is they were targeting a price point - this is the most they could do and stay around $1k. Big bang for the buck.

If they came out with a version that was 75x12 and bridged to 150x6, that would be the hot ticket.
Then, you could do 75x4 for tweeters and mids.
You could do 150x2 to a pair of midbass.
And you could do 300x1 to a DVC ten or twelve (150w per voice coil). 
That would be enough for most SQ guys.

Sent from my LM-G710 using Tapatalk


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## banshee28 (Mar 23, 2006)

geolemon said:


> I'm on the fence.
> I think 40w is fine for tweeters and small mids. But that's not exactly leaving much headroom - something that's important to the same demographic who's interested in this.
> 
> Its not going to power my Exodus Anarchy XBL^2 6.5" midbass. And I have four of them.
> ...


Yep, exactly. Everyone's use case is different, I have 10" Midbass's which are using mostly all of the 120W I have today, 40W would not be worth considering. 
The perfect "all-in-one" unit for ME would be something like 2x80 2x160 2x320, then use a dedicated SUB amp for the SUB.


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## Petererc (Dec 28, 2016)

naiku said:


> I'd be lying if I said I was not tempted, I'd have to see realistically what a PDX F4 and C-DSP 8x12DL are worth on the used market first though before doing anything.


I get it man, I want to play to. I would have to sell all my gear and would still come up short lol. It would be fun to messing around with and try different combination on the outputs. See what it could do, then fill in any holes if needed. 
Since people are dreaming of the next upgrade. When they release the floating display, with android audio/ carplay that can adjust the Harmony’s DSP and connect to wifi to run Dirac, hmmm..


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## Theslaking (Oct 8, 2013)

I just want a remote. Hopefully Santa is a forum member.

Well maybe the amp for out new van in the spring...


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## naiku (May 28, 2008)

Theslaking said:


> I just want a remote. Hopefully Santa is a forum member.


Do you just want the standard remote they bundle with the DSP? If I pick up one of the new OLED remotes, you can have mine as it will likely then go un-used. 

This all of course notwithstanding that I am still trying to figure out if I can make this new 12 channel amp/dsp work.


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## DaveG (Jul 24, 2019)

Copy and paste from the mini dsp site:

The all-digital* Harmony DSP 8x12* integrated DSP/amplifier *features six-channels digital audio input via USB, stereo digital optical input (TOSLINK)*, Dirac Live® acoustic correction and 12 output channels. 

So does this mean no RCA or speaker level inputs? That's the way I read it.


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## doeboy (May 2, 2012)

I dont see any RCAS on it at all. It almost looks like the intent of this is to upgrade a stock system in a car and provide it with dirac live. The inputs are lacking on the analog side so you would have to figure out the way to get the signal to it.


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## dBassHz (Nov 2, 2005)

doeboy said:


> I dont see any RCAS on it at all. It almost looks like the intent of this is to upgrade a stock system in a car and provide it with dirac live. The inputs are lacking on the analog side so you would have to figure out the way to get the signal to it.


There are no speaker level inputs though. It just has USB and Toslink inputs. I suppose you can use something like this Premium Analog Audio To Digital PCM Audio Converter and get the 5V power from the A2B port? Not exactly sure what effect it would have on the signal though. I just sent them an email. I'll report back with the correspondence.


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## doeboy (May 2, 2012)

I am just suggesting a possible intent to this. I saw the lack of high level inputs.


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## dBassHz (Nov 2, 2005)

Here's the response I got about my headunit only having analog RCA outputs:
"If you only have analog out from your Head Unit, it's the wrong platform for you I'm afraid. The CDSP 8x12 would be the one."


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## jtrosky (Jul 19, 2019)

Nice try that might fit some use-cases, but it's a fail for me. 40W RMS per channel is just not enough. Might be enough for tweeters and mids, but not for midbass or sub channels. No analog inputs either (line level or speaker level) is another huge "fail" in my opinion - because most people would have to resort to 3rd-party "converters" to even get their signal to the device... Not to mention that most people don't need 12 channels either... Just seems to be a very "strange" configuration that would apply to a very small set of use-cases.

I'm still waiting for the ultimate flexibility - one large pool of power that the _user_ can allocate to whatever channels they want. Per-channel power levels would be a software setting instead of a hardware design. User would have a "max power" setting for each channel. That way the user could assign whatever wattage to whatever channels they want. Amps would just be marketed by the overall power/number of channels (like a 1000W, 8 channel amp or a 500W, 4 channel amp) - no more "pre-defined wattage for pre-defined channels" - and no more "wasted" power for channels that will NEVER use it. Granted, there might be some "technical challenges" with this idea, but I can still dream (It's up to the really smart people to figure out how to actually design it!)....


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## Petererc (Dec 28, 2016)

Santa is in Honk Kong, email says the new remote will be sliding down the chimney on Monday


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## doeboy (May 2, 2012)

LMAO jtrosky


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## jtrosky (Jul 19, 2019)

doeboy said:


> LMAO jtrosky


Hey - laugh all you want. As soon as I become one of those "really smart" people, I may just create such an amp myself! ;-)

That being said, if anyone has any ideas on how to become "really smart" really quickly, don't hesitate to hit me up...


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## Petererc (Dec 28, 2016)

I’m out!


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## DaveG (Jul 24, 2019)

Petererc said:


> I’m out!


Most probably are. Why would you limit your market without the most used inputs? It's probably 99 to 1 high/low level inputs vs usb/toslink inputs applications! If even that! SMH...


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## mfenske (Feb 7, 2006)

dBassHz said:


> Here's the response I got about my headunit only having analog RCA outputs:
> "If you only have analog out from your Head Unit, it's the wrong platform for you I'm afraid. The CDSP 8x12 would be the one."


I find myself wondering if they'll adjust the price of that unit down a bit now as it's basically the same price minus the amp?


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## Petererc (Dec 28, 2016)

DaveG said:


> Most probably are. Why would you limit your market without the most used inputs? It's probably 99 to 1 high/low level inputs vs usb/toslink inputs applications! If even that! SMH...


I was referring to helping out with the smart stuff mentioned above.


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## doeboy (May 2, 2012)

Unless miniDSP tells us who this product is targeted at who knows what the intent of it is or what market they target. For all we know they could be selling it to OEM's that utilize the dirac system and are also just happening to sell it to the general public as well. I mean technically all you need is a dac to run the RCA to the digital on this device which can be had in a variety of price ranges.

It is all speculation until we understand the targeted audience.


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## doeboy (May 2, 2012)

One thing to note is that you can ask them to allow software download if you want to check out the software prior to purchase. THe 8x12 is shipping with the new OLED remote.


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## Jscoyne2 (Oct 29, 2014)

doeboy said:


> One thing to note is that you can ask them to allow software download if you want to check out the software prior to purchase. THe 8x12 is shipping with the new OLED remote.


Most the software is useless without being hooked up to the device. Best way to learn the device is to have someone send you a saved tune along with the software so that you can open the tune and atleast somewhat see what its all about. 

But there is no demo mode for whatever reason


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## Jscoyne2 (Oct 29, 2014)

jtrosky said:


> Hey - laugh all you want. As soon as I become one of those "really smart" people, I may just create such an amp myself! ;-)
> 
> That being said, if anyone has any ideas on how to become "really smart" really quickly, don't hesitate to hit me up...


It actually wouldn't be that hard. I think it'd be more of a size issue than anything else. Electronically switched relays are a thing. So a software that says. Power source 1(150watts) goes to output 1(relay 1 turns on). Or power source 1(150watts) goes to output 4 (relay 4 turns on). 

Idk enough about circuit design to say how difficult it would be to control multiple relays with one output and still have the traces be big enough to handle the output. (Traces are the copper lines you see on pcb boards.)

Still. I think its possible. Just more than likely impractical because sizes would need to be fairly large to account for complicated designs and many many relays.

Maybe if you had some high voltages mobile audio type design. Less heat and all to deal with.


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## doeboy (May 2, 2012)

It is important to me to look at the user interface of a device to determine how easy or difficult it will be to utilize it. The best way to learn a device is in the eye of the beholder. I don't even know you and you are telling me what the best way to learn something is? I didn't ask for advice I merely disclosed a piece of information if others were curious what the UI looks like and were looking to operate within it to gauge the product UI. There is a lot you can touch within the minidsp software without having anything hooked up at all. That is something I wanted to do and minidsp will allow people to download the software if you just have an account and ask.


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## billw (Jun 30, 2008)

They finally added this to the website.






Harmony DSP 8x12


The all-digital Harmony DSP 8x12 integrated DSP/amplifier features six-channels digital audio input via USB, stereo digital optical input, Dirac Live® acoustic correction, and 12 output channels with up to 480W of power output. Hardware features dedicated to the vehicle environment include an...




www.minidsp.com


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## Theslaking (Oct 8, 2013)

naiku said:


> Do you just want the standard remote they bundle with the DSP?


No. The new one just looks sweet. I integrated the old one in to my factory headunit.


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## MitchWolos (Aug 4, 2015)

Just here to laugh at the guys saying 40 watts isn't enough for their tweeters and midrange. 

Also, The guys that mentioned headroom.

Oh....and the guy that wants to set the power via software. That's the funniest thing I've heard in a long time. Although I do think the MiniDSP software has limiters.


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## DaveG (Jul 24, 2019)

MitchWolos said:


> Just here to laugh at the guys saying 40 watts isn't enough for their tweeters and midrange.
> 
> Also, The guys that mentioned headroom.
> 
> Oh....and the guy that wants to set the power via software. That's the funniest thing I've heard in a long time. Although I do think the MiniDSP software has limiters.


We all can use a good laugh now and then... you should probably get out more though if that's the funniest thing you've heard in a long time! Seriously though, 40 watts is more than enough for mids and tweeters. Unfortunately not a lot of systems are comprised of 12 mids and tweeters! I'm sure it's a great piece of equipment but personally it's not the answer for me. Hope I was just able to give you another good laugh! Happy Holidays!


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## dgage (Oct 1, 2013)

If they had hit 60w, I’d think it would be perfect but 80w to drive an 8” midbass isn’t that much. This site is about aftermarket systems and this one is too closely aligned to a strong factory system. Good for some but the people on this forum are probably not going to be content with this even if it is more perception than actually needed. i also wish they had a matching sub amp.


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## cman (Aug 24, 2020)

MitchWolos said:


> Just here to laugh at the guys saying 40 watts isn't enough for their tweeters and midrange.
> 
> Also, The guys that mentioned headroom.
> 
> Oh....and the guy that wants to set the power via software. That's the funniest thing I've heard in a long time. Although I do think the MiniDSP software has limiters.



Also laughing when your gains are set so high on your small amp with no headroom that all you hear is a constant hiss when your volume is turned down. 

Sorry couldn’t help. LOL


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## K-pop sucks (May 28, 2018)

Sold! Should be plenty of power for 1" tweeter and 6.5 mid woofer two way setup.


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## bhptorque (Feb 8, 2021)

Good Day, Sirs.

It also says, these are the only input available.
USB Audio, up to 6 channels at 44.1 or 48 kHz
TOSLINK stereo audio, 44.1 to 192 kHz

Does the USB Audio, mean it has a DAC onboard? and that I am only required to run a usb cable from the OTG of my android head unit to the harmony8x12 ? 

I am unable to locate which version of Android it supports. Does anyone yet have this information. 

Thank you all and regards.


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## doeboy (May 2, 2012)

400 MHz, 32-bit floating-point SHARC Digital Signal Processor (ADSP21489)






Harmony DSP 8x12


The all-digital Harmony DSP 8x12 integrated DSP/amplifier features six-channels digital audio input via USB, stereo digital optical input, Dirac Live® acoustic correction, and 12 output channels with up to 480W of power output. Hardware features dedicated to the vehicle environment include an...




www.minidsp.com


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## lapoune (Jan 4, 2012)

Anyone have one of these? Not out still?


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## 8sdiydi (Jun 7, 2021)

Bump. Anyone have the Harmony or know of any reviews? Dynos?


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## naiku (May 28, 2008)

I think most of us ruled it out because of the power issue and lack of RCA input. It's a shame, I'd have loved to eliminate at least 1 amp from my set up, maybe 40W would be enough, but I can't afford the gamble.


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## 8sdiydi (Jun 7, 2021)

You've got *12 channels* at 40 watts each though. Couldn't you just bridge some of them to get 80? Would be more than enough for most setups. 

(I don't need RCA inputs but I definitely understand why it might be a dealbreaker for some)


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## naiku (May 28, 2008)

I seem to remember emailing MiniDSP asking about bridging and there was something about it, might have been something to do with the bridged output only working on 2ohm loads. Can't remember though. 

I'm the same, don't need the RCA output, TOSLINK would be ideal for me.


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## bnae38 (Oct 3, 2015)

I'm sure I'm echoing others.. but the fact that this has no analog inputs is a major disappointment..

I guess I could come up with a workaround if I wanted it bad enough but blehhh.


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