# Which DSP are people using for Car PC?



## naiku (May 28, 2008)

My MS8 is on it's way to a new home, so now I am on the lookout for a new DSP. What are people typically running? Ideally I want to retain the volume on the Nexus 7 (or via steering wheel controls) but I also want to look into running optical input to the DSP if possible. 

At the moment I am bouncing between Helix, Mosconi and possibly a Bit One. Just wondering what people are using for the most part, or if there is no clear option. 

Thanks.


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## crackinhedz (May 5, 2013)

Im using Optical to a 6to8v8 , Windows 10.

Been a while since using Nexus [Android]. Just ensure your firmware version supports audio out USB if you intend to use Optical. Possibly some other stipulations with Android Im unaware of.


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## naiku (May 28, 2008)

The ROM I have supports USB audio, so that should hopefully be no issue. Are you using volume control on your E3IO? Or the Mosconi controller?


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## hurrication (Dec 19, 2011)

I used optical out to minidigi+minidsp on a mac mini.


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## pcpete (Jan 24, 2009)

I'm using Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 -> SMSL X-USB XMOS based usb to spdif COAX 192/24 ->Helix DSP Pro

Should work with a PC too....


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## crackinhedz (May 5, 2013)

naiku said:


> The ROM I have supports USB audio, so that should hopefully be no issue. Are you using volume control on your E3IO? Or the Mosconi controller?


I have volume control from the e3io...believe its a windows feature, not sure how Android handles it.

And I can control it from my steering wheel controls via JOYCON EX.


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## naiku (May 28, 2008)

Cool, hopefully android works the same way. I also use a Joycon, that thing is worth it's weight in gold!


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## crackinhedz (May 5, 2013)

You could test your Android USB/Optical to a home receiver (Optical Input) and see how it functions.


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## pcpete (Jan 24, 2009)

naiku said:


> Cool, hopefully android works the same way. I also use a Joycon, that thing is worth it's weight in gold!


Joycon user #3 here  works great with android and steering wheel controls..

Sent from my SM-N910W8 using Tapatalk


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## naiku (May 28, 2008)

crackinhedz said:


> You could test your Android USB/Optical to a home receiver (Optical Input) and see how it functions.


Thanks, did not think of that.


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## ninetysix (Dec 6, 2009)

Minidsp c-dsp 6x8 here, fed coax SPDIF via a pcm2704 usb dac from a nexus 5 (rooted, running blisspop 5.1 and battery bypassed with a 3.7v power supply). Joycon exr too. I'm using the DSP remote for volume control, though I can also control volume from the phone/steering wheel controls.

Delighted with the minidsp, it's the cleanest output I've ever had in a car. The price was right, and the tuning capabilities of it far exceed what I realistically need.


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## Orion525iT (Mar 6, 2011)

Headless Asus ROG Impact VII with ALC1150 audio chip on Windows 10, optical out to Minidsp 2x8 with DIGI-FP and VOL-FP add in cards.

Power is provided by MiniBox DCDC-USB-200 which utilizes dual synchronous buck boost via two parallel LTC3780 buck/boost chips and spread spectrum, out of phase operation. The design helps reduce ripple and noise in the output. The supply is programmed to boost voltage to 24v and is used to feed a HDPLEX HiFi DC-ATX power supply. The HDPLEX provides power for the motherboard and for the MiniDSP 2x8. The HDPLEX is designed to produce clean power for hifi applications, but is typically used in home systems and is fed with laptop type plugin power supplies. But it works great as I have it set up for mobile use.

AIMP3 is used for playback because it defeats the Windows based audio ****ery that hurts SQ. The AIMP3 is controlled via Note 3 through an AIMP3 remote app. I can also use Chrome Remote Desktop to access the PC directly if needed.

I only have a 64G SSD drive for storage and OS right now. But I mounted a USB hub in the dash where I can easily plug in USB sticks or even a portable HD or whatever.


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## Silvercoat (Dec 5, 2013)

ninetysix said:


> Minidsp c-dsp 6x8 here, fed coax SPDIF via a pcm2704 usb dac from a nexus 5 (rooted, running blisspop 5.1 and battery bypassed with a 3.7v power supply). Joycon exr too. I'm using the DSP remote for volume control, though I can also control volume from the phone/steering wheel controls.
> 
> Delighted with the minidsp, it's the cleanest output I've ever had in a car. The price was right, and the tuning capabilities of it far exceed what I realistically need.


So you have two different volumes controls at the moment?

Steering Wheel controls "Tablet volume" and the DSP remote controls "DSP output volume"?


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## pcpete (Jan 24, 2009)

That's how I'm running as well....actually have a 3rd control as well....it's an xkeys usb keypad...it's installed right at where my hand rests while I drive...it controls the volume going out of the tablet..same as the joycon

Sent from my SM-N910W8 using Tapatalk


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## ninetysix (Dec 6, 2009)

Silvercoat said:


> So you have two different volumes controls at the moment?
> 
> Steering Wheel controls "Tablet volume" and the DSP remote controls "DSP output volume"?


Technically, yes although I only use the minidsp remote for volume. I plan to remap the volume up/down buttons to something else (not sure what yet) but only really use the mute or pause button on the steering wheel if I need it to shut up in a hurry


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## Silvercoat (Dec 5, 2013)

pcpete said:


> That's how I'm running as well....actually have a 3rd control as well....it's an xkeys usb keypad...it's installed right at where my hand rests while I drive...it controls the volume going out of the tablet..same as the joycon
> 
> Sent from my SM-N910W8 using Tapatalk


Volume out of the tablet via optical does not actually change the system volume does it? I know if you go tablet > bluetooth to SPDIF > DSP it should it but what about tablet > USB-SPDIF > DSP?


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## pcpete (Jan 24, 2009)

My tablet...galaxy tab s2 (stock rom)...in combination with my smsl x-usb (usb/spdif converter) actually up converts all native android audio ( tunein,spotify etc) to 192/24! 

I know this because the smsl displays what it receives on its little display.

The android volume rocker works normally. I really don't know , however, if I am losing any detail by using it. I figure since android is up converting everything to 192/24, that the volume is being applied after the up convert, thus no detail is being lost...I wish I really knew what was going on in this regard.

When I use uapp player (has its own android usb driver) I can have it play my files bit perfect...ie 96/24 , 176.4/24 etc...and the smsl displays the correct info



Sent from my SM-N910W8 using Tapatalk


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## ninetysix (Dec 6, 2009)

Silvercoat said:


> Volume out of the tablet via optical does not actually change the system volume does it? I know if you go tablet > bluetooth to SPDIF > DSP it should it but what about tablet > USB-SPDIF > DSP?


Yes the volume rocker/system/media volume in android still works over usb spdif.

Although in uapp where it takes over complete control of audio (and lets you go above 16/48) and you don't hear any other sounds it definitely stops working, which I'm pretty sure it's supposed to... I recall spdif isn't supposed to allow for attenuation


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## ninetysix (Dec 6, 2009)

ninetysix said:


> Yes the volume rocker/system/media volume in android still works over usb spdif.
> 
> Although in uapp where it takes over complete control of audio (and lets you go above 16/48) and you don't hear any other sounds it definitely stops working, which I'm pretty sure it's supposed to... I recall spdif isn't supposed to allow for attenuation


OK i take that back, volume control does work in uapp but separately to system volume, if you're not in the app but playing music and use the rocker buttons it moves the system/media sliders which aren't doing anything, but in the app it moves uapps orange slider


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## pcpete (Jan 24, 2009)

Volume control and spdif has always been a bit of a mystery for me...it's kinda hit and miss ...so many variables , not really sure what's going on underneath all the software and driver layers...I wish there was more transparency ...

For everyday listeming (spotify tunein) I don't really care, so I use the Volume control that is easiest, the system volume. ....for critical listening of my hi Def files I use UAPP, set sys volume to max and use the helix dsp pro volume control

Sent from my SM-N910W8 using Tapatalk


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## Silvercoat (Dec 5, 2013)

Huh, I thought there were other fixes to the output rates for Android. Make me wish the some DSP had an input for steering wheel controls....


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## ninetysix (Dec 6, 2009)

Silvercoat said:


> Huh, I thought there were other fixes to the output rates for Android. Make me wish the some DSP had an input for steering wheel controls....


This came up just recently in the minidsp c-dsp 6x8 thread, you can use a PAC swi-x which outputs steering wheel controls as an IR signal and the minidsp remote has an IR receiver you could use for vol up/down and mute. Not sure if you would also need a joycon exr to skip/pause or what ever else you want, but either way it's all possible 




fourthmeal said:


> I'm only suggesting this in theory but isn't there usually a device (from PAC or something) that should be able to take factory wheel controls and convert them to IR. Well the MiniDSP remote accepts IR inputs. I'm not 100% certain it would work, but it seems like it would be able to.
> 
> edit: Yeah the SWI-X unit, that should do it.


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## GoodRevrnd (Jun 10, 2016)

ninetysix said:


> This came up just recently in the minidsp c-dsp 6x8 thread, you can use a PAC swi-x which outputs steering wheel controls as an IR signal and the minidsp remote has an IR receiver you could use for vol up/down and mute. Not sure if you would also need a joycon exr to skip/pause or what ever else you want, but either way it's all possible


It's possible to run the PAC and JoyCon in parallel? Although, since I use the JoyCon ExD, it has a bypass function so you could feed into the JoyCon first and tell volume controls to pass through to the PAC I think. Alternatively, I've been wondering if you can rig some other sort of simpler IR output that just connects to the "LED output" funciton of the JoyCon. Still, my problem with the mini C-DSP is it doesn't appear to have TOSLINK.


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