miniDSP with separates or Arcam SA30 or NAD C658 plus beefy power amp?

miniDSP does not have Dolby or DTS decoding. Sadly.

erik_squires,

I'm mainly trying to get a Dirac capable 2.0 or 2.2  channel system going. I have thought about just getting a Dirac AVR like Arcam or NAD but I'm really trying to upgrade my 2 channel electronics for a fairly significant future 2 channel speaker upgrade.

In the mean time it seems it would be nice to have an integrated with HT bypass atop my AVR.  Right now it seems NAD C658 with good power amp or Arcam SA30 with their P429 in bridged mode.  However, I don't believe the C658 has HT bypass.

It seems like the Arcam SA30 with the P429 amp would be a great set of electronics for a next step 6-10K speaker upgrade a few years down the road. 

I'm mainly trying to get a Dirac capable 2.0 or 2.2 channel system going.

Sorry I misunderstood!

Concerning the P429 amp, it is never a good idea to buy a multi-channel amp just to bridge it.  For one thing, it reduces the ability for the amp to handle lower impedances on speakers.  When bridged, you need to make sure your speaker is 8 ohms and does not drop down low.  Many speakers nowadays will drop down to 3 ohm impedance in certain frequency areas even though the speaker is listed as an "8 ohm speaker".  Second, you are compromising the design of the amp and forcing it to execute in a "work around" mode.    You're much better off looking for a higher power stereo amp instead.

I'm hoping you realize the Arcam is an integrated amp, so you don't necessarily need an external power amp for it.

Another thing to be aware - the HT bypass modes will typically bypass ALL PROCESSING in the preamp/integrated, including any Dirac room correction.

I'm running the 658 into a Wyred For Sound St500 MkII. Couldn't be happier. I can recommend the 658 without reservation.