Not to hijack the technical discussion. Few simple questions. Setting up 5.1 HT for movies. Wanted to try room EQ. Few options.
1. Audyssey XT 32 with Denon AVR. All-in-one simple solution, but not easy to upgrade.
2. Other AVR, such as pioneer or Yamaha with EQ software. Anthem is too pricey for me. So is Bryston and new Emotiva/Monoprice TOTL processors that include Dirac.
3. Dirac live. The only hardware that seems affordable is miniDSP. Would need 8 channel (I think) for the HT. But this option would possibly allow for the latersoftware upgrades with future versions for not very much ($100 now I think).
A. Can miniDSP be used as a preamp if DAC included in it to drive 5 channel amp? Or do I still need a processor?
B. Can EQ software be used with other formats (DTS....) if miniDSP used together with dedicated processor? Should I use anything else for movies if Dirac is used? In other words, can (and should) EQ software be combined with DTS, Dolby, or other sound processing formats used in receivers? Or is it one or the other?
4. Any other cost effective options?
Thanks