Where should I buy a Helix DSP Mini in the US?

O

ozzuneoj

Noob
Hello everyone, I'm interested in buying my first DSP for the system I'll be putting into my car, and I'm pretty much set on a Helix DSP Mini. It should suit my needs for the foreseeable future since I'm only running a sub and a front stage (currently will use my existing 2 channel amp, with the component set's passive crossover, but may eventually get a 4 channel amp to go active in the future). I plan to use toslink for input into the DSP.

This DSP has sent the budget for my build significantly higher than I'd originally intended, but I think it's a decent investment in the long run versus buying something cheaper and then having to troubleshoot issues.

Where would you buy one if you are in the US?

I see there's an ebay seller that has them for $450 US shipped from Austria (~$480 after tax), but there also appear to be several international shops that have them as well, including on amazon.de.

Is it possible to get one in the US for less than the price of that ebay seller? I'd also want to be sure I had some kind of manufacturer warranty, given the cost of the unit.

To go along with this, I'll probably end up getting a UMIK-1 to hook up to a laptop for the calibration. I'm new to DSPs, but this seems like the best way to go... plus I can use it for the couple of systems I have in my house as well. :)

Thanks for any help you can offer.
 
Personally, I'd go with a DSP.3 at a minimum for future expansion. 6 channels runs out quick and mid-bass, mid and tweet is becoming very common for front stage, even in stock systems these days.

Search for a dealer near you. I would not buy from an unauthorized dealer, which all ebay are not.

https://www.msc-america.com/dealer-locator/

If you don't have one close, you could contact Skizer here and he can order one for you.
 
jrwalte said:
Personally, I'd go with a DSP.3 at a minimum for future expansion. 6 channels runs out quick and mid-bass, mid and tweet is becoming very common for front stage, even in stock systems these days.

Search for a dealer near you. I would not buy from an unauthorized dealer, which all ebay are not.

https://www.msc-america.com/dealer-locator/

If you don't have one close, you could contact Skizer here and he can order one for you.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the input. The DSP.3 is out of my price range if the $700 price tag I'm seeing around the internet is accurate. To put the budget into perspective, I am installing mostly reused parts from my previous system (almost all from 2008) into an 11 year old vehicle I bought just last year. I'll be installing the JBL P660C set I took out of my old car (purchased new in 2017), along with a Fi Q 12" subwoofer in a custom sealed box. For amps I'll be using my old reliable Kicker ZX200.2 and ZX750.1 from ~2008. The head unit will be something more modern.

After researching for months and getting fed up with the current state of the head unit market, I was going to do this install for under $100 by reusing everything I already had (including repairing my old Kenwood X491 from ~2006), but I eventually figured out a setup that seemed to make sense for me, but was way more expensive than I'd originally intended. The Helix DSP Mini would be, for me, a huge expenditure. I can only justify it because it's something that will easily move from vehicle to vehicle in the future. I like to keep my stuff for years. :)

I live in the middle of nowhere in northern Pennsylvania, so there aren't any authorized dealers near me. I was hoping to just buy one online if possible. If I can't do that, I'll probably just have to give up on the Helix and buy a Dayton DSP-408 and a spdif DAC. Saves me $350+... I just hope I don't have some of the noise problems that others have reported with them. I was also really hoping to have a pure digital signal all the way to the DSP.

What is the going rate for a Helix DSP Mini or DSP.3 in the US if ordered from an authorized dealer?

Alternatively, I would certainly buy used but the price has to be worth not having any kind of warranty.

Thank you again for your time!
 
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Jdunk54nl said:
If all else fails, you can get a minidsp c-dsp6x8

https://www.minidsp.com/products/car-audio-dsp/c-dsp-6x8
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That's an option, but I've read a lot more praise for the Helix. I also need toslink for spidf and I'd rather not use converters if possible. I don't like adding more points of failure.

This is one of the main reasons I haven't just gone with the Dayton 408 since I'd need a toslink DAC in the chain as well.

I still haven't heard back from anyone about the Helix pricing or availability, but that's probably just due to the three day weekend. I did find a guy selling a used DSP Mini that is willing to ship. I'm a bit leery because I know there's always a risk, plus there is no warranty... but for under $250 plus shipping, it's certainly better than the $500 it costs (including shipping and tax) to get one from Europe. I'd honestly prefer new though.... just for the peace of mind.
 
It's been a couple days and I still haven't heard back from either user about buying a Helix DSP.

Is there some other way to contact these guys? Send me a PM if you need to.
 
That is definitely the thing that I dislike the most about Helix - the sales model. Supposedly, they don't allow "online sales", but obviously that is not really true as people are still buying and selling them "online" - it's just that your choices of who you can buy from online are VERY limited - and you just have to play this silly "hush, hush" game when you do it.

I *really* wish that I could just go to Crutchfield, research the different models and pricing - and just buy the damn equipment quickly and easily - without trying to track certain people down (like in this case).

<end rant>
 
Thanks for the phone number. Seems a little weird to me to have to call someone from a message board to purchase something from an authorized dealer. Does Jerry work at a shop? Can I simply go to his shop's website?

jtrosky said:
That is definitely the thing that I dislike the most about Helix - the sales model. Supposedly, they don't allow "online sales", but obviously that is not really true as people are still buying and selling them "online" - it's just that your choices of who you can buy from online are VERY limited - and you just have to play this silly "hush, hush" game when you do it.

I *really* wish that I could just go to Crutchfield, research the different models and pricing - and just buy the damn equipment quickly and easily - without trying to track certain people down (like in this case).

<end rant>
Click to expand...

Yeah, I have to say this is about the strangest thing I've seen in a while. I'm not sure why Helix (or the US distributor, MSC) make it so hard to buy this stuff. I bought my subwoofer, custom-to-order, directly from Fi's website back in 2008 and that was a very smooth process. I don't need to buy from a huge retailer... I just want to get a decent price on a piece of equipment with a warranty without having to jump through hoops or feel like I'm buying something out of the back of a van in an alley.

Again, I don't know what the marketing angle of this is, but all it has done for me is given me time to consider alternatives. I'm actually building my system now and I still don't have the DSP... which I'm going to need to get multiple channels out of a toslink cable.
 
Problem is, it's only ever local shops MSC seems to deal with. And they aren't going to create a store front for you to buy from online. Maybe large online retailers like Crutchfield want too much profit margin for MSC to agree with.

Have you tried calling MSC? Saying you have no dealers close to you and what can you do to buy one?
 
I think audiotec fischer and msc think it’s very easy to screw up dsp stuff, theirs is no exception. It also takes a lot to integrate a dsp properly. They want to be able to provide support to those people who purchase their products. By only allowing local sales, you always have support if needed. The few online people, they trust to provide support if needed.

They probably know that this is costing them sales, but also less returns and less issues.
 
Thanks for the input guys. I found a shop about 2 hours drive from me that is an MSC dealer and they say they can order a Helix DSP Mini for $500 + tax... which is quite high for my budget and the features it includes. For example, I don't get a remote or bluetooth control and as mentioned by others it is fairly limited with only 6 output channels. I have no intention of "needing" more channels any time soon, but for the price it's hard to ignore that limitation.

Alternatively, the same shop has Audio Dynamics DSP68 units in stock for $400. Those come with bluetooth and a remote with 8 channels of output and still maintain the 31 band EQ on channels 1-6 and optical input.

The price is still on the high side for me, but considering it would cost nearly $250 for the outrageously priced Helix add-ons just to get similar controls, and that would still have less channels... the AD DSP68 seems like a good value. BUT, the big question is how do they actually compare when it comes to sound quality, reliability and software usability? Features and specs on paper definitely don't tell the whole story.

Has anyone used an Audio Dynamics DSP? How do they compare to Helix, MiniDSP or others?

Also, is it possible to import settings from REW into the Helix or Audio Dynamics software? I just started learning REW and it seems really nice. I bought a calibrated UMIK-1 from CSA and it was delivered yesterday. I'll be using it on all the speakers in my house now. :D
 
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ozzuneoj said:
Also, is it possible to import settings from REW into the Helix or Audio Dynamics software? I just started learning REW and it seems really nice. I bought a calibrated UMIK-1 from CSA and it was delivered yesterday. I'll be using it on all the speakers in my house now. :D
Click to expand...

I'm not sure about Audio Dynamics, but with the Helix you can import REW EQ filter files
 
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