Trinnov Nova vs Sonarworks... what's the real difference?

Just finished the long Trinnov thread and that seems to be the big one. I have no need for a monitor controller and I'm happy with my DA conversion so it's kinda like... geez, does time domain correction really make a $3500 difference?

I’ve not used the nova, but someone that has said it was kind of a step down from the st-2. I know it doesn’t have as many features. That being said, They said they are going to support the ST two until 2030. You could probably get one of those for around 2500 all in.

I've not spoken to a single person that had one that didn't rave about it.

Hey Idie

did you use sound works or ARC in that room prior to the Trinnov...and if so.. what was the comparison?


cheers

Wiz

I’d like a Trinnov someday, but I will say, the ARC Studio was a night and day situation for me. I think it’s a ridiculously great deal for what it is!

Yes, I’ve had Sonarworks and Dirac. Both of which I got after the Trinnov. It’s been a while, but I remember preferring Trinnov. It’s just better. But given the price difference, it ought to be better.

I also remember having to contact support for someone to help me set it up. Lots of parameters. I had to have a separate monitor and coordinate with someone in France to connect with for the setup. That was a bit of a turn-off.

One thing is , SW does not recommend taking measurements in a different plane , ARC does, so theoretically ARC may better differentiate time domain differences , whereas Trinov does for sure.

I have only used SW and have never kept it.

But I think , Trinov would always sound best/first with Arc and SW being a very close 2nd and 3rd .

I think I posted a couple of comments in the bigger thread, but the Nova was completely worth the cost (+mic bundle) for my room which is unfortunately smaller than I'd prefer (details in the Studio Build forum). My choices after building it as it was designed were to install two subs in the front corners or room correction. I've had it for about six months and would not go back to Sonarworks, which is still a good solution, IMHO. The time/phase correction of the Nova is spot on and although I knew my floor was sloped slightly, meaning that my right monitor is just slightly shorter than the left the Nova measures and corrects for all of that. I ended up bumping the 50/60 range a db or so for taste but everything translates so well with the Nova.

I was hesitant about the setup and having anything between my converters (Burl B80) and monitor controller (B26) but it's transparent as it should be. I would not run a Nova if I had to use it as the main monitor controller though. Just not compelling in that duty to my setup.

My only complaints are that the software UI/UX sucks. And, it never connects the first time you launch the app. I have to open it, let it start spinning to connect, then quit and reopen it. Once it connects on the second run it always comes up muted and at -60db. So I have to click 60 times on the up arrow to get it to 0db where it's out of the way. Seems the app ignores these settings when saved in a preset. At this point it's part of my studio startup routine but is still a total pain in the ass annoyance. 

The translation, detail and imaging is amazing though.

I only run stereo so keep in mind that if you run more than two channels there's additional licensing for more outputs that you have to pay for. You get two channels with the Nova purchase. I have no idea what that cost is though for additional outputs.

Ohhhhh noooo...you don't get to do the music and not spend all the money.

Another thing that bugged me about the Trinnov was that it is just a computer with DA. I think at the time I had a pretty expensive, high end stereo DA that was made useless by the Trinnov DA, which was arguably much older and probably not as good. And it was all housed in a computer. With computing processing getting exponentially faster, did it really make sense that I needed a 3500 computer to run a piece of room correction software? I mean, I get the reasons why it makes sense that it's external. And I get that same argument could be made for any external digital processor, including my 8C's. That was just something that bugged me. Doesn't mean that the Trinnov was any less impressive, though.

I think the thing I find hard to swallow is owing a pair of speakers that are already almost $10k new, and feeling like I "need" to correct them. It feels a touch backwards to me. That said I have been definitely struggling a bit since making the switch from NS10s to the ATCs and I can't tell what is so damn different.