I installed a new Monoprice HDMI Switcher ($80) in my home AV system this morning. It works and does exactly what I had hoped for with a fast, easy, and painless setup.
My problem this solved was getting the best possible audio quality from my Motorola Comcast cable box. The cable box has both coax and optical digital audio outputs, but evidently pre-programmed for Dolby Digital instead of SPDIF, so I could not access a useable coax digital output to feed my DAC in the system. I had to use second best, coming out the analog stereo audio outputs of the cable box into my own preamp, power amp, and speakers.
The Monoprice HDMI Switcher solved this problem. Almost as an afterthought, it manages to strip out the good old SPDIF digital output from the HDMI signal from the cable box and make it available as either a coax or optical output jack on the switch box.
All it required was digging out one more spare HDMI cable, a coax digital interconnect cable, finding a place to plug in the Monoprice switcher AC wall wart, and plug it all together. HDMI from the cable box to an HDMI input on the switcher, HDMI cable from the switcher to the TV, and the digital coax cable from the switcher to one of two switched coax digital inputs on my Vision DAC/Preamp.
Turned it all on, and it came up set as I wanted with no adjustments or switches to throw at all. Voila! Instant much better music and sound.
The Monoprice HDMI switcher's main purpose is to provide multiple HDMI inputs for TV sets that only have one HDMI input. - - or fewer than you need anyway. It has more functions too, and has some tiny switches on the back that can set for other functions. I did not bother to read all the fine print in the manual, it does exactly what I had hoped for with no adjustments or tweaks needed at all.
It accepts up to four HDMI sources and provides one HDMI output to feed your TV. It comes with a tiny remote control to turn it on and off and switch between inputs. It also has those so important (to me) SPDIF digital outputs which it happily extracts from whichever HDMI source is selected. It is tiny, foolproof, easy to set up and use, and is inexpensive. It solved a major problem for me and possibly it can do the same for you.
My HT system consists of a big 40" Sony LED TV, the Comcast cable box, our Vision DAC/Preamp combo unit with the 2 digital input option and remote control. The second digital input is for the sound from my Oppo Blue Ray player. The system is finished with a big Fet Valve 600R power amplifier and a pair of Salk HT2TL loudspeakers.
Now, with all the stock cable box and TV audio electronics bypassed, the audio quality of my HT system is pretty outstanding. Who need 5 or 7 speakers when two channels, done really well, image and play so transparently.
The Monoprice HDMI Switcher is worth more than its $80 price to me. If you too want better TV audio, this device will interface your DAC to your cable box and help your HT system sound better than you would think. Highly recommended.
Frank Van Alstine
