Review: take SACD and BlURay Hirez directly to your DAC!!!!

joey116 · « **Reply #60 on:** 19 Jun 2010, 12:49 pm »

Hi ted_b, please excuse the newbie question, I am using a Bryston SP2 (no HDMI) am I correct that for this device to work I would have to have my HDMI TV on? Something I would rather not do if we are listening to audio only.

Thanks

ted_b · « **Reply #61 on:** 19 Jun 2010, 12:57 pm »

Joey116,
What is your DAC? And yes, you'd either reed the tv on (to some non tv input maybe?) or buy something like th Gefen HDMI detective I linked back on page 1 or 2.

joey116 · « **Reply #62 on:** 19 Jun 2010, 01:05 pm »

Thanks, I am still in the early stages of this, the external DAC has not been purchased yet, I would probably favor the Bryston BDA1, however may wait for the SP3 (pricing \ features) the fewer boxes that I end up with would be preferred.

ctle · « **Reply #63 on:** 28 Jun 2010, 02:16 am »

Hi ted_b,
Thanks for the info.
Have you been able to capture hi-rez music from SACD onto your Mac HD?

Regards,
ctle

ted_b · « **Reply #64 on:** 28 Jun 2010, 03:02 am »

you mean PCM from the Atlona? No, I have no real way of doing this. I'm not a recording guru, and it would be in realtime, with the need to somehow then break the stream into song tracks. Yuck. I'll just spin the SACD's I own.

For future purchases, if I want just the 2 channel I'll see if Bruce Brown's great DSD-to-PCM HDTracks transfers are an option, but most likely I'll buy the SACD for it's additional multichannel content anyway.

ctle · « **Reply #65 on:** 28 Jun 2010, 03:34 am »

I have an Oppo BDP 83 connected to the Portta HDMI 4 Ports Switcher with Audio Output
http://www.port-ta.com/show.asp?id=203
When playing SACDs my DAC displayed 24/88.2 kHz but I managed to record only 44.1 onto MBP's hard drive via Audiofile Engineering Wave Editor??? Maybe I need a hi-rez sound card to capture hirez-music?

ctle

Phil A · « **Reply #66 on:** 28 Jun 2010, 03:44 am »

Quote from: ctle on 28 Jun 2010, 03:34 am

I have an Oppo BDP 83 connected to the Portta HDMI 4 Ports Switcher with Audio Output
http://www.port-ta.com/show.asp?id=203
When playing SACDs my DAC displayed 24/88.2 kHz but I managed to record only 44.1 onto MBP's hard drive via Audiofile Engineering Wave Editor??? Maybe I need a hi-rez sound card to capture hirez-music?

ctle

Wow, so you can get the same result from this as from the HDMI audio de-embedder? I currently use an HDMI Switch (without a digital audio out). I didn't see a price. What does it cost and where can you buy it?

ctle · « **Reply #67 on:** 28 Jun 2010, 03:57 am »

I purchased this unit for US$69 from ebay last week.
http://cgi.ebay.com.au/HDMI-4x1-HIFI-Switch-Toslink-Coaxial-Stereo-Audio-V1-3b-/260623243516?cmd=ViewItem&pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3cae5b18fc#ht_1682wt_912

Phil A · « **Reply #68 on:** 28 Jun 2010, 03:57 am »

Quote from: ctle on 28 Jun 2010, 03:57 am

I purchased this unit for US$69 from ebay last week.
http://cgi.ebay.com.au/HDMI-4x1-HIFI-Switch-Toslink-Coaxial-Stereo-Audio-V1-3b-/260623243516?cmd=ViewItem&pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3cae5b18fc#ht_1682wt_912

thanks

ted_b · « **Reply #69 on:** 28 Jun 2010, 04:27 am »

No Phil, not "same result". The Porta, like the other non-Atlona ones I mentioned, are not capable of anything near BluRay and DVD-Audio's 24/192. I was told 24/48 (which is what you recorded) but you say the DAC regsitered 24/88? But yes, you save $130.

ctle · « **Reply #70 on:** 28 Jun 2010, 04:47 am »

I haven't tried 24/192 but I can confirm the Portta works with 24/88.2 and 24/96.
I got the info from this thread: http://www.head-fi.org/forum/thread/455769/ripping-sacds-via-spdif-at-176-4-with-a-ps3

ted_b · « **Reply #71 on:** 28 Jun 2010, 05:20 am »

Quote from: ctle on 28 Jun 2010, 04:47 am

I haven't tried 24/192 but I can confirm the Portta works with 24/88.2 and 24/96.
I got the info from this thread: http://www.head-fi.org/forum/thread/455769/ripping-sacds-via-spdif-at-176-4-with-a-ps3

Cool, that's where I got started on this too.. Chuck (emmodad on that forum) is who I have been working with on this Atlona find. He confirmed that he tested a few others and they did not produce good results at 24/96 or above (sorry...should edit above post...I meant to say 24/96 not 24/48)...but maybe this one you have will! Keep us posted! I realize we're talking about less than $100, but if one saves a few bucks and does the same thing, let's report it. Thanks.

By the way, does your DAC truly tell you bit depth too (i.e 24 bit, or just sample rate)? if so, I'd love for you to trial the Atlona and completely confirm the 24 bit issue.

ctle · « **Reply #72 on:** 28 Jun 2010, 10:00 am »

My DAC is a 24/92 DAC thus I'm unable to test 24/192 DVD-A/Blu-ray disc. It displays only sample rate (96kHz)

Phil A · « **Reply #73 on:** 28 Jun 2010, 11:18 pm »

Quote from: ted_b on 28 Jun 2010, 04:27 am

No Phil, not "same result". The Porta, like the other non-Atlona ones I mentioned, are not capable of anything near BluRay and DVD-Audio's 24/192. I was told 24/48 (which is what you recorded) but you say the DAC regsitered 24/88? But yes, you save $130.

Ted thanks - I ordered it anyway. I ordered from Markertek a couple of weeks aback and held off on the Atlona for now. I use the Oppo HDMI switch anyway now and figured it was worth a try with the Bryston DAC for my Modwright Oppo BDP-83. I could always probably find a use for it eventually in the secondary basement system. I have a Marantz DV9600 (HDMI 1.1) and can probably use it with an old Micromega DAC that stills sounds pretty decent at least on DVD-A. $68 is an easy buy for something I can use anyway to switch HDMI

Robin Hood · « **Reply #74 on:** 29 Jun 2010, 10:41 pm »

Hi ted_b,

You may have finally convinced me that SACDs are a dead end if you want superior sonics. I only wish the Atlona solution you describe was capable of 24/176.4 PCM. I also wish that the Atlona unit had coaxial in addition to toslink output.

This thread has been very thought provoking but at the end of this day I am concluding that:

1. The Oppo BDP-83 SE (and probably the NuForce Edition) will always come in second (if not mid-fi) compared to your solution using a vastly superior DAC.
2. All things being equal 24/176.4 PCM is usually far superior to 24/88.2 PCM.
3. Mixing audio and video over HDMI will always result in a sonic compromise and noise or higher jitter. This reminds me of what a Best Buy salesman in their reference home theater section tried to tell me that component video was superior to HDMI for video.
4. Thus what I really want is just the 24/176.4, 24/192, DSD64 or DSD128 digital files either as a download or on a DVD data disc.
5. The exception to this would be for multi-channel where one may be willing to compromise a stock Oppo BDP and a A/V HDMI receiver with digital room correction (or the Oppo SE/NE and high end preamp/amp w/o DRC) in order to have the superior sonics of multi-channel audio over stereo.

Fortunately I am hopeful that more record labels will offer high rez digital downloads or data discs in addition to SACD disc offerings.

PLMONROE · « **Reply #75 on:** 6 Jul 2010, 04:10 am »

Ted, I am indebted to you! After reading this thread I just had to get one of these for my 2 channel sound system. I ordered the Altona AT-HD570 and to provide the HDMI handshaking a Sharpe LC-19SB27UT LCD TV. What a beautiful little set, terrific reception on an indoor antenna, and it has a PC input so I can also use it as my PC monitor as well. I hooked it up to my DAC and Oppo 83 and it worked beautifully right off the bat! But alas I now have a REALLY, REALLY stupid question -- the manual says it "supports digital dolby 5.1/2 and LPCM 2 channels output through optical fiber". So do I set the little slide switch to the 5.1/2 or 2 channel position? I tried both and both sound great!

Paul

ted_b · « **Reply #76 on:** 6 Jul 2010, 01:21 pm »

Paul,
Thanks. The mnaul is not very good about explaining that switch. I would guess for our 2 channel needs that it doesn't matter (and experiments seem to support that).

Gopher · « **Reply #77 on:** 6 Jul 2010, 05:27 pm »

This is interesting to me. If I wanted to feed my PS3 into one of these devices for the purposes of watching Blurays in 2.0 through my Minimax Sabre 32 DAC, would I run into problems with the source being set for multiple channels?

I.e. Can I just use an input on my DAC for movie purposes and avoid the analog out adapter to enjoy high quality 2.0 audio in my rig?

srb · « **Reply #78 on:** 6 Jul 2010, 05:32 pm »

Quote from: Gopher on 6 Jul 2010, 05:27 pm

This is interesting to me. If I wanted to feed my PS3 into one of these devices for the purposes of watching Blurays in 2.0 through my Minimax Sabre 32 DAC, would I run into problems with the source being set for multiple channels?

I.e. Can I just use an input on my DAC for movie purposes and avoid the analog out adapter to enjoy high quality 2.0 audio in my rig?

I'm pretty sure most all of the standalone stereo DACs, when fed something other than 2 channel PCM, will either emit a nasty digital noise or mute it.

Steve

ted_b · « **Reply #79 on:** 6 Jul 2010, 06:16 pm »

Quote from: Gopher on 6 Jul 2010, 05:27 pm

This is interesting to me. If I wanted to feed my PS3 into one of these devices for the purposes of watching Blurays in 2.0 through my Minimax Sabre 32 DAC, would I run into problems with the source being set for multiple channels?

I.e. Can I just use an input on my DAC for movie purposes and avoid the analog out adapter to enjoy high quality 2.0 audio in my rig?

I'd set the PS3 for 2.0 downmix, send HDMI through the Atlona, passes out to your tv, and then simply use the Atlona's optical out to your DAC.