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Octava HDMXA71 4x2 HDMI Matrix switch with 7.1 Audio - Opinions?

post #1 of 13
1/21/13 at 7:50am
Thread Starter 
Guys wondering what those of you using this think of it? For me i need something that will do the switching and convert LPCM to analog 7.1 to feed to a Denon 5805.

Wondering about:
- Analog audio quality?
- Remote? (I had a Kinivo 4x2 and its remote changed channels etc on the Channel Master 7001 OTA tuner!)
- Any other issues?

Thanks....
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post #2 of 13
1/21/13 at 10:21am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Chris Albert View Post

Guys wondering what those of you using this think of it? For me i need something that will do the switching and convert LPCM to analog 7.1 to feed to a Denon 5805.

Wondering about:
- Analog audio quality?
- Remote? (I had a Kinivo 4x2 and its remote changed channels etc on the Channel Master 7001 OTA tuner!)
- Any other issues?

Thanks....

I guess I'm a little confused about why you would want to use the 7.1-channel analog output of the Octava when you have the AVR-5805 (The Dreadnought) for a receiver? From an audio standpoint I'd be shocked if the Octava had better D/A converters than the 5805. The AVR-5805 also has two (or is it three?) 7.1-channel analog audio inputs.

So, I would think the best sounding way for you to get Blu-Ray audio would be to take 7.1-channel output from a Blu-Ray player with good-to-excellent DACs, like the Oppo, and feed it into the AVR-5805. You'll have to use the 5805's A/D to convert back to digital and then the D/A to convert back to analog, but those are some of the best A/D and D/A combo's around. If you use the Octava, you will have the same number of D/A and A/D conversions, so I really don't see what you gain unless you are thinking the Octava might be a cheaper alternative to an Oppo or similar Blu-Ray player.

If it were me (and it used to be with my old 5803), I'd let the AVR handle all of the audio without using HDMI and let the switcher (Octava was what I used) handle all of the video work. A good universal remote makes it a seemless operation.

The Dreadnought was the king of AVRs for a reason (and it wasn't just the weight). Despite now owning a 5308A CI, I still have a certain amount of envy of those who own an AVR-5805. I might have gotten one but I wasn't sure that our equipment shelf (at that time) could hold it without collapsing.
Edited by alk3997 - 1/21/13 at 10:26am
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post #3 of 13
1/21/13 at 11:01am
Thread Starter 
Thanks for the reply. The reason is that my media library is playing from a PC into a Dune H1. The Dune will only do 5.1 LPCM, also the 5805 I have which I got on ebay for $1,000 also only accepts 5.1 over HDMI (I dint know this at the time, i didnt realise the diff between the 5805 I have and the MkII and the CI versions)

Now looking at getting something like the new Dune coming out, but it doesn't have 7.1 analog out. The Oppo looks good although a little buggy from the forum, but it has Cinavia enabled which really could be a problem for having a hard drive based library if it becomes the standard.

I'm very much open to other ideas. Buy getting the 5805 I have I sort of painted myself into a corner.
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post #4 of 13
1/21/13 at 11:37am
Thread Starter 
Emailed Octava and got a reply in a few hours for anyone else that's interested....


Hi Chris,

- Is there any audio quality loss or is it simply routing the LPCM from the HDMI to the RCA outs?
There isn't any known quality loss.

- I had a Kinivo 4x2 switch but for some reason its remote would actually change channels and actually turn off the Channel Master 7001 HD Tuner which was bizarre. I am assuming you guys have a set of IR codes that are yours?
We do run our own IR code. So you should not run into this issue

- I have read short HDMI cables (1-3') can cause issues, for example with a Darbee Darblet, any issue with this switch orin general?
Yes, there were many cable quality issue.
Since mid last year, HDMI organization has put in new rules about HDMI cables.
Standard HDMI cable - only guarantee to run up to 1080i
High-speed HDMI cable - guarantee to run up to 1080P and 3D video.
As long as you use High-Speed cables, the system should work


- I will need to use the EDID to force 7.1 as the switch will be plugged into a JVC projector. Should be ok?
The HDMXA71 has 7.1 LPCM EDID out of the box.
It does the following:
Video EDID: read from both output A and output B. Play video in common denominator
Audio EDID: internally fixed to tell source to play in
1) LPCM 2, 5.1, and 7.1 (44kHz to 192kHz)
2) Dolby Digital 5.1
3) DTS 5.1


- Anything I'm missing? Any advice? Thanks for the help...better to ask now than find out the hard way and return it.
From what you told us, we think it should work out of the box.
If in case you do need a custom EDID, we can write one for you.
You will flash the EDID using USB port on the HDMXA71
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post #5 of 13
1/21/13 at 1:25pm
I kind of agree with the first answer. The conversion from HDMI (digital) to LPCM (analog) involves D/A converts and low pass filters of some type. Is there any quality loss is a strange question since you end up with a completely different signal at the end. Does the analog signal exactly match that of the recorded analog signal? Theoretically it should for audible frequencies but peope are worried about inaudible frequencies since we use 96kHz and 192kHz sampling. So I'm not sure the question was meaningful.

Maybe a different way to ask it is whether the D/A converter in the Octava is as accurate as the ones in your 5805? Given there is a bank of 192/24 D/A converters in the 5805, I doubt it. But is the difference audible that might be no.

Also I don't know about the BDP103, but the OPPO BDP93 has been one of the least buggy modern components I've owned.-
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post #6 of 13
1/21/13 at 2:38pm
Thread Starter 
Also should have mentioned no matter what i need a 4x2 switch at the moment either way. smile.gif

I was readng through the 103 thread and there seem to be a few minor issues, which are being sorted through. As I mentoned Cinavia is a pain in the ass too. But yes, i'd rather buy a player with 7.1 analog outs, or i should have done my homework and waited for the 5805 MkII which passes 1080p.
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post #7 of 13
1/22/13 at 8:03am
Chris Albert

The HDMXA71 has just had a few upgrades so not too much 'real world' feedback on the upgrade model as yet.

Here in the UK we have had pretty good feedback from folk with some decent quality 'legacy' gear using the pre-upgrade model.

In the end other than plugging one into your own system and you assessing the results it is very difficult to say with 100% certainty you are going to be 100% happy – it would be worth talking to the team in Atlanta about their returns policy!

Where is that second HDMI Output of the Matrix going to?

Joe
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post #8 of 13
1/22/13 at 10:26am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Joe Fernand View Post

Chris Albert

The HDMXA71 has just had a few upgrades so not too much 'real world' feedback on the upgrade model as yet.

Here in the UK we have had pretty good feedback from folk with some decent quality 'legacy' gear using the pre-upgrade model.

In the end other than plugging one into your own system and you assessing the results it is very difficult to say with 100% certainty you are going to be 100% happy – it would be worth talking to the team in Atlanta about their returns policy!

Where is that second HDMI Output of the Matrix going to?

Joe

Hey Joe,

At the moment no where, but it will probably go to an LCD TV soon.....trying to future proof myself a little.

Also trying to figure out do I keep trying to run around my beloved 5805 (no Dolby True HD decode/only accepts 5.1 LPCM/ wont pass 1080p, only 1080i) or just sell it and get something like a Denon 5308 where I can bitstream.
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post #9 of 13
1/22/13 at 3:30pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Chris Albert View Post

Hey Joe,

At the moment no where, but it will probably go to an LCD TV soon.....trying to future proof myself a little.

Also trying to figure out do I keep trying to run around my beloved 5805 (no Dolby True HD decode/only accepts 5.1 LPCM/ wont pass 1080p, only 1080i) or just sell it and get something like a Denon 5308 where I can bitstream.

Off topic - good luck finding a new 5308A CI. The last new ones were sold about a year ago even though Denon still has it on their site as their top of the line AVR. Also remember that for 3D and the latest Audyssey you'll need the upgrade kit (about $1000) which is still available, last I heard.
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post #10 of 13
1/22/13 at 4:36pm
Thread Starter 
Appreciate the thoughts....didn't realise it needed an upgrade. Denon's site has the 4520CI for $2,500 as their flagship which is damn pricey but looks nice.

It's hard to know which way to go. How long will it be before 4K is around and your reciever is obsolete?
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post #11 of 13
1/22/13 at 8:03pm
A reasonably long time...4K source material is about where Blu-Ray/HD-DVD was in 2000-2001. I suspect 4K/UHD will need h.265 which hasn't been made a standard yet. Do you go with a blue laser or is everything distributed on the internet? Don't know.

I believe Sony is providing a hard drive of 10 UHD movies with their most expensive UHD display. The funny thing is the web site lists the hard drive and player as being "on loan" to the customer.

On top of all that, I'm not sure if UHD will be more accepted than 3D. 3D is a niche product that I truly enjoy but it's still a niche. The biggest problem is that most people don't seem to notice the improvement with HD versus SD. Now the industry wants to sell something that is even less perceptible except on a 150" screen. That's going to be a tough sell. At least everyone recognizes 3D when they see it.

So, I'm certainly not worried about 4K.

I suspect (and hope) OLED displays will be a much bigger seller than any UHD display (unless it's OLED at UHD resolution).
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post #12 of 13
2/12/13 at 5:59pm
Just got a quick response from Octava regarding 3D support and audio quality. Here is an excerpt from my email dialog:

What kind of D/A converters are used in this unit? (bits, rate,
manufacturer) I'm concerned about the quality of the analog sound. Thanks.

Cirrus.
Multi-bit Delta-Sigma Modulator
106 dB A-wt Dynamic Range
-93 dB THD+N
Single-ended Ground Centered Analog
Architecture
- No DC-blocking Capacitors Required
- Integrated Step-up/Inverting Charge Pump
- Filtered Line-level Outputs
- Selectable 1 or 2 V
Low Clock-jitter Sensitivity
Low-latency Digital Filtering
RMS
Full-scale Output
Supports Sample Rates up to 192 kHz
24-bit Resolution


One more follow-up question... Spec sheet says unit supports 1080p 3D. Does
that imply the inputs are HDMI 1.4a compatible and/or will pass 3D signal
unmodified? Thank you again for your quick response to my last query.

Yes, this unit is HDMI 1.4 compatible.
1) 3D compatiable
2) 4k x 2k resolution compatiable
3) CEC on output A
4) ARC on output A
5) 340MHz on each channels
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post #13 of 13
2/13/13 at 12:01pm
Martymoose

3D – we can usually make that happen one way or another (USB is your friend).

Audio quality – now we are into subjectivity, only you can tell if we have it nailed down (for you), the Specs can’t tell you.

Joe
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