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Looking for "futureproof" pre/pro

post #1 of 60
1/2/07 at 10:09am
Thread Starter 
Hi guys,

I don't hang around in this area very much these days simply because I am so darned happy with my current audio gear, especially my Lex MC-12, but I figure that it is time to start thinking about upgrading my favorite piece of gear to accommodate the future audio formats.

First off, I really love the Lex...It has served me very well for the last few years with its exceptional audio quality, incredible flexibility, and rock solid performance, so I am certainly in no hurry to make a change. My only complaints are in the form of upgrade costs, as Lexicon charges some pretty hefty fees for software and hardware upgrades, and before I spend even more money upgrading I figured I would check to see what is available these days that would satisfy my needs as well or even better than the Lex has done.

Since I now own a HD-DVD player (currently HD-A1, but later this week will be HD-XA2) and a Blu-ray player (PS3), I would like to start preparing for the new audio formats and to better accommodate the existing ones. I am currently using 11 of my 12 input configs on the Lex, but I could probably get away with as few as 10 as long as they are 100% flexible (no hard wired inputs!). I am running version 5 software with no EQ and I also own a Crystalio 2 video processor which I plan on keeping for all of my video processing, so I really don't need any on board video processing from my pre/pro.

I know that HDMI 1.3 is not necessary at this point, but I figure that sooner or later I will want my pre/pro to do all of the decoding, so it would probably be a good idea to get HDMI 1.3, right or wrong?

So if someone could point me to a few particularly pertinent threads (the ones I saw all seemed to be about receivers, not pre/pros) I would greatly appreciate it. Or, if this hasn't already been beaten into the ground, what are the current best values and best performers (hopefully not mutually exclusive ) that I should consider? Orr what is coming up on the horizon that I might want to wait for?

Any and all advice is greatly appreciated.

Thanks!
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post #2 of 60
1/2/07 at 10:16am
Bob,

" I know that HDMI 1.3 is not necessary at this point, but I figure that sooner or later I will want my pre/pro to do all of the decoding, so it would probably be a good idea to get HDMI 1.3, right or wrong?"

Nothing out there with HDMI 1.3 yet.

Because of Advanced Coding/Content on HD-DVD/BR decoding is going to happen in the player anyway. So HDMI v1.3 doesn't really get you anything as far as audio is concerned that you can't get now with HDMI v1.1.

As far as pre-pros that accept multichannel LPCM audio over HDMI you have the MC-12HD and the Anthem's.

Shawn
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post #3 of 60
1/2/07 at 10:20am
Thread Starter 
Quote:


Because of Advanced Coding/Content on HD-DVD/BR decoding is going to happen in the player anyway. So HDMI v1.3 doesn't really get you anything as far as audio is concerned that you can't get now with HDMI v1.1.

Ah, gotcha.
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As far as pre-pros that accept multichannel LPCM audio over HDMI you have the MC-12HD and the Anthem's.

That's it? Those are the only 2 choices?
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post #4 of 60
1/2/07 at 11:05am
"future-proof" ????

in this field. ha-ha. fat chance.

remember. the technologies in HT that will come out in the next 2 years are probably already prototyped and perfected and most probably also have their launches planned. but you don't expect these companies to actually tell you that, do you ???

upgrades....thats the whole name of the game. its their cash cow. especially considering that the word "upgrade" is totally misused, given the fact that people "buy new equipment to REPLACE existing equipment". don't see how that can be an upgrade.

end of rant.
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post #5 of 60
1/2/07 at 11:08am
I'm looking for the same thing as you Bob and haven't found much. I use a VP50 and have no need for video processing from a AVR. But, AVR's seem to be the only thing on the market with the most advanced HDMI audio. The Yamaha's are HDMI 1.2A. Denon is supposedly going with 1.3 this year. But with all these AVR's, you're stuck with a box that does video processing.

I'm not positive, but I believe the new NAD M15 will strip HDMI audio. It would be worth looking into at any rate. I stopped looking that this unit as it only has two HMDI inputs and I need three, but other than that, it looks like a heck of a Pre / Pro. http://nadelectronics.com/products/m...d-Preamplifier
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post #6 of 60
1/2/07 at 12:05pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:


"future-proof" ????

in this field. ha-ha. fat chance.

That's why I used the quotes...
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The Yamaha's are HDMI 1.2A.

Yeah, but if Shawn is correct (and he always is... ), then it really doesn't matter because all of the decoding will be done in the players anyway and 1.2A is able to pass SACD (if I remember correctly).

Thinking about this, I am unclear as to how the signal routing will go when you have both HDMI audio and video processors in the chain. Anyone want to take a stab at the preferred routing method for someone with 4 HDMI source devices?

My first thought is to go:

4 HDMI sources -> 4 VP HDMI inputs
first VP HDMI output -> display device
second VP HDMI output -> pre/pro input

Now as long as the single HDMI input on the pre/pro is assignable and can be used more than once, then I could set up 4 audio input configs for each of the 4 sources (or maybe a single input config would suffice). Does this seem logical or is there a better way?
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post #7 of 60
1/2/07 at 12:18pm
Or you could use an Anthem Statement D2 and get an integrated solution. See the Anthem D2/AVM50 "tweaking" thread here.

By the way, some setups will pass SACD as high bandwidth PCM over HDMI V1.1 or higher. For example an Oppo 970 connected to the D2 will do that. Not all HDMI V1.1 players will do that. HDMI V1.2a only adds the ability to pass SACD as DSD to the receiver.
--Bob
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post #8 of 60
1/2/07 at 12:53pm
Bob,

"and 1.2A is able to pass SACD (if I remember correctly). "

The Oppo players will internally convert DSD to LPCM (needed anyone if one wanted processing) and will spit that out over HDMI. I do that with my Lexicon.

"My first thought is to go:

4 HDMI sources -> 4 VP HDMI inputs
first VP HDMI output -> display device
second VP HDMI output -> pre/pro input"

That can work but two things to watch out for there.....

Audio on the VP itself. Some seem to have problems when actually faced with audio on the HDMI port.

What video resolution would be spit out the second VP port? One would need to be sure the audio processor would accept that rate.

In my setup since my Lumagen is DVI I feed all the HDMI sources into the MC-12HD itself and then feed its output to the Lumagen and from there to the display.

Shawn
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post #9 of 60
1/2/07 at 1:01pm
I'm not sure how well the C2 handles HDMI audio, but the VP50 is having some troubles. But "if" the C2 is not prone to audio drop outs, then you would want to route all your HDMI outputs into it first. This way you can tailor each input to the C2 for the best output configuration to your display.

From the C2, you'd then run the HDMI output through the Pre / Pro for audio processing. Then to your display.

I was doing this with my set up and if it weren't for the audio drop outs, I'd have kept it that way. But I was having the drop outs, so then I routed all HDMI outputs into my AVR (HK 745) and then to the VP50, then to the projector. The HK 745 has a bypass feature that will completely bypass the video stream.

As luck would have it, the HK will not process lossless mulit channel PCM. It is supposed to, but won't. Tech support is working with me on this bug. But it will allow me to use it's bass management and channel adjust with its six / eight channel direct inputs, so I'm doing that as a work around with my X1.

So now I'm looking for a Pre / Pro that does NO video processing and handles all HDMI audio. I have an email into NAD tech asking about its HDMI audio processing. I'll post back when I hear back from them.

If you find another Pre / Pro that handles HDMI audio without video processing, please post back. If I can't find a suitable Pre / Pro then I'm most likely going to use a Yamaha as a Pre / Pro and pick up a seven channel amp. Most likely an Emotiva.
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post #10 of 60
1/2/07 at 6:55pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:


Or you could use an Anthem Statement D2 and get an integrated solution.

I originally wanted to do just that, but Anthem was really dragging their feet in establishing AVS as an authorized dealer. Now that I own a C2, I really don't think I could live without the incredible feature set that it offers. Just out of curiosity, do you happen to know if AVS ever got the dealership?
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For example an Oppo 970 connected to the D2 will do that. Not all HDMI V1.1 players will do that. HDMI V1.2a only adds the ability to pass SACD as DSD to the receiver.

Great! I have an Oppo 970... But my plans were to play SACD on my PS3 and DVDA on the HD-XA2.
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Audio on the VP itself. Some seem to have problems when actually faced with audio on the HDMI port.

Yeah, I guess I should test that out first, heh?
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What video resolution would be spit out the second VP port? One would need to be sure the audio processor would accept that rate.

The two C2 HDMI output ports can be set up independently and supposedly work simultaneously, though I have never had the opportunity to verify this myself.
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In my setup since my Lumagen is DVI I feed all the HDMI sources into the MC-12HD itself and then feed its output to the Lumagen and from there to the display.

Shawn, did you trade your MC-12B in for the HD model or does Lexicon offer an upgrade addon?
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I'm not sure how well the C2 handles HDMI audio, but the VP50 is having some troubles. But "if" the C2 is not prone to audio drop outs, then you would want to route all your HDMI outputs into it first. This way you can tailor each input to the C2 for the best output configuration to your display.

That's why I better test this first, but since I can't go into my Lex via HDMI, will the test still be valid? That is, if I route audio so that it goes into the C2 via HDMI, but goes out of the C2 via optical/coaxial, will that be sufficient enough to test for dropouts and proper audio handling or do I have to test with HDMI all the way?

This would be a great way to do it if it works as it would only require a single HDMI in and out on the pre/pro.
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I was doing this with my set up and if it weren't for the audio drop outs, I'd have kept it that way. But I was having the drop outs, so then I routed all HDMI outputs into my AVR (HK 745) and then to the VP50, then to the projector. The HK 745 has a bypass feature that will completely bypass the video stream.

So you are running just a single HDMI cable from the output of your HK 745 to one of the HDMI inputs of your VP50, right? This would not seem to be optimum for video, as the 4 sources would then be processed by the same video input and I would think it would be better to process the 4 sources independently in the VP.
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I have an email into NAD tech asking about its HDMI audio processing. I'll post back when I hear back from them.

Great! I'll be looking for your post.
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If you find another Pre / Pro that handles HDMI audio without video processing, please post back.

You got it.
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If I can't find a suitable Pre / Pro then I'm most likely going to use a Yamaha as a Pre / Pro and pick up a seven channel amp.

As much a I hate the idea of paying for amps that I don't need or want, the idea of using a receiver as a pre/pro has entered my mind also. Which Yamaha were you looking at?
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post #11 of 60
1/2/07 at 8:01pm
I don't know your price range but have you considered Meridian? They have a great reputation for upgradeability.
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post #12 of 60
1/3/07 at 6:45am
Bob,

"did you trade your MC-12B in for the HD model or does Lexicon offer an upgrade addon? "

Lexicon had a trade in program toward the HD.

" That's why I better test this first, but since I can't go into my Lex via HDMI, will the test still be valid? That is, if I route audio so that it goes into the C2 via HDMI, but goes out of the C2 via optical/coaxial, will that be sufficient enough to test for dropouts and proper audio handling or do I have to test with HDMI all the way? "

You would ideally need to test all the way. Reason being is you can pass multi-channel high resolution LPCM over HDMI and that can't be spit out over optical/coaxial. If this is something you would like to really test ahead of time you are welcome to bring the C2 up to my place sometime to try HDMI all the way. PM me if you want to work something out sometime.

"This would not seem to be optimum for video, as the 4 sources would then be processed by the same video input and I would think it would be better to process the 4 sources independently in the VP. "

The other way around that is if the VP offers multiple input memories you could then switch between them based on the input selected in the pre-pro. That would let you use one HDMI input on the VP but still be able to calibrate for all the HDMI sources.

Shawn
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post #13 of 60
1/3/07 at 9:03am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Bob Sorel View Post

My first thought is to go:

4 HDMI sources -> 4 VP HDMI inputs
first VP HDMI output -> display device
second VP HDMI output -> pre/pro input

Why not use the pre-pro in the traditional manner, as the hub of your system (especially for source switching)? Run a HDMI output from the pre-pro to your scaler+display (will allow you to view/use the pre-pro's On-Screen Display).

Sanjay
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post #14 of 60
1/3/07 at 9:15am
Bob,

Shawn answered your questions to me as I would have. You can't test the HDMI audio seeing how the Lex has no HDMI audio. And yes, it's silly running everything into the HK first because I can't tailor the inputs. But my inputs are not all that different anyway, so it was a wash. For my particular situation, neither the VP or AVR works correctly, so I'm doing workarounds. I have faith that DVDO will correct their issues, but not very faithful that HK will. That's why I'm searching for a replacement now.

If I do go with an AVR for a Pre / Pro, I am leaning toward the Yamaha 2700. It has more audio processing features than the rest of their units and they seam to be dependable, more so than Denon even (which has HDMI audio processing). No THX with the 2700, but I don't give a hoot about THX. Yamaha has some pretty trick audio processing worth looking into. One advantage with doing this, is you really don't need much wattage/current for the surround and surround backs. For my speakers, I would only need a three channel amp to drive the mains and center channel. The AVR's amps would drive the other four. I don't know if you've seen the Emotiva amps, but you can have them built however you wish. And they're cheap! I can get the 2700 and a three channel Emotiva 200 WPC amp for under two grand.

No word from NAD yet. Must be slow due to the holidays.
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post #15 of 60
1/3/07 at 9:17am
Quote:
Originally Posted by sfogg View Post


Because of Advanced Coding/Content on HD-DVD/BR decoding is going to happen in the player anyway. So HDMI v1.3 doesn't really get you anything as far as audio is concerned that you can't get now with HDMI v1.1.

Except that all formats are not decoded in all players
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post #16 of 60
1/3/07 at 9:21am
Quote:
Originally Posted by sdurani View Post

Why not use the pre-pro in the traditional manner, as the hub of your system (especially for source switching)? Run a HDMI output from the pre-pro to your scaler+display (will allow you to view/use the pre-pro's On-Screen Display).

Sanjay

This is a good topic to discuss. One bitch I have with Pre / Pros and AVRs is that they (all that I've looked at anyway) will not overlay the OSD onto a HD output. 480P is it, and some will only overlay it onto a 480i display. I find this VERY frustrating.

Another work around (always a workaround it seams) is to run component outputs to your display for viewing the on screen display. It's a bit of a pain in the rear, but doable. I use a MX 850 remote and I set up a one button macro that configures everything for viewing the OSD.

I hate HDMI. Just hate it. It has done nothing but generate problems. Unfortunately, I think we're stuck with it.
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post #17 of 60
1/3/07 at 9:50am
Quote:
Originally Posted by mdrew View Post

This is a good topic to discuss. One bitch I have with Pre / Pros and AVRs is that they (all that I've looked at anyway) will not overlay the OSD onto a HD output. 480P is it, and some will only overlay it onto a 480i display. I find this VERY frustrating.

OSD overlay is just another feature that is used to differentiate the various price points. For example the Anthem Statement D2 and AVM-50, which are up there in price, do OSD overlay on HD Component and HDMI outputs just fine, as well as on SD outputs.

Some receivers and pre/pros do no overlay at all and are honest about it. Others do a half-assed job of it and hope you won't find out the feature "isn't all there" until it's too late.
--Bob
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post #18 of 60
1/3/07 at 9:56am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Raistlin_HT View Post

Except that all formats are not decoded in all players

Yes, but any format that becomes popular in the marketplace is going to HAVE TO BE decoded in players. And if you are so unfortunate as to have purchased a player which doesn't include that format, and isn't upgraded by the manufacturer, then you are stuck.

"Advanced Content" discs HAVE TO BE decoded in the player. If your player can't decode a certain track then you can not use that track with that player, regardless of what your receiver can do.

Virtually all commercial HD-DVD and Blue Ray discs will be "Advanced Content" discs going forward. That is already the case today for HD-DVD and is only not so for Blue Ray because the authoring tools used by the studios are lagging a bit behind.
--Bob
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post #19 of 60
1/3/07 at 10:00am
"Except that all formats are not decoded in all players "

I don't think that really changes anything.

Are you thinking of DTS-HD or something like that? That is an interesting case as on something like the HD-A1 it actually isn't possible to listen to the full DTS-HD soundtrack in any manor at all via. analog or HDMI. The player decodes the core data and either converts that to analog or spits it out as LPCM over HDMI. I suspect the same thing would occur with a v1.3 capable player that didn't have a true DTS-HD decoder in it when presented with Advanced Coding/Content.

Shawn
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post #20 of 60
1/3/07 at 10:09am
" Another work around (always a workaround it seams) is to run component outputs to your display for viewing the on screen display. "

That is kind of a pain to switch while watching a movie and potentially loosing the picture.

Another way is to add a little 7" LCD to your system and just feed the composite OSD output of your pre-pro to it and use that to see the OSD. You can get them cheap... around $100. This has the advantage of not needing the main display on (esp. nice with projectors) to be able to see the OSD. It also is less distracting then having an overlay pop up on screen during a movie. I do this in my theater (my equipment isn't in my room) and it works very well. I power the LCD from one of the Lexicon's triggers so I can turn it on/off by remote.

My Lumagen video processor also has the ability for an external device to basically use the Lumagen's OSD generator to put messages up on screen as an overlay. I use one of my UTs to grab the front panel display off the Lexicon and have the Lumagen display that on screen. This way I get a Lexicon OSD overlay even for sources such as SDI that don't go through the Lexicon at all. It works very well but so far only Lumagen's have the needed function to do this.

Shawn
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post #21 of 60
1/3/07 at 10:27am
Quote:
Originally Posted by sfogg View Post

Another way is to add a little 7" LCD to your system and just feed the composite OSD output of your pre-pro to it and use that to see the OSD. You can get them cheap... around $100. This has the advantage of not needing the main display on (esp. nice with projectors) to be able to see the OSD. It also is less distracting then having an overlay pop up on screen during a movie. I do this in my theater (my equipment isn't in my room) and it works very well. I power the LCD from one of the Lexicon's triggers so I can turn it on/off by remote.Shawn

Just installed a projector and was considering the same solution. One could then mess around in the menus while watching a movie and not have the overlay thrown at you on a 106" screen. However, I have not found what I am looking for as far as the LCD at that price point. Can you steer me in the right direction? Thanks.
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post #22 of 60
1/3/07 at 10:37am
" One could then mess around in the menus while watching a movie and not have the overlay thrown at you on a 106" screen. "

Exactly. Try a search on e b a y for 7" mobile LCD and you will find numerous options available for under $100. Since most are built for 12v DC you will need to pick up a 12v DC adapter at Radio Shack to power then. That will be under $20.

In my case I bought a unit that had a snap in headrest mount. I drilled a couple of holes in the headrest part of the mount and screwed that to my wall (which had power and video cables run through it for the LCD) and mounted the in convient location. For some a unit that would stand on a tabletop might be a better option. Get whatever works for you.

A unit that has an IR remote to turn it on/off is nice as then you can turn it on and off by remote. In my case I can turn the 12v power on/off remotely so I use that to turn the display on/off as needed.

Shawn
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post #23 of 60
1/3/07 at 10:52am
"Exactly. Try a search on e b a y for 7" mobile LCD and you will find numerous options available for under $100. Since most are built for 12v DC you will need to pick up a 12v DC adapter at Radio Shack to power then. That will be under $20."

Excellent and thanks - I already have a 12v converter (if I can find it) so this should be pretty easy.

Sorry for the thread hijack to the rest . . .
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post #24 of 60
1/3/07 at 1:13pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by mdrew View Post

So now I'm looking for a Pre / Pro that does NO video processing and handles all HDMI audio. I have an email into NAD tech asking about its HDMI audio processing. I'll post back when I hear back from them.

If you find another Pre / Pro that handles HDMI audio without video processing, please post back.

I believe the Anthem AVM40 does.
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post #25 of 60
1/4/07 at 8:59am
Thread Starter 
Sorry I am so late getting back, guys, but my Net connection has been on and off for the last day (mostly off ).
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If this is something you would like to really test ahead of time you are welcome to bring the C2 up to my place sometime to try HDMI all the way.

Thanks for your always generous offers, Shawn, but after catching up on this thread I don't think I will be going that way anyway.

BTW, as you probably guessed, I never ended up buying the Pearl (a friend of mine did instead), but I am first on the JVC RS-1 preorder list, so as soon as it arrives we must get together at my place (finally!). If the RS-1 lives up to the hype it should be an impressive demo...
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Why not use the pre-pro in the traditional manner, as the hub of your system (especially for source switching)? Run a HDMI output from the pre-pro to your scaler+display (will allow you to view/use the pre-pro's On-Screen Display).

After reading your and Shawn's comments on this, I agree that this will be the way to go. With either method I will face a situation where all of the sources will be combined into a single input either in the audio processor or the video processor, and the VP is very capable of executing multiple memory settings for a single input, so that seems like the better solution, especially considering the possibility of having audio dropouts when routed through the VP first.
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If I do go with an AVR for a Pre / Pro, I am leaning toward the Yamaha 2700. It has more audio processing features than the rest of their units and they seam to be dependable, more so than Denon even (which has HDMI audio processing).

I'll take a look at it for sure! But you have to remember that the Lex is a pretty tough act to follow, so I will step cautiously before making any radical changes from a piece of gear that has served me so incredibly well. I just wish I could transform my current MC-12 to the HDMI version for a reasonable sum of money...
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That is an interesting case as on something like the HD-A1 it actually isn't possible to listen to the full DTS-HD soundtrack in any manor at all via. analog or HDMI. The player decodes the core data and either converts that to analog or spits it out as LPCM over HDMI. I suspect the same thing would occur with a v1.3 capable player that didn't have a true DTS-HD decoder in it when presented with Advanced Coding/Content.

Ah, well that would explain why I wasn't so blown away when listening to DTS-HD over analog! Do you know if this has been (or will be) corrected in the HD-XA2? Mine just arrived a few minutes ago...
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Another way is to add a little 7" LCD to your system and just feed the composite OSD output of your pre-pro to it and use that to see the OSD.

I've seen Shawn's setup and it is very cool! Not only is it an effective solution for OSD but it has this really high tech kind of look to it. Shawn keeps the screen so it is not obtrusive to people in the theater yet he can watch it at any given time to make adjustments as necessary.

I use a similar setup in that I feed the s-video output (the one with OSD of course) from the Lex to the MyHD card in my HTPC. Then I just have to open up the MyHD app on my computer monitor and watch the OSD in that window. The problem is that the computer monitor lights up the room way too much, so I think I'll buy one of those cool little LCDs like Shawn has...
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A unit that has an IR remote to turn it on/off is nice as then you can turn it on and off by remote. In my case I can turn the 12v power on/off remotely so I use that to turn the display on/off as needed.

Great idea! Then I could program the power function into a macro on my remote.
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I believe the Anthem AVM40 does.

I plan on checking out Anthem products once again, but unless AVS is finally allowed to sell them, I don't know if I will pursue them or not.

Sanjay and other Lex owners, have all of you guys changed your MC-12s for MC12-HDs? Or has anyone defected to another product line?
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post #26 of 60
1/4/07 at 9:36am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Bob Sorel View Post

I plan on checking out Anthem products once again, but unless AVS is finally allowed to sell them, I don't know if I will pursue them or not.

Sanjay and other Lex owners, have all of you guys changed your MC-12s for MC12-HDs? Or has anyone defected to another product line?

There are a few poster in the Anthem D2/AVM50 "tweaking" thread who abandoned Lexicon for the Anthem Statement D2. As I recall, "DRHANKZ" is the poster who gave the most details on his decision between 12-HD and D2.
--Bob
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post #27 of 60
1/4/07 at 9:55am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Bob Sorel View Post

After reading your and Shawn's comments on this, I agree that this will be the way to go.

Just to clarify: I wasn't talking about he MC-12 HD in particular, just whatever HDMI equipped pre-pro or receiver you end up choosing.
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Sanjay and other Lex owners, have all of you guys changed your MC-12s for MC12-HDs?

I know Shawn has, but I haven't (pointless, since I don't own any HDMI equipped gear). I'll wait and see what their next platform brings.

Sanjay
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post #28 of 60
1/4/07 at 12:35pm
Bob,

I got tired of waiting for a reply so I called NAD. I go a definitive "NO". The M15 does not process HDMI audio or video. Its only function is that of a switch. Bummer.....I love that NAD sound too.

I also called Adcom and their latest Pre /Pro and AVR also acts only as a switch, with no HMDI audio processing.

I'm about to give up on finding a pre / processor that processes HDMI audio. The only thing I can find is the Anthems, and I do not want to invest that kind of money into a 'everything in one box' system. It just doesn't sit well with me. If I have to go that route, then an AVR like the Yamaha or a comparable Denon will have to do. I'd rather upgrade the VP and / or the pre / pro as technology calls for it.

I've been reading that Yamaha 2700's manual and I'm pretty impressed. It looks to have unlimited audio configurations and the video processor can be completely bypassed. I'm not all that impressed with its amp, but a separate amp(s) for my 4 ohm speakers is always an option if the Yamaha wont drive them.

Well I'm sick of looking and reading manuals. Good luck and please keep us informed of your search for the HDMI audio silver bullet.
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post #29 of 60
1/4/07 at 3:09pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by mdrew View Post

I've been reading that Yamaha 2700's manual and I'm pretty impressed. It looks to have unlimited audio configurations and the video processor can be completely bypassed. I'm not all that impressed with its amp, but a separate amp(s) for my 4 ohm speakers is always an option if the Yamaha wont drive them.

Well I'm sick of looking and reading manuals. Good luck and please keep us informed of your search for the HDMI audio silver bullet.

I'm running the 2700 as a pre-pro with external amps and it's does everthing very well on the HDMI side including really clean video pass-through and format conversion & OSD. It also does a great job with MPCM over HDMI. I'll reserve judgement on the audio quality until I have a chance to dial it in better. It seems to have the ability to sound real good but I haven't got it there yet.
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post #30 of 60
1/5/07 at 10:07am
Thread Starter 
Quote:


I also called Adcom and their latest Pre /Pro and AVR also acts only as a switch, with no HMDI audio processing.

This sentence got me thinking about something that I just took for grranted. Don't ALL pre/pros and AVRs process audio that comes in through HDMI? I mean, what is the point of having HDMI if the audio is not processed? I already have a 5X1 HDMI video switch, so if the only function that is perforrmed in the pre/pro is simple video switching, then there is no reason to upgrade.

Could someone please clarify the current situation we face with HDMI audio?
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