[fatbottom]

Is it possible to mod a DVD-Audio player and add three digital coaxial outputs-


1) Fronts

2) Centre/sub

3) Rears


To allow direct-digital connection to the Lexicon MC-1 expansion ports?


I take it the studio's wouldn't be too happy - but at the end of the day I'm the one playing the discs.


Would like a DVD-Audio player, but don't see why I should have to upgrade, or stick to 2 channel.

 

[PooperScooper]

A/V life sucks, doesn't it.

I take it the MC-1 doesn't have 6 analog inputs.

IMO, not feasible and the result would be sub-quality compared

to 6 analog outs from a DVD-A player.


I thought Lexicon had a good trade-in/upgrade program?


larry

 

[Joe Murphy Jr]

By now, I would have thought that MSB in the US would have a DVD-A player digital out mod. Yet, they don't. Maybe there is some sort of legal threat to doing such a mod here in the states.


It has been mentioned on another forum that a modification is available for SACD players (and I believe DVD-A players, as well) that takes the 6-channel information and digitally sends it out via 3 coax outputs (albeit at 24/88.2kHz). I believe the mod takes place in a country other than the US.


This weekend, www.AudioAsylum.com will be down for a while due to upgrades. You might want to try there later on or tomorrow and look in the Hi-Rez Highway or DVD-A Audiobahn sections.

 

[PooperScooper]

Interesting, Joe. Still seems like a lot of effort for not-so-good result.

Also, the receiving end has to know what to do with the signals.


larry

 

[Joe Murphy Jr]

If it's for a DVD-A player, each coax output will support 2 channels of 24/88.2 digital audio. What that means is that you can use the DACs of your choice. Some people don't mind being limited to what the D/A converters in the player or in the receiver (via firewire/1394) are capable of. Other people would rather use High End DACs to process those digital signals.


Though not High End, here's a similar situation with DVD audio for movies. MSB offers a DPL/Dolby Digital/DTS decoder (MDP-3x) that also has 3 coax outputs. The decoder decodes the format and can send the (now) PCM signals to outboard DACs. If you'll pardon the pun, here's a link:

http://www.msbtech.com/Catalog/Products_Prices.htm

 

[fatbottom]

Quote:

Originally posted by PooperScooper A/V life sucks, doesn't it. I take it the MC-1 doesn't have 6 analog inputs. IMO, not feasible and the result would be sub-quality compared to 6 analog outs from a DVD-A player. I thought Lexicon had a good trade-in/upgrade program? larry

Correct, it is lacking 5.1 input (so does DC range)


Why should it be low quality? If the DVD player can output pure digital outputs for each channel then it will be better than a cheap DVD-Audio player (I could just buy a relatively cheap DVD player, don't have to worry about internal DAC's sound quality)- the typical digital output for PCM/DD/DTS, and the 5.1 digital output for digital DVD-Audio.


I will also have proper bass management control, not like the poor controllers in the player. I do have fairly large speakers all-round (at least not sats)


Not sure what would be outputted from the DVD-Audio player (MLP?) so I guess the MC-1 won't be able to decode it even if I could mod a player.


I've only just purchased the MC-1 (and a traded in unit anyway), not interested in getting the new ones (well out of my price range)


It's not my fault the studio's mess around with copy protection (just look at non official CD's)

 

[Joe Murphy Jr]

larry

Somehow I didn't see your comment before I responded. Nor did I see it when I made my second comment! If I had seen your first one, I wouldn't have wasted my time offering any input. Sorry.


fatbottom

After rereading your post and actually seeing larry's comments, you're SOL. Without 5.1 or 7.1 inputs that keep the resulting signals in the analog domain, you've got yourself a pretty crappy product there.


Sounds like the Lexicon people need an education.

 

[fatbottom]

Yeah man it's crap


It's primary use is DVD-Video.. not DVD-Audio. Personally I'm not bothered- it has fantastic Pro-Logic, Dolby Digital, DTS (and Logic 7 steering on top of that) And since only a few DVD-Audio titles that I want to purchase are out anyway. No point buying a new processor just for that.


And I paid 1/4 value of it's MSRP, with 2 year warranty. Try and get that from a second hand, previous gen av processor.

 

[Joe Murphy Jr]

Sorry for being so harsh, but I misinterpreted your original post. I didn't realize that your Lexicon was the limiting component in your system.

 

[fatbottom]

The limiting component in system is my TV & standard interlaced (component out) DVD-Video player (does not output DTS) & display (not progressive)- not the Lexicon (great bit of kit IMO) and I'm starting to see NTSC's interlaced artifacts. :-(


To be honest I think in the mainstream SACD & DVD-Audio will fail (just like HDCD) - not like DVD-Video. However if it's possible for me to get it working for a reasonble price (maybe with a mod/off board unit) I might just do it.


I have not seen a single SACD or DVD-Audio disc in any high street music/DVD shop. And from browsing titles I cannot see of that many I wish to purchase. Not enough to fork out £800+ on a high quality good sounding DVD-Audio player.


I bought the MC-1 fully knowing the MC-1 lacked 5.1 input. DVD-Audio & SACD was out at the time- and I knew I wouldn't be able to connect it up with 6 RCA leads. That's not Lexicon's fault the studios messed thing up :-(


Meridian were to blame for this (strange how they have the earliest & fully working DVD-Audio connection) ;-) It's taken ages for others to catch up with properity connections- and for standard players poor bassmanagement and low quality sound (not like a £200 DVD-Video will be great) and hassle of 5.1 connections (didn't we get rid of this when Dolby Digital decoders were moves from DVD players to AV amps?)


Then confusion of the general public.... "DVD-Audio? What's that? Will my DVD-Video player play them?" -"NO". Then DVI, HDMI.. again copy protection caused the studios to mess product lines up and confuse matters. And isn't firewire another connection type?


I can't understand why they bother. What do you think is easier- copying a DVD via HDMI switch that bypasses copy protection, or a PC DVD writer and the s/w to copy DVD's? So simple it's laughable! :-D I think ATM you can't copy DVD-Audio's.. but they will eventually be hacked. So that all that confusion with 5.1 inputs & properiety connections would have been a waste.

 

[Joe Murphy Jr]

For those of you that are interested, here's a link to the triple coax board for getting the LPCM digital audio out of a DVD-A or SACD player:

http://www.dvdupgrades.ch/150019/Mod...put_board.html


The company is in Switzerland. Since they're basically intercepting the digital audio just before it goes to the D/A converters, it seems logical. Is it real or is it a hoax? You decide.

 

[PooperScooper]

Joe, don't stop posting on my account! I learned something

from your posts.


Fatbottom, until Joe said something I wouldn't have thought it

would be worth doing. But somebody did it for SACD. The only drawback

I can see would be the lower bandwidth and using coax. Coax

can carry the digital data but it is not a digital transport. It uses

analog to represent the digital bits. Jitter and such can be an issue.


I was sorta in the same boat as you. I have a EAD Encore gathering

dust because of no analog inputs for DVD-A/SACD.


Hope you can somehow play DVD-A and SACD discs soon. The difference

over CDs can be quite impressive, especially DSD recorded discs.

I don't think DVD-A or SACD will fail (quit), but they will be a niche

product for quite some time to come. The number of titles is picking up,

albeit slowly.


good luck


larry

 

[Joe Murphy Jr]

For DVD-A, you're getting the actual digital signal that is going to the D/A converters in the DVD-A player. For SACD, it seems they are converting the DSD signal to PCM (24/88.2, in this case).


No one's going to stop me from posting.




What I meant was that had I known that the Lexicon converted the analog signals to digital, I wouldn't have bothered making any comments. Not offering an analog pass-through is a flawed design. Period. End of story. It doesn't matter what's inside the product as far as processing capability goes.


My comments were based on the understanding that someone wanted a possible High End option for DVD-A playback. Little did I know the receiving component, with respect to High End audio, was the limiting factor in his system.

 

[fatbottom]

Well I have the option of using my 2 channel hi-fi system (Audiolab 8000s), sending 2 channel 2 DVD-Audio/SACD; of course this doesn't have 5.1 input.


I also have a Denon AVD-2000 in the loft (volume controlled bypass) which does have a 5.1 input (Pro-Logic & Dolby Digital processor)


And a Harmon Kardon ADP-303 also in the loft- direct bypass 5.1 (not volume controlled)


The Lexicon sounds much better than both of them for DD processing though ;-) That's why I bought it.


The MC-1 converts the standard stereo analog inputs for good reason. Personally I think DVD Audio players with built-in decoders are flawed.


To be honest if I can't connect it the the MC-1 I'm not that bothered. Sole use of the MC01 is watching movies (DPL/DD/DTS/Logic 7). If I really wanted a 5.1/7.1 input I could have bought the Tag AV32 7.1- but it's sonically inferior to the MC-1.

 

[A 8]

Well, it would work fine and you are not limited to 24/88 you can get up to 24/192 if you want.

I've modded my Denon 2900 to output the front channels digitally at 24/96.


I have not checked but a good guess is that using the denon 5900 you might be able to convert the denon link to work with your lexicon however as someone said there might be legal issues involved.