[neild1]

I am looking for an audio and video switcher for my current setup, Proceed AVP2 +6, Pioneer 51d blu-ray, Pioneer AV58 and Toshiba A2.

I was about to order a Zektor MAS7.1 but couldn't find a Canadian retailer till I found an Octava audio video switcher, http://www.octavainc.com/HDMI%20swit..._7_1audio.html .

The product seems to switch video through HDMI as well as audio trough its analog output.

Any comments would be appreciated.


Neil

 

[sfogg]

Neil,


I have been working with one. Octava has been very responsive to firmware issues with it. It will take multi-channel LPCM over HDMI and output that over multichannel analog. Your source of course must have all decoding. The Octava also has an 8 channel analog input which you can switch to for an existing 6/8 channel source.


You may or may not run into EDID issues, Octava has resolved the ones I found. Also a Gefen DVI Detective + can be used to correct EDID problems. Also to get multi-channel LPCM over HDMI through the Octava your display will need to be turned on. This isn't a problem for HD-DVD/BR but could be for SACD/DVD-A.


Shawn

 

[neild1]



Quote:
Originally Posted by sfogg /forum/post/15447960


Neil,


I have been working with one. Octava has been very responsive to firmware issues with it. It will take multi-channel LPCM over HDMI and output that over multichannel analog. Your source of course must have all decoding. The Octava also has an 8 channel analog input which you can switch to for an existing 6/8 channel source.


You may or may not run into EDID issues, Octava has resolved the ones I found. Also a Gefen DVI Detective + can be used to correct EDID problems. Also to get multi-channel LPCM over HDMI through the Octava your display will need to be turned on. This isn't a problem for HD-DVD/BR but could be for SACD/DVD-A.


Shawn

Shawn,


That product seems to be relatively new, I wasn't sure if it was available, I am glad it is already out and does what it advertises.

Shawn could you please elaborate the EDID issues.



Thanks

Neil

 

[sfogg]

Neil,


The EDID issue I was having was with a Toshiba HD-A35->Octava->RS-1. I wasn't able to get multichannel audio, they updated the firmware which took care of this.


Shawn

 

[stipus]

Any info on DAC type / quality ?


Does anyone know if the problem above has been fixed ? I don't want to switch on my projector to play a SACD

Best regards,


stipus

 

[bri1270]

I'd be interested as well. Seems like a decent enough unit.

 

[neild1]



Quote:
Originally Posted by stipus /forum/post/15592119


Any info on DAC type / quality ?


Does anyone know if the problem above has been fixed ? I don't want to switch on my projector to play a SACD

Best regards,


stipus

I got this reply from sfogg, he is quite knowledgeable and helpful on switchers,


"The unit does have its own DAC. It uses the same BurrBrown DAC as the Panasonic BD55. It does not have much of a line stage though, basically from the DAC through a filter and then to the outputs. No buffer or op-amps so you would want to keep cables short and the load easy to drive."

 

[perrykg]



Quote:
Originally Posted by neild1 /forum/post/15447684


I am looking for an audio and video switcher for my current setup, Proceed AVP2 +6, Pioneer 51d blu-ray, Pioneer AV58 and Toshiba A2.

I was about to order a Zektor MAS7.1 but couldn't find a Canadian retailer till I found an Octava audio video switcher, http://www.octavainc.com/HDMI%20swit..._7_1audio.html .

The product seems to switch video through HDMI as well as audio trough its analog output.

Any comments would be appreciated.


Neil

You really made this forum worth while to me. I just purchased a used AVP2 with CVP2, but the video output seems a little dark to me. So I have been wondering about buying a seperate video switching device. Readng this thread really will help me, thanks dude.


Do you have a tuner connected to your AVP2? If so, which one? I'm looking for a tuner with XLR outs to match up to the XLR input of the AVP2.

 

[neild1]



Quote:
Originally Posted by perrykg /forum/post/15660836


Do you have a tuner connected to your AVP2? If so, which one? I'm looking for a tuner with XLR outs to match up to the XLR input of the AVP2.

No tuner just an amplifier.


Neil

 

[lotus77777]

So I'm thinking about buying this switcher. I have a Rotel 1068 and don't want to get rid of it. I'm confused as to what signal I will be able to send to my 1068 via the analog 7.1 ports.

The PS3 does all the internal decoding and it passes it out Multichannel PCM. Does this mean if I use this switcher I will be able to hear Dobly true HD, and DTS-HD 7.1 audio?


Rotel 1068

PS3

HC6500 projector.


Thanks

 

[neild1]



Quote:
Originally Posted by lotus77777 /forum/post/15674966


So I'm thinking about buying this switcher. I have a Rotel 1068 and don't want to get rid of it. I'm confused as to what signal I will be able to send to my 1068 via the analog 7.1 ports.

The PS3 does all the internal decoding and it passes it out Multichannel PCM. Does this mean if I use this switcher I will be able to hear Dobly true HD, and DTS-HD 7.1 audio?


Rotel 1068

PS3

HC6500 projector.


Thanks

Yes


Neil

 

[bgardin]



Quote:
Originally Posted by lotus77777 /forum/post/15674966


So I'm thinking about buying this switcher. I have a Rotel 1068 and don't want to get rid of it. I'm confused as to what signal I will be able to send to my 1068 via the analog 7.1 ports.

The PS3 does all the internal decoding and it passes it out Multichannel PCM. Does this mean if I use this switcher I will be able to hear Dobly true HD, and DTS-HD 7.1 audio?


Rotel 1068

PS3

HC6500 projector.


Thanks

Did you get this unit? I also have the 1068 and am close to pulling the trigger. I wanted to know about your experiences if so.


Thanks,

Brian

 

[bri1270]

Anything New on this unit...

 

[BertBert]



Quote:
Originally Posted by neild1 /forum/post/15682902


Yes


Neil

Quote:
Originally Posted by lotus77777 /forum/post/15674966


So I'm thinking about buying this switcher. I have a Rotel 1068 and don't want to get rid of it. I'm confused as to what signal I will be able to send to my 1068 via the analog 7.1 ports.

The PS3 does all the internal decoding and it passes it out Multichannel PCM. Does this mean if I use this switcher I will be able to hear Dobly true HD, and DTS-HD 7.1 audio?


Rotel 1068

PS3

HC6500 projector.


Thanks

yes and no. It wont 'technically' be true HD sound, rather you will get discrete channel sound. Since the PS3 will send the info then the switch will decode it and send it to you receiver. Your receiver most likely will say 'Analog' on the display rather than Dolbe HD or DTS Master HD

 

[faddii]

would this work with the logitech z-5500 since it has multi-channel out? im thinking of getting this and use it with the ps3 to get LPCM

 

[Easyaspie]



Quote:
Originally Posted by BertBert /forum/post/15888406


yes and no. It wont 'technically' be true HD sound, rather you will get discrete channel sound. Since the PS3 will send the info then the switch will decode it and send it to you receiver. Your receiver most likely will say 'Analog' on the display rather than Dolbe HD or DTS Master HD

What do you mean the switch will decode it? I thought it was just a break-out box.


Will this thing allow people with non HDMI gear to hear actual lossless audio from a PS3? ie True HD and dts MA.

 

[BertBert]



Quote:
Originally Posted by Easyaspie /forum/post/15902386


What do you mean the switch will decode it? I thought it was just a break-out box.


Will this thing allow people with non HDMI gear to hear actual lossless audio from a PS3? ie True HD and dts MA.

The switch has a DAC in it and it converts the digital signal to analog. In turn is will technically be a discrete input source, rather then HD sound. It is still uncompressed audio (lossless), but it ceases to be True HD sound. that type of terminology only applies to digital sources. it is all the same in the end anyways!!! but yes you are right people like you and I have the advantage to get lossless uncompresed sound out of our HDMI sources to our discrete 7.1 analog receivers.

 

[momostallion]

i'm really interested in the quality of this unit. does anyone have any feedback? seems like a decent dac inside.


i have a parasound halo c2 (no hdmi) that would love to enjoy lossless audio.

this unit will replace my switch and my optical cable.

 

[bgardin]

I just received my unit yesterday. I have it hooked up from a PS3 (outputting Linear PCM) and to a Rotel RSP-1068 preamp. My initial impression of the analog 7.1 is not good, but I haven't given it a fair run through (was late last night)...


I'm hearing popping noises after first placing in a BluRay disc (Wall-E). It's detecting the disc format, changing output stream, doing its initialization...but it's generating too many terribly loud pops...Is PS3 generating this noise (never heard when playing through Toslink without Octava), or Octava unit?


On Wall-E BluRay, analog sound is terribly flat when compared to the digital signal sent from Octava's Toslink output to preamp. For some reason the digital signal is sounding much more rich and crisp in the high end, but perhaps I'm just used to the more synthesized sound I've been hearing from the preamp's sound processing via the Toslink. What kind of digital signal is even being created/sent via the Toslink when receiving the uncompressed Linear PCM signal via HDMI ???? My receiver isn't recognizing it as DD/DTS, so how is Octava packaging it?


SACD sounded pretty great on the other hand. Sounded about in par with the sound I remember getting from my Denon SACD/DVD-Audio player.


Will do more tests ASAP, but very frustrated that I didn't hear a world of sound open up when firing up a DTS-HD MA sound stream for the very first time on my system.

 

[lcubed]

would love to know if it passes bitstreamed dts-ma and dolby truehd correctly.