An AVR for 7.x.6 Atmos with multi-channel ethernet capability

[SeeMoreDigital]

A couple of friends of mine are looking to upgrade from their current AVR's to 7.x.6 Atmos (and DTS:X) AVR set-ups. Primarily they are movie lovers but are also interested in the idea of listening to Atmos music. And as I'm pretty lost when it comes to the capabilities of modern AVR's I thought I'd ask here.

Currently both of them have TV's with eARC. Both have 4K UHD disc players (one has an OPPO UDP-203, the other has a Sony UBPX800M2), both store their movie bck-ups on NAS's, all their gear is hardwired network connected.

Both of them wanted to know (and I must admit I do too), are there any 'affordable' AVR's that can access and play multi-channel music via it's network connection (ie: without the need for another device)?

 

[perzon57]

The most 'affordable' AVR that can meet that criterium is the Denon AVR 6800, I think. It can do 9.4.4 or 7.4.6 and has DTS-X But it's not cheap.

 

[SeeMoreDigital]

The most 'affordable' AVR that can meet that criterium is the Denon AVR 6800, I think. It can do 9.4.4 or 7.4.6 and has DTS-X But it's not cheap.

Oh wow, at £2700.00 you're not kidding

 

[DuncanS]

I have a Denon AVC-X8500HA and it can't do multi-channel music via the network, the X6800 is the one below and it can't either. I haven't come across any AVRs which will play multi-channel over a network. Edit: Even the top of the range £6000 AVC-A1H can't.

Denon manual page.

 

[SeeMoreDigital]

Bugger!

 

[Marplot]

There are a number of simple ways to do it though; plex, kodi spring to mind immediately.

 

[SeeMoreDigital]

There are a number of simple ways to do it though; plex, kodi spring to mind immediately.

Indeed but such software's require another device in the chain which is not what my friends and I are interested in using.

It seems bonkers that modern multi-channel AVR's can't access and play multi-channel audio files via a network or USB connected HDD...

 

[Marplot]

Oh you can play via attached USB. I play stereo/quad/5.1 flac and the immersive audio mp4 ATMOS. For my VLC extracted ATMOS you need another device.

 

[SeeMoreDigital]

Oh you can play via attached USB. I play stereo/quad/5.1 flac and the immersive audio mp4 ATMOS. For my VLC extracted ATMOS you need another device.

Well that's good news to pass on. Which AVR's support multi-channel audio file playback via USB connected HDD playback and what formats and containers are supported?

 

[Marplot]

I have a Denon AVR X6700H.
I did not know it did DSD.

The Denon AVR-X6700H supports the following audio file formats on its front-panel USB:

Lossless: ALAC, FLAC, and WAV at up to 192 kHz/24 bit
DSD: 2.8/5.6 MHz DSD files
Lossy: MP3 and WMA

 

[Marplot]

A more complete list.


The audio format types and specifications supported by this unit for playback are as follows.
See Playing back a USB memory deviceslink for details.

WMA

MP3

WAV

MPEG-4 AAC

FLAC

Apple Lossless

DSD

 

[Marplot]

I got it to drive 7.1.4. They would want a 2nd amp to power their 6 ceiling.

 

[SeeMoreDigital]

I have a Denon AVR X6700H.
I did not know it did DSD.

The Denon AVR-X6700H supports the following audio file formats on its front-panel USB:

Lossless: ALAC, FLAC, and WAV at up to 192 kHz/24 bit
DSD: 2.8/5.6 MHz DSD files

And this is for multi-channel audio files via USB HDD...

 

[stereoptic]

My router has USB capability with SAMBA. Just for a test I put some multichannel FLACS and .mka files on a USB and made the proper settings on the router. Using the network setting on the Oppo it found the folder on the network and played the multichannel FLACS, but the .mkas weren't listed as the Oppo can't play them over the network (at least I haven't found a process to do that).

 

[SeeMoreDigital]

My router has USB capability with SAMBA. Just for a test I put some multichannel FLACS and .mka files on a USB and made the proper settings on the router. Using the network setting on the Oppo it found the folder on the network and played the multichannel FLACS, but the .mkas weren't listed as the Oppo can't play them over the network (at least I haven't found a process to do that).

Yes I'm able to play multi-channel audio files using both my OPPO players via it's network connection...

The purpose of this topic is to find out which AVR's can play multi-channel audio files via it's network connection without the need for another device?