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 back-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 using its app - 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?

 

[stereoptic]

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?

Can you play ATMOS .mka files over the network to your Oppo? I can't, but .DSDand other multichannels do.
Yeah, I don't know any other options for such a full functioning AVR. Maybe if some Marantz or Denon managers read this forum they can run with the idea! How much would be involved with adding the necessary hardware/software into the design of future AVRs? This may be dumb, but if BluRay players have that capability why can't AVRs?

 

[mandrix]

The short answer is I don't know of any.

I don't know about all devices, but playing from storage on the network generally seems to imply using some sort of software to serve as a music server.
But many/most AVR's will play from USB storage, and as @stereoptic says, many routers have the capability to hook up storage.
The problem then is with what AVR's will natively play all formats from storage without use of a music server software of some type. (which implies using another device). Usually in my experience the USB ports on AVR's do not play all formats.

I certainly don't own any AVR's that will play all formats natively purely from a network connection.
One could use a USB drive attached to a router > Oppo > AVR.

In my case I use a pc with HDMI > AVR, and use software (PowerDVD/JRiver, etc). In general I play either MKV or ISO files for Atmos content.

So assuming the playback problem is solved in whatever fashion, 7.x.6 AVR's generally are not cheap.

There is a fair choice of AVR's that will process 7.x.4. Some of these will only amp 9 channels so two would have to be pre-out to a separate amp. My TX-RZ50 Onkyo can not be configured for x.x.6 channels as an example, maybe some Denon's can, I don't know.

I'm sure I left things out but I'm still sipping coffee.

 

[SeeMoreDigital]

This is a great shame...

You would think that in 2024 an AVR would be able to access and play multi-channel music via a network connection, in the same way it can access and play stereo music files via a network connection using it app.

 

[pat bateman]

They're being stubborn. Tell them to knock it off.

Are they watching their movies from the NAS unit or literally just using it as bluray .iso cold storage? If they're streaming from the NAS, they're going to need an Nvidia Shield anyways. It's the only plug-n-play box (short of some specialized ones that are not for the faint of heart setting up) capable of lossless Atmos. The native TV apps wont do it.

 

[mandrix]

This day and time mini-pc's can be bought with HDMI 2.1 ports if needed. Small, unobtrusive, with RJ45 port(s).
That doesn't satisfy the desire for using no separate devices however. and one would need a software app for playback that will bitstream Atmos. (free VLC media player will, but at least for me seems to have some problems with Java menus.)