You might have to create a silent center and/or lfe for quad files. My x800 only plays the fronts of truly 4.0 sources.
Sony X800 / Possibly Others - Do they handle Quad FLAC Correctly?
- Thread starter ubertrout
- Start date
Help Support QuadraphonicQuad:
I've been using Music Helper by our own @HomerJAU for this purpose: https://forum.kodi.tv/showthread.php?tid=294333
Which AVRs in which codecs? Hi-Res DSD, Flac, WAV?
Nice to hear you’re using Music Helper!
The most up to date info is in the Music Helper thread here in QQ in the Media Player sub forum
der_angsthase
Active Member
As far as I know (and please correct me if I am wrong) the more recent Sony ES-AVRs, the double digit Marantz ones (the successor of mine, actually) and the almost identical Denon ones.
AFAIK, only via HDMI, not network or USB. Stereo only, not multichannel.
I can say for a fact that this cheap Sony BRP will accept Multichannel FLAC from the front panel USB port. I bought one for my brother as a gift and he routinely plays 5.1 FLAC rips that I copy for him from USB thumb drives.
Is there some reason why this feature is common on disk players but so uncommon in AVRs?
MrSmithers
1K Club - QQ Shooting Star
Hey Kal,
The Sony AVR STR-DN1080 also does play multichannel DSD (up to 5.6), FLAC and wav files over network and from a USB stick. Not Gapless though unfortunately. It also does play over HDMI from my Sony Blu Ray player, but only stereo fronts as mentioned if it's 4.0 files... Never tried to hook up my laptop to AVR via HDMI so not sure about that?
I do J River > NAS > Sony AVR over DLNA and I have to say for a fairly cheap receiver the DSD files sound amazing!
I am similar with no problems, Intel NUC harddrive, remote access, JRiver takes inventory from NAS, HDMI out from NUC to MX122 McIntosh for all surround files, for stereo only files, USB out from NUC to external D150 McIntosh DAC.
A better answer which I don't have would be the EXASOUND 38 MCH external DAC, then every file would play from one source.
der_angsthase
Active Member
My assumption (!) was always limited processing hardware and underlying firmware. Aren’t BR-Players usually very small Linux machines, then my guess would be that it’s easier to develop such a feature for them.
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That is a good question. My suspicion is that AVR manufacturers simply do not consider the need for it in their market segment.
I doubt it because the processing/DSP power of modern AVRs greatly exceeds that in any BR player. It can do all the codec operations/bass managment of a good BR player plus all kinds of EQ and format transformations. Besides, all that is needed is the ability to accept the multichannel input since everything else is built in.
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Nice to hear. I have no experience with any Sony AVRs.
This is not true for the most part. The processing capabilities in BD/media players is usually significantly higher with multiple applications processors, DSP units, as well as special purpose GPU unit for video processing. Video image processing requires far more throughput than audio DSP. Though some of the higher end receivers have decent video processing chips on them, yet not necessarily all the applications and other processing necessary to build a full experience.
Most of those complex function in such players are accomplished with embedded (fixed) processes. I've yet to see a player with room EQ.
Your receiver does the decoding and new receivers do not decode 4.0 due to one manufacturer in most cases of the decoding chip. Some cheap bluray players will send a 4.0 file to the receiver via HDMI as a 5.0 that the decoding chip knows what to do with. Unfortunatley my Oppo sends exactly what it should and my receiver does the same thing as you described. One way we get around that is adding a silent center channel to our 4.0 recordings be it a flac file or a disc. Another is to go analogue out of the player to analogue in on the receiver.
Sure. They either will use GPU's or embedded video processor chips. But in order for a receiver to support the whole user experience associated with Bluray players/streaming devices/media players, a lot more is needed than just the DSP and an embedded video processor. There is significantly more software development involved as well, which drives significant costs for a non core features which can be done more cheaply on other platforms. It can be done, but as you said is not in their market segment.
Most of the time, or all of the time for SACD, a 4.0 mix is mastered and authored with 5.1 channels - with the center and sub silent. So the channels are there but simply turned down all the way down.
DVD-V type formats of 4.0 may differ, I am not sure.
So my point is that there are different types of 4.0 files to be tested with your Sony BR player - in order to determine which it handles fine and which get you stereo fronts only. I'm thinking AF's line of 4.0 SACDs should play fully in four speakers since they are authored as 5.1 discs, no? Then there are other 4.0 files, home brew, etc.
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MrSmithers
1K Club - QQ Shooting Star
It didn't work straight away with DSD over network, I'm not sure if that was down to J River or Sony? The trick is to get the AVR to see .dsf files as .dsd files and then it should play over the network... Sony aren't renowned for their software side so I kind of put it down to them but who knows?
I'm not holding out for them to ever issue a fix for gapless, as good as that would be... With the 4.0 files at least there is a way we can do it ourselves...
der_angsthase
Active Member
Even if it's a tad off-topic: Did any of you happy owners of a UBP-X800 got SACD-Rs to work? I am curious, as my test disc didn't. The ISO was ripped with a friends Oppo-Player and then burned via "Burn" on OS X.
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