Scrambled sound and no stereo mode over HDMI

Since I purchased a new Denon AV Receiver (AVC-X4700H) I’m having problems with Audirvana.

When starting a track the sound is scrambled. Sometimes it helps to restart Audirvana or change the option upsampling to disabled or back to power of 2 and then restart Audirvana. The connection to the Denon is HDMI.
Another problem is that Audirvana switches HDMI always to Multi Channel 7.1. Thats a problem because stereo is handled in another way by the Denon receiver. I didn’t find an option to solve this. After switching to 2 channel in Audio-Midi-Setup it falls back to multi channel when starting Audirvana.
Following the debug info.

Regards

Swen

Audirvana Mac Version 3.5.50 (3580)
macOS 10.14.6 with 16384MB RAM

Registriert nach SB

SIGNAL PROCESSING:

Polarity Inversion:
	Globally: OFF
	Per track: ON
Effects plugins NOT ACTIVE

UPSAMPLING:
SoX with Power Of Two upsampling
SoX filter parameters
Bandwidth at 0dB = 99.5
Filter max length = 30000
Anti-aliasing = 100
Phase = 66

AUDIO VOLUME:
Max allowed volume: 100
Replay Gain: None
SW volume control: OFF

LIBRARY SETTINGS:
Sync list: 3 folders
AUTO: /Users/Shared/Musik/HighRes Flac
AUTO: /Users/Shared/Musik/SA-CD RIP
AUTO: /Users/Shared/Musik/iTunes/iTunes Media/Music
iTunes/Music library synchronization: not synchronized
Library database path: /Users/swen/Library/Application Support/Audirvana/AudirvanaPlusDatabaseV2.sqlite

ACTIVE STREAMING SERVICES

=================== AUDIO DEVICE ========================

CoreAudio audio path, buffer I/O frame size: 512

Max. memory for audio buffers: 13312MB

Local Audio Engine:
Exclusive access: Enabled
Integer mode: Enabled

Preferred device:
HDMI
Model UID:AppleHDA:88
UID:AppleHDAEngineOutputDP:1B,3,1,2:0:{EE11-006B-01010101}

Active Sample Rate: 44.1kHz
Hog Mode is off

Bridge settings:
Sample rate limitation: none
Sample rate switching latency: none
Limit bitdepth to 24bit: OFF
Mute during sample rate change: ON

Selected device:
Local audio device
ID 0x39 HDMI Manufacturer:Apple Inc.
Model UID:AppleHDA:88 UID:AppleHDAEngineOutputDP:1B,3,1,2:0:{EE11-006B-01010101}

5 available sample rates up to 96000Hz
32000
44100
48000
88200
96000
Audio buffer frame size : 14 to 4096 frames
Current I/O buffer frame size : 512
Volume Control
Physical: No
Virtual: No
MQA capability
Auto-detect MQA devices: No
Not a MQA device, user set to not MQA
DSD capability: Unhandled
Device audio channels
Preferred stereo channels L:1 R:2
Channel bitmap: Ox3, layout:
Channel 0 mapped to 0
Channel 1 mapped to 1

Audio channels in use
Number of channels: 2
Use as stereo device only: Yes
Simple stereo device: Yes

1 output streams:
Number of active channels: 2, in 1 stream(s)
Channel #0 :Stream 0 channel 0
Channel #1 :Stream 0 channel 1

Stream ID 0x3a 2 channels starting at 1
8 virtual formats:
8 ch Mixable linear PCM Interleaved 32 little endian Signed Float 96kHz
8 ch Mixable linear PCM Interleaved 32 little endian Signed Float 88.2kHz
2 ch Mixable linear PCM Interleaved 32 little endian Signed Float 48kHz
8 ch Mixable linear PCM Interleaved 32 little endian Signed Float 48kHz
2 ch Mixable linear PCM Interleaved 32 little endian Signed Float 44.1kHz
8 ch Mixable linear PCM Interleaved 32 little endian Signed Float 44.1kHz
2 ch Mixable linear PCM Interleaved 32 little endian Signed Float 32kHz
8 ch Mixable linear PCM Interleaved 32 little endian Signed Float 32kHz

18 physical formats
8 ch Mixable linear PCM Interleaved 24 little endian Signed Integer aligned low in 32bit 96kHz
8 ch Mixable linear PCM Interleaved 24 little endian Signed Integer aligned low in 32bit 88.2kHz
8 ch Mixable linear PCM Interleaved 24 little endian Signed Integer aligned low in 32bit 48kHz
8 ch Mixable linear PCM Interleaved 24 little endian Signed Integer aligned low in 32bit 44.1kHz
8 ch Mixable linear PCM Interleaved 24 little endian Signed Integer aligned low in 32bit 32kHz
8 ch Mixable linear PCM Interleaved 20 little endian Signed Integer aligned low in 32bit 96kHz
8 ch Mixable linear PCM Interleaved 20 little endian Signed Integer aligned low in 32bit 88.2kHz
8 ch Mixable linear PCM Interleaved 20 little endian Signed Integer aligned low in 32bit 48kHz
8 ch Mixable linear PCM Interleaved 20 little endian Signed Integer aligned low in 32bit 44.1kHz
8 ch Mixable linear PCM Interleaved 20 little endian Signed Integer aligned low in 32bit 32kHz
8 ch Mixable linear PCM Interleaved 16 little endian Signed Integer 96kHz
8 ch Mixable linear PCM Interleaved 16 little endian Signed Integer 88.2kHz
2 ch Mixable linear PCM Interleaved 16 little endian Signed Integer 48kHz
8 ch Mixable linear PCM Interleaved 16 little endian Signed Integer 48kHz
2 ch Mixable linear PCM Interleaved 16 little endian Signed Integer 44.1kHz
8 ch Mixable linear PCM Interleaved 16 little endian Signed Integer 44.1kHz
2 ch Mixable linear PCM Interleaved 16 little endian Signed Integer 32kHz
8 ch Mixable linear PCM Interleaved 16 little endian Signed Integer 32kHz

Local devices found : 2
Device #0: ID 0x32 Ausgang (integriert) Manufacturer: Apple Inc. Model UID: AppleHDA:88 UID: AppleHDAEngineOutput:1B,0,1,2:0
Device #1: ID 0x39 HDMI Manufacturer: Apple Inc. Model UID: AppleHDA:88 UID: AppleHDAEngineOutputDP:1B,3,1,2:0:{EE11-006B-01010101}

UPnP not started

Try reducing your buffer to around 4000mb
Why are you feeding thru hdmi, I use upnp via Ethernet on my Denon 4500 and Marantz 7015 for stereo music. Do you have Ethernet or wireless enabled on your Denon?

Best of luck with it. Please keep us updated

Thank you for your hint. I tried it but it had no effect.

I also have multi channel dsd files, that’s why I want HDMI. The other problem I wrote was that with HDMI Audirvana always send multi channel data although it is stereo only data.

Did you resolve your problem?
I don’t see your Denon receiver recognized as the output device… Also, make sure your speaker configuration is correctly reflected in Audio MIDI setup.

Unfortunately my problem with HDMI to the Denon is not solved. Now I’m using S/PDIF - optical - connection for audio and HDMI for video to my Denon. But this works only for stereo files. In the macOS preferences the Denon is correctly seen as Denon HDMI.
When using Audirvana the settings in the Audio-Midi-Setup is changed by Audirvana automatically. But wrong - it switches to multi channel audio although stereo files are played.

OK… You are presenting Audirvana Studio with a multi-channel output device, so naturally, it would default to multi-channel… I don’t see it being reflected in the DAC settings configuration…

Ok. Do you have a suggestion what I could test?
(I‘m using Audirvana 3.5.50)

Is the Denon showing in the “Output Device” settings of Audirvana set-up?

I switched to HDMI in the macOS system preferences and in Audirvana. It seems that the “Play only in stereo mode” switch doesn’t work. The Denon always shows 7.1 multi channel. Following the log:
Audirvana Mac Version 3.5.50 (3580)
macOS 10.14.6 with 16384MB RAM

Registriert nach SB

SIGNAL PROCESSING:

Polarity Inversion:
    Globally: OFF
    Per track: ON
Effects plugins NOT ACTIVE

UPSAMPLING:
SoX with Power Of Two upsampling
SoX filter parameters
Bandwidth at 0dB = 99.5
Filter max length = 30000
Anti-aliasing = 100
Phase = 66

AUDIO VOLUME:
Max allowed volume: 100
Replay Gain: None
SW volume control: OFF

LIBRARY SETTINGS:
Sync list: 3 folders
AUTO: /Users/Shared/Musik/HighRes Flac
AUTO: /Users/Shared/Musik/SA-CD RIP
AUTO: /Users/Shared/Musik/iTunes/iTunes Media/Music
iTunes/Music library synchronization: not synchronized
Library database path: /Users/swen/Library/Application Support/Audirvana/AudirvanaPlusDatabaseV2.sqlite

ACTIVE STREAMING SERVICES

=================== AUDIO DEVICE ========================

CoreAudio audio path, buffer I/O frame size: 512

Max. memory for audio buffers: 13120MB

Local Audio Engine:
Exclusive access: Enabled
Integer mode: Enabled

Preferred device:
HDMI
Model UID:AppleHDA:88
UID:AppleHDAEngineOutputDP:1B,3,1,2:0:{EE11-006B-01010101}

Active Sample Rate: 44.1kHz
Hog Mode is off

Bridge settings:
Sample rate limitation: none
Sample rate switching latency: none
Limit bitdepth to 24bit: OFF
Mute during sample rate change: ON

Selected device:
Local audio device
ID 0x28 HDMI Manufacturer:Apple Inc.
Model UID:AppleHDA:88 UID:AppleHDAEngineOutputDP:1B,3,1,2:0:{EE11-006B-01010101}

5 available sample rates up to 96000Hz
32000
44100
48000
88200
96000
Audio buffer frame size : 14 to 4096 frames
Current I/O buffer frame size : 512
Volume Control
Physical: No
Virtual: No
MQA capability
Auto-detect MQA devices: No
Not a MQA device, user set to not MQA
DSD capability: Unhandled
Device audio channels
Multichannel: 8 channels
Preferred stereo channels L:1 R:2
Channel bitmap: Ox3, layout:
Channel 0 mapped to 0
Channel 1 mapped to 1
Channel 2 unused
Channel 3 unused
Channel 4 unused
Channel 5 unused
Channel 6 unused
Channel 7 unused

Audio channels in use
Number of channels: 8
Use as stereo device only: Yes
Simple stereo device: No

1 output streams:
Number of active channels: 2, in 1 stream(s)
Channel #0 :Stream 0 channel 0
Channel #1 :Stream 0 channel 1

Stream ID 0x29 8 channels starting at 1
8 virtual formats:
8 ch Mixable linear PCM Interleaved 32 little endian Signed Float 96kHz
8 ch Mixable linear PCM Interleaved 32 little endian Signed Float 88.2kHz
2 ch Mixable linear PCM Interleaved 32 little endian Signed Float 48kHz
8 ch Mixable linear PCM Interleaved 32 little endian Signed Float 48kHz
2 ch Mixable linear PCM Interleaved 32 little endian Signed Float 44.1kHz
8 ch Mixable linear PCM Interleaved 32 little endian Signed Float 44.1kHz
2 ch Mixable linear PCM Interleaved 32 little endian Signed Float 32kHz
8 ch Mixable linear PCM Interleaved 32 little endian Signed Float 32kHz

18 physical formats
8 ch Mixable linear PCM Interleaved 24 little endian Signed Integer aligned low in 32bit 96kHz
8 ch Mixable linear PCM Interleaved 24 little endian Signed Integer aligned low in 32bit 88.2kHz
8 ch Mixable linear PCM Interleaved 24 little endian Signed Integer aligned low in 32bit 48kHz
8 ch Mixable linear PCM Interleaved 24 little endian Signed Integer aligned low in 32bit 44.1kHz
8 ch Mixable linear PCM Interleaved 24 little endian Signed Integer aligned low in 32bit 32kHz
8 ch Mixable linear PCM Interleaved 20 little endian Signed Integer aligned low in 32bit 96kHz
8 ch Mixable linear PCM Interleaved 20 little endian Signed Integer aligned low in 32bit 88.2kHz
8 ch Mixable linear PCM Interleaved 20 little endian Signed Integer aligned low in 32bit 48kHz
8 ch Mixable linear PCM Interleaved 20 little endian Signed Integer aligned low in 32bit 44.1kHz
8 ch Mixable linear PCM Interleaved 20 little endian Signed Integer aligned low in 32bit 32kHz
8 ch Mixable linear PCM Interleaved 16 little endian Signed Integer 96kHz
8 ch Mixable linear PCM Interleaved 16 little endian Signed Integer 88.2kHz
2 ch Mixable linear PCM Interleaved 16 little endian Signed Integer 48kHz
8 ch Mixable linear PCM Interleaved 16 little endian Signed Integer 48kHz
2 ch Mixable linear PCM Interleaved 16 little endian Signed Integer 44.1kHz
8 ch Mixable linear PCM Interleaved 16 little endian Signed Integer 44.1kHz
2 ch Mixable linear PCM Interleaved 16 little endian Signed Integer 32kHz
8 ch Mixable linear PCM Interleaved 16 little endian Signed Integer 32kHz

Local devices found : 2
Device #0: ID 0x36 Ausgang (integriert) Manufacturer: Apple Inc. Model UID: AppleHDA:88 UID: AppleHDAEngineOutput:1B,0,1,2:0
Device #1: ID 0x28 HDMI Manufacturer: Apple Inc. Model UID: AppleHDA:88 UID: AppleHDAEngineOutputDP:1B,3,1,2:0:{EE11-006B-01010101}

UPnP not started

Looks like playing in stereo to me, but don’t trust me to read the log :grinning:

Device audio channels
Multichannel: 8 channels
Preferred stereo channels L:1 R:2
Channel bitmap: Ox3, layout:
Channel 0 mapped to 0
Channel 1 mapped to 1
Channel 2 unused
Channel 3 unused
Channel 4 unused
Channel 5 unused
Channel 6 unused
Channel 7 unused

Audio channels in use
Number of channels: 8
Use as stereo device only: Yes
Simple stereo device: No

1 Like

Yes, I agree, looks like Audirvana is sending stereo (2 channels: 0 and 1).

Can you show us a screenshot of your Audio MIDI setup speaker configuration settings… It looks like you are not routing audio to Channel (2)… we see that Channel (1) is mapped to Channel (1) but Channel (2) is “unused”… Also, make sure you are only using HDMI… It’s not possible to use two digital inputs simultaneously, you must choose either HDMI or another digital input … Are you using an HDMI “thru” from another device? If possible, feed the DENON directly from the Mac output…

I’m seeing the available sample-rates as the default Core Audio sample-rates of your Mac… I presume your model of DENON receiver , will support higher resolution sample-rates…

Channel 0 and 1 are left and right.
I guess.

1 Like

Audirvana has detected 8 channels (channel 0 to 7) on the device and sends stereo audio to the first 2 channels (channel 0 and 1). The other channels are not used. In programming it is normal that arrays and lists counting starts with 0 (instead of 1). So Audirvana’s output seems correct to me (it sends stereo).

1 Like

Following I send you the screenshot. The Mac was only via HDMI connected to the Denon. The music was scrambled while making this screenshot and log.

Audirvana Mac Version 3.5.50 (3580)
macOS 10.14.6 with 16384MB RAM

Registriert nach SB

SIGNAL PROCESSING:

Polarity Inversion:
    Globally: OFF
    Per track: ON
Effects plugins NOT ACTIVE

UPSAMPLING:
SoX with Power Of Two upsampling
SoX filter parameters
Bandwidth at 0dB = 99.5
Filter max length = 30000
Anti-aliasing = 100
Phase = 66

AUDIO VOLUME:
Max allowed volume: 100
Replay Gain: None
SW volume control: OFF

LIBRARY SETTINGS:
Sync list: 3 folders
AUTO: /Users/Shared/Musik/HighRes Flac
AUTO: /Users/Shared/Musik/SA-CD RIP
AUTO: /Users/Shared/Musik/iTunes/iTunes Media/Music
iTunes/Music library synchronization: not synchronized
Library database path: /Users/swen/Library/Application Support/Audirvana/AudirvanaPlusDatabaseV2.sqlite

ACTIVE STREAMING SERVICES

=================== AUDIO DEVICE ========================

CoreAudio audio path, buffer I/O frame size: 4096

Max. memory for audio buffers: 13120MB

Local Audio Engine:
Exclusive access: Enabled
Integer mode: Enabled

Preferred device:
HDMI
Model UID:AppleHDA:88
UID:AppleHDAEngineOutputDP:1B,3,1,2:0:{EE11-006B-01010101}

Currently playing in standard 32bit float mode
Device: 8ch Mixable linear PCM Interleaved 32bits little endian Signed Float, 32 bytes per frame 88.2kHz

Active Sample Rate: 88.2kHz
Hog Mode is on

Bridge settings:
Sample rate limitation: none
Sample rate switching latency: none
Limit bitdepth to 24bit: OFF
Mute during sample rate change: ON

Selected device:
Local audio device
ID 0x41 HDMI Manufacturer:Apple Inc.
Model UID:AppleHDA:88 UID:AppleHDAEngineOutputDP:1B,3,1,2:0:{EE11-006B-01010101}

5 available sample rates up to 96000Hz
32000
44100
48000
88200
96000
Audio buffer frame size : 14 to 4096 frames
Current I/O buffer frame size : 4096
Volume Control
Physical: No
Virtual: No
MQA capability
Auto-detect MQA devices: No
Not a MQA device, user set to not MQA
DSD capability: Unhandled
Device audio channels
Preferred stereo channels L:1 R:2
Channel bitmap: Ox3, layout:
Channel 0 mapped to 0
Channel 1 mapped to 1

Audio channels in use
Number of channels: 2
Use as stereo device only: Yes
Simple stereo device: Yes

1 output streams:
Number of active channels: 2, in 1 stream(s)
Channel #0 :Stream 0 channel 0
Channel #1 :Stream 0 channel 1

Stream ID 0x42 2 channels starting at 1
8 virtual formats:
8 ch Mixable linear PCM Interleaved 32 little endian Signed Float 96kHz
8 ch Mixable linear PCM Interleaved 32 little endian Signed Float 88.2kHz
2 ch Mixable linear PCM Interleaved 32 little endian Signed Float 48kHz
8 ch Mixable linear PCM Interleaved 32 little endian Signed Float 48kHz
2 ch Mixable linear PCM Interleaved 32 little endian Signed Float 44.1kHz
8 ch Mixable linear PCM Interleaved 32 little endian Signed Float 44.1kHz
2 ch Mixable linear PCM Interleaved 32 little endian Signed Float 32kHz
8 ch Mixable linear PCM Interleaved 32 little endian Signed Float 32kHz

18 physical formats
8 ch Mixable linear PCM Interleaved 24 little endian Signed Integer aligned low in 32bit 96kHz
8 ch Mixable linear PCM Interleaved 24 little endian Signed Integer aligned low in 32bit 88.2kHz
8 ch Mixable linear PCM Interleaved 24 little endian Signed Integer aligned low in 32bit 48kHz
8 ch Mixable linear PCM Interleaved 24 little endian Signed Integer aligned low in 32bit 44.1kHz
8 ch Mixable linear PCM Interleaved 24 little endian Signed Integer aligned low in 32bit 32kHz
8 ch Mixable linear PCM Interleaved 20 little endian Signed Integer aligned low in 32bit 96kHz
8 ch Mixable linear PCM Interleaved 20 little endian Signed Integer aligned low in 32bit 88.2kHz
8 ch Mixable linear PCM Interleaved 20 little endian Signed Integer aligned low in 32bit 48kHz
8 ch Mixable linear PCM Interleaved 20 little endian Signed Integer aligned low in 32bit 44.1kHz
8 ch Mixable linear PCM Interleaved 20 little endian Signed Integer aligned low in 32bit 32kHz
8 ch Mixable linear PCM Interleaved 16 little endian Signed Integer 96kHz
8 ch Mixable linear PCM Interleaved 16 little endian Signed Integer 88.2kHz
2 ch Mixable linear PCM Interleaved 16 little endian Signed Integer 48kHz
8 ch Mixable linear PCM Interleaved 16 little endian Signed Integer 48kHz
2 ch Mixable linear PCM Interleaved 16 little endian Signed Integer 44.1kHz
8 ch Mixable linear PCM Interleaved 16 little endian Signed Integer 44.1kHz
2 ch Mixable linear PCM Interleaved 16 little endian Signed Integer 32kHz
8 ch Mixable linear PCM Interleaved 16 little endian Signed Integer 32kHz

Local devices found : 2
Device #0: ID 0x32 Ausgang (integriert) Manufacturer: Apple Inc. Model UID: AppleHDA:88 UID: AppleHDAEngineOutput:1B,0,1,2:0
Device #1: ID 0x41 HDMI Manufacturer: Apple Inc. Model UID: AppleHDA:88 UID: AppleHDAEngineOutputDP:1B,3,1,2:0:{EE11-006B-01010101}

UPnP not started
<Bildschirmfoto 2022-01-10 um 08.29.00.png>

Why do we see this?

When you say “scrambled” do you mean “garbled” or playing out of pitch? Are you hearing ‘white noise’ at the beginning? What does your ‘speaker’ configuration look like in Audio MIDI Setup?.. This is where you tell the Core Audio system which signal-channels get sent to the individual outputs and they must match the speaker configuration of your DENON…

Make sure the DENON is the sync (clock) master (set to its internal clock)
EDIT:
Try setting Audirvana to “Limit bitdepth” to 24bit only and make sure the “Sample-rate limitation” in Audirvana settings, is configured to the maximum sample-rate of the DENON.

This is your configuration now:
Bridge settings:
Sample rate limitation: none
Sample rate switching latency: none
Limit bitdepth to 24bit: OFF

It sounds like birds chirping. No white noise before.
I restarted Audirvana then the sound was ok.

The speaker configuration is set for two stereo speakers.
Although I change the Audio-Midi-Setup to 2 channel 16 Bit 44,1 kHz it will be changed after starting Audirvana to 8 channel.

I limited the max. sample rate in Audirvana but didn’t find the option for “Limit bitdepth”. The Denon is able to handle 192 kHz sample rate (or more).

What happens if you deactivate ‘exclusive access’?

With exclusive access disabled I have the same.

With iTunes I get stereo mode, not multi channel.