Streaming sources

Studio
1

Advise please. I am embarking on a new setup. I have tried Audirvana in the past and found it had the best sound quality of the “software players” but ultimately preferred Minimserver direct to my network enabled DAC (Bricasti).

My new setup will have an Exasound multi channel DAC using room correction and digital crossovers which can be implemented in Audirvana using Hang Loose plug-in.

All fine if I want to stream stored music files or Qobuz or any source from inside the computer Audirvana is installed on.

The problem is I want to introduce TV cable as a source for movie and I don’t want a cinema setup. Just 2.1 audio while watching movies is fine with me. I could input digital output of TV to my DAC directly but then I lose all the convolutions.

So it comes down to a resonable priced streamer that would show on the UPNP network taking a digital music input from the TV. Lots of streamer have optical inputs but when you dig into it those inputs are only connected to an onboard DAC. I don’t need a DAC at all as the Mch Exasound will be the renderer via Audirvana.

Thanks,

2

It seems that you can take a direct input from the HDMI output of the cable box and route the signal via Hang Loose Host, through HLC, out to the exaSound box, not involving Audirvana at all…

  • Complete flexibility in “wiring” plugins in any way for advanced usage scenarios.
  • HLHost typically requires a 3rd party virtual audio loopback driver, such as Windows (VB-Cable, Virtual Audio Cable, VB-Matrix, LoopBeAudio), Mac (BlackHole), and Linux (ALSALoop), and including Raspberry Pi. Supports virtual audio drivers for Ravenna and Dante audio networks.
  • Supports a variety of audio protocols: Windows: ASIO, WASAPI and Direct Sound. Mac: Core Audio, Linux: Pulse Audio, Jack, ALSA

:notes: :eye: :headphones: :eye: :notes:

3

Thank you for this! I had no idea Hang Loose could be run independent of playback software.

I would only need a soundcard that accepts HDMI input and then apply convolutions and then output to exaSound (likely via USB).

Seems like powerful stuff and inexpensive to try out!

4

You can use an HDMI audio extractor like this to get the signal to the computer…

OREI 8K Audio Extractor HDMI UltraHD 4K @ 120Hz 48G HDMI 2.1 Audio Converter for PS5 SPDIF + 3.5mm Output HDCP 2.3 - Dolby Digital/DTS Passthrough CEC, HDR, Dolby Vision, ARC, HDR10+ (BKA-1)

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CN1M74S8/ref=sspa_dk_detail_5?pd_rd_i=B0CN1M74S8&pd_rd_w=HYhPG&content-id=amzn1.sym.386c274b-4bfe-4421-9052-a1a56db557ab&pf_rd_p=386c274b-4bfe-4421-9052-a1a56db557ab&pf_rd_r=58PB6HTQ27Y0MRRHXW7E&pd_rd_wg=uEscG&pd_rd_r=1cff17fc-a52f-4c84-b9a1-ccee7fbc68fb&s=electronics&sp_csd=d2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9kZXRhaWxfdGhlbWF0aWM&th=1

managing lip-sync is the key aspect to be concerned with…

:notes: :eye: :headphones: :eye: :notes:

5

I really must thank you for sharing your ideas. Lip-Sync will be an issue as I am planning to run convolutions on the audio side. I am recreating an 2.1 Cinema Receiver in concept which I had abandoned years ago because of the complexity! The video is just a sidebar for an excellent audio first system.

Happy listening!

6

Rec. ITU-R BT.1359-1 1

RECOMMENDATION ITU-R BT.1359-1

RELATIVE TIMING OF SOUND AND VISION FOR BROADCASTING

It been awhile since I’ve had to dig into this… I was in the R&D group at ReplayTV working on the original DVR/tuner platforms…

7

I can only think of two ways to affect the latency and lip-sync.

  1. Reduce amount or complexity of convolutions when accompanying video sources.

  2. Reduce audio digital sampling rate.

  3. Use imherently low latency audio hardware.

  4. Delay the video.

I don’t really know how to accomplish # 4.

Ideas?

8

:thinking: It is a conundrum if you add too much latency… You would need complex video and audio DSP to bring them back together in sync… Most A/V receivers run this stuff in DSP to get them sync’d properly…

9

Trial and error. A tinkerers best friend lol.

It’ll be a while before I can report back since I’m getting all the hardware together. This is a small part of a bigger project and the multi channel DAC has been purchased.

You’ve given me some good options to try out.

Thanks again.

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