Amazon Basics 4K HDMI Extractor Review

[PeteL]

Fully agree that it’s audibly transparent. But why then use a 120 SINAD capable chip? I guess the marketing department pays for that

I think we gone full circle, it's because their design don't make it possible to optimise the full dynamic range of the chip they use but the 120 dB SINAD chip still has less noise than the 100 dB capable one that doesn't make sense to you?

 

[iLoveCats]

According to this user on another site, yes, the device (or such devices) can output a DSD signal over coaxial (via DOP, which in theory makes no difference to the sound, but is simply a packaging system). Surprised me too.

Article: At Long Last! Listen To Your (Physical) SACDs Through an Outboard DAC

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audiophilestyle.com

THANK YOU

 

[voodooless]

I think we gone full circle, it's because their design don't make it possible to use the full dynamic range of the chip they use but the 120 dB SINAD chip still has less noise than the 100 dB capable one that doesn't make sense to you?

It doesn’t because the measurements say otherwise. See x3500h vs x8500h. Or check the Yamaha A6A on Audioholics. None of them hav significantly better noise performance than the other.

 

[PeteL]

It doesn’t because the measurements say otherwise. See x3500h vs x8500h. Or check the Yamaha A6A on Audioholics. None of them hav significantly better noise performance than the other.

That's a lot of research you ask me since I have no Idea what DAC chip any of those use, I don't even know if it's publicly shared information, I'd have to dig the Datasheet of those chips. Can you sum it up for me since you appear to have already done that research? But what we seem to have agreed on is that the X3600H perform less than the previous generations, and it's consistant with the fact that the TI chip offer less SINAD than the AKM on the previous generations. No?
In all case, we are deriving from the point, that was about the competence of the engineers? I guess you are trying to imply that the components choice in the design is not made by engineers but by marketing teams? Sorry that make no sense, quite the opposite, the sale and marketing wants as much as possible for as cheap as possible, they don't know what is a DAC chip and they don't care. the engineer fights back with if you want more you'll have to spend more. Putting expensive components is Engineer driven always.

 

[PeteL]

It doesn’t because the measurements say otherwise. See x3500h vs x8500h. Or check the Yamaha A6A on Audioholics. None of them hav significantly better noise performance than the other.

AVR-X8500HA - 13.2 Ch. 150W 8K AV Receiver with HEOS® Built-in | Denon - US

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I have not seen one mention on the marketing material of the DAC chip used, none. Not only marketing people don't care about that, their buyers don't care about that neither. No company will use unneeded more expensive than necessary components in hope to sell more stuff just for the chip model. Beside maybe some extremely woo boutique stuff that pride themselves with discrete op amps and 200$ film capacitors, but this is not for general public.

 

[capslock]

Your missing the point! Your argument is that HDMI is shit (paraphrasing). Clearly that is not the case, since perfect digital output is possible. So what is shit is the processing and analog output stages. Blame the AVR design, not the HDMI standard.

Again, this is what I wrote. These were my words: I had come to believe that HDMI audio is really beyond redemption. Apparently, it is just the implementation we get in AVRs...

How is this different from what you are saying? And just to pick nits: Amir has shown that HDMI is capable of perfect stereo PCM. Someone has yet to show that this is also true for multichannel PCM. I'm not holding my breath as using HDMI for a computer based active XO is a bit of a niche application.

 

[voodooless]

Again, this is what I wrote. These were my words: I had come to believe that HDMI audio is really beyond redemption. Apparently, it is just the implementation we get in AVRs...

Yes, I misread that. My bad.

And just to pick nits: Amir has shown that HDMI is capable of perfect stereo PCM. Someone has yet to show that this is also true for multichannel PCM. I'm not holding my breath as using HDMI for a computer based active XO is a bit of a niche application.

There are plenty of multichannel USB DAC’s with good performance, no need for HDMI in that configuration.

 

[tinnitus]

Yes, I misread that. My bad.

There are plenty of multichannel USB DAC’s with good performance, no need for HDMI in that configuration.

Can you give me a list of these "plenty" USB mulichannel DACs (no audio Interfaces).

 

[voodooless]

Can you give me a list of these "plenty" USB mulichannel DACs (no audio Interfaces).

What’s the difference? If the performance is fine, why not consider an interface?

 

[tinnitus]

I only need a Multichannel DAC with USB or HDMI input, nothing else. No Mic input no Phantom power Supply no ADC, no Mixer,....
Only Digital to Analog

 

[voodooless]

I only need a Multichannel DAC with USB or HDMI input, nothing else. No Mic input no Phantom power Supply no ADC, no Mixer,....
Only Digital to Analog

Sure. I also don’t need an AV processor with amps, a gazillion channels and all kinds of inputs and outputs I’ll never use. Still I’m basically forced to buy the damn things. It just give much more (affordable) options.

 

[tinnitus]

I am a friend of lean systems. Avoid anything superfluous. Smartphone as controller, Raspberry Pi as renderer and DSP (xover, room correction), DM7 as Dac, 4 channel Amp, raw Speaker.

 

[Trell]

I am a friend of lean systems. Avoid anything superfluous. Smartphone as controller, Raspberry Pi as renderer and DSP (xover, room correction), DM7 as Dac, 4 channel Amp, raw Speaker.

But in your use case the options are quite limited or very expensive, so there you are. It's similar to people wanting an AVP but goes with an AVR having pre-outs because it's far cheaper and of similar performance (unless you want/need balanced outputs).

 

[mdsimon2]

I only need a Multichannel DAC with USB or HDMI input, nothing else. No Mic input no Phantom power Supply no ADC, no Mixer,
Only Digital to Analog

What arbitrary criteria.

I am a friend of lean systems. Avoid anything superfluous. Smartphone as controller, Raspberry Pi as renderer and DSP (xover, room correction), DM7 as Dac, 4 channel Amp, raw Speaker.

A system so lean that you have no ability to take proper acoustic measurements as you have no way of clock syncing your DAC to an ADC. I don’t know about you but I think understanding phase behavior is rather important in a DIY active crossover system.

The other question of course is what is an audio interface? Okto DAC8 pro has digital input / output + analog output and the ability to interface with a computer, does that make it an audio interface?

Michael

 

[sarumbear]

@amirm you may want to change power supply voltage from 9V to 5V. The label says, 5V and USB is also 5V.

 

[tinnitus]

Michael

Hi Michael,
for the creation of the crossovers and the listening position measurement I already need a windows pc and an audio interface with microphone input and multichannel output. But after the filters are created this part is no longer necessary.

Roland

 

[Labjr]

Wondering if these devices can be used to violate DMCA? And is Amazon liable by putting their name on this? The RIAA/MPAA legal Armies will be out in full force.

 

[KMO]

Wondering if these devices can be used to violate DMCA? And is Amazon liable by putting their name on this? The RIAA/MPAA legal Armies will be out in full force.

This one, at least, only outputs the same streams a Blu-ray player would output over its SPDIF output, so no. It's just adds the missing output connectors to HDMI-only devices that lack them.

 

[D1N0]

I have a device like this, not Amazon. From Ali. It sounds pretty good but a bit too sharp. High's could be rolled of more. I use to get the sound of a regular chromecast to a receiver over the analog output. Make shift Chromecast Audio. It also does streaming video duty. For that is is better suited. I will get 24/96 out of it with Qobuz (Chromecast limits the bitrate at that) It can do 5.1 24/192 and 4k/60hz HDR video throughput. Advantage over the CCA is you get album art and info on your screen. It has hdcp 2.2 which is missing on the Amazon basic. Meaning it will play protected content in 4k format.

 

[capslock]

I am a friend of lean systems. Avoid anything superfluous. Smartphone as controller, Raspberry Pi as renderer and DSP (xover, room correction), DM7 as Dac, 4 channel Amp, raw Speaker.

People have been known to run their DSP XO on a PC or Raspberry using HDMI out and an AVR as multichannel DAC and power amplifier. Hard to beat in terms of a lean setup, but unfortunately, there's no such thing as a well implemented AVR.