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Can someone list high quality, affordable DACs that have HDMI inputs?

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carlmart

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Some days ago I was looking at a YouTube video where some tests were made, including downloadable files to check on you own system, where a cheap $35 China made CD/DVD player just used as a transport, using a high quality DAC with HDMI digital input, was compared with an $11,000 player, used also just as transport, with the same DAC with HDMI inputs. The results surprised even the person that was doing the tests.

I'm sure a few of the DAC units evaluated and tested in this forum had HDMI inputs, perhaps some were reasonably priced. Can anyone comment about them or list a few?
 
Do you mean real HDMI, or those I2S abominations?

What do you think that HDMI does better than a PC using USB, or using SPDIF?
 
carlmart said:
I'm sure a few of the DAC units evaluated and tested in this forum had HDMI inputs, perhaps some were reasonably priced. Can anyone comment about them or list a few?
Click to expand...
SMSL PS100: 30€/$, yet performs quite poorly with mediocre THD+N/SINAD (85dB) and terrible IMD figures. Also limited to 16 bits through USB.

Upcoming WiiM Ultra, that should do a much better job.
 
SMSL have two more Desktop DACs with ARC input: DO100 Pro and DO200 Pro.

DO100 Pro

Foshan ShuangMuSanLin electronics Co., LTD. founded in 2009 which located in Shenzhen, China. And our branch company VMV Technology(HK) Company Limited registered in HK in 2013. Our company is specialized in the audio DAC, stereo headphone amplifier, power amplifier, and with own R&D...
www.smsl-audio.com

DO200 Pro

Foshan ShuangMuSanLin electronics Co., LTD. founded in 2009 which located in Shenzhen, China. And our branch company VMV Technology(HK) Company Limited registered in HK in 2013. Our company is specialized in the audio DAC, stereo headphone amplifier, power amplifier, and with own R&D...
www.smsl-audio.com

However, performance via ARC has not been measured yet.

All we know so far is that CEC is supported, but the volume implementation is kind of weird with a separate volume attenuation for CEC, and another one for the knob and remote, which is shown on the display.
 
There's additional cost and effort involved in implementing HDMI, aside from the cost of the hardware itself. You also need separate licensing for HDCP. It runs to thousands of dollars per year, not to mention the process of becoming a licensee does not seem totally straightforward. https://www.digital-cp.com/faqs https://www.symmetryelectronics.com/blog/what-are-the-licensing-costs-associated-with-hdmi/

This would tend to push up the cost of HDMI-inclusive units by $20-50 if I had to guess.

I would also be surprised if e.g. Topping or SMSL had attorneys on staff who work in English.

Not that any of this is insurmountable for them, clearly, but it's an investment and hassle that must be overcome before they sell unit #1. Meanwhile, it's not obvious that there is a huge market for 2-channel DACs with HDMI input.

This is probably part of the reason why we see relatively few of them.
 
kemmler3D said:
You also need separate licensing for HDCP. It runs to thousands of dollars per year, not to mention the process of becoming a licensee does not seem totally straightforward. https://www.digital-cp.com/faqs https://www.symmetryelectronics.com/blog/what-are-the-licensing-costs-associated-with-hdmi/
Click to expand...
Are you sure that HDMI accessories require an HDCP license? After all, there's no video signal going into the DAC. Just pass-through audio.

Everyone and their mother seems to sell HDMI splitters, switches, extractors, and converters for next to nothing on places like Amazon, eBay, and AliExpress.

Hard to imagine that they all applied for an HDCP license and pay the exorbitant fees.
 
voodooless said:
Do you mean real HDMI, or those I2S abominations?

What do you think that HDMI does better than a PC using USB, or using SPDIF?
Click to expand...
Sorry I wasn't clear. I wanted to use my CD/DVD player HDMI output as audio digital output that I could connect to a DAC. Nothing fancier than that.

This player does not have a coaxial digital output.
 
carlmart said:
Sorry I wasn't clear. I wanted to use my CD/DVD player HDMI output as audio digital output that I could connect to a DAC. Nothing fancier than that.

This player does not have a coaxial digital output.
Click to expand...
Just use one of these:
www.audiosciencereview.com

Amazon Basics 4K HDMI Extractor Review

This is a review and detailed measurements of the Amazon Basics 4K HDMI extractor. Member kindly purchased and drop shipped it to me. It normally costs $22.89 but was on sale for just $5!!! The case is the standard metal one for these kinds of adapters. Power is provided with a supplied USB-A...
www.audiosciencereview.com www.audiosciencereview.com

They work great, and used as a DDC, are bit-perfect.
 
staticV3 said:
Are you sure that HDMI accessories require an HDCP license? After all, there's no video signal going into the DAC. Just pass-through audio.
Click to expand...
Probably only if you want the audio from an HDCP-protected stream, although honestly I am not sure, you make a good point about the proliferation of HDMI extractors which does seem to show otherwise.
 
voodooless said:
Do you mean real HDMI, or those I2S abominations?

What do you think that HDMI does better than a PC using USB, or using SPDIF?
Click to expand...
It allows one to input digital audio output from a television set into one's hifi rig.
 

Essence HDACC II-4K​

This was even tested here at ASR. I guess the definition of affordable depends on your budget, but it's decent for the money.
 
Last edited:
carlmart said:
Some days ago I was looking at a YouTube video where some tests were made, including downloadable files to check on you own system, where a cheap $35 China made CD/DVD player just used as a transport, using a high quality DAC with HDMI digital input, was compared with an $11,000 player, used also just as transport, with the same DAC with HDMI inputs. The results surprised even the person that was doing the tests.
Click to expand...
What results? Measurements?
 
carlmart said:
Sorry I wasn't clear. I wanted to use my CD/DVD player HDMI output as audio digital output that I could connect to a DAC. Nothing fancier than that.

This player does not have a coaxial digital output.
Click to expand...
I can confirm that using an Amazon Basic HDMI extractor does the job very well, I use it to extract audio from a DVD player without digital audio output, you also have the possibility of using both the optical and coaxial output of the converter.
 
Hi. I have a stereo hi-fi setup (not interested in multichannel) with a Sony UBPX700 player and a Cambridge Audio DAC Magic 100, wired thru HDMI and the Amazon basic HDMI extractor (because DSD is not available on Sony SPDIF output). They work nice but not for SACDs discs: the DAC shows a PCM stream. I tried also with a Topping E50 DAC: nada. To my knowledge it is because the extractor doesn't declare itself capable of process DSD over HDMI, so the Sony player converts DSD to PCM. Regarding the SMSL DO100 Pro and its HDMI input specs: HDMI ARC, for TV only. IMHO it is a pity SMSL paid the HDMI fees (and engineering development) without thinking about the hi-fi users case: no TV, DAC wired thru HDMI to the disc player. Is there anybody with a setup like mine, playing SACDs discs? Which HDMI extractor is DSD compatibile?
 
saltlake71 said:
Which HDMI extractor is DSD compatibile?
Click to expand...
Basically none. Due to licensing, offering DSD via any digital out other than HDMI is largely prohibited. Of course, some companies just don't care. @amirm tested one of those products last year:

www.audiosciencereview.com

HDMI to IIS/Coax DoP Converter

This is a review and detailed measurements of an HDMI to Coax/Toslink and IIs interface converter with support for DoP format. It was kindly drop shipped to me by a member and costs US $103. As you see, there is no brand name on it. Here is a link to the ebay listing...
www.audiosciencereview.com www.audiosciencereview.com
 
You can also use any AVR/AVPre with HDMI in for this.
I've used e.g. many years the Audiolab 8000 AP as a stereo DAC in my bedroom for this and selling it now:

www.kleinanzeigen.de

Audiolab 8000 AP mit HDMI Switch

Biete hier eine hervorragend klingende und funktionierende Vorstufe von Audiolab an. Vorsicht:...,Audiolab 8000 AP mit HDMI Switch in Baden-Württemberg - Stetten am kalten Markt
www.kleinanzeigen.de www.kleinanzeigen.de
 
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