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How many people want a 12-channel or 16-channel DAC? And a 7-channel or 12/16-channel power amplifier?

Not me.
 
What do you find lacking in the current options that will do 12-16 channels?

Lot's of very good pro audio interfaces with 8+ analog output channels with coaxial + TOSLINK + ADAT I/O that make getting 12-16 high performance channels at relatively low cost just the matter of stringing two devices together. Not to mention the one box options that will do it like the MOTU 24Ao (24 analog outputs) and MOTU 16A (16 outputs).

Michael
 
I dream about a 6 channel dac & amp combo which will allow me to control 2 speakers (lows, mids, highs). Maybe not even a 6 channel dac, unless it adds to the performance.
 
What do you find lacking in the current options that will do 12-16 channels?

Lot's of very good pro audio interfaces with 8+ analog output channels with coaxial + TOSLINK + ADAT I/O that make getting 12-16 high performance channels at relatively low cost just the matter of stringing two devices together. Not to mention the one box options that will do it like the MOTU 24Ao (24 analog outputs) and MOTU 16A (16 outputs).

Michael
I have never used ADAT. Are there any side effects? For example, increase latency? Is it convenient on Windows?
 
I have never used ADAT. Are there any side effects? For example, increase latency? Is it convenient on Windows?

If you link interfaces with ADAT there will be a slight delay depending on the exact interfaces used. On a MOTU Ultralite Mk5 in to a RME Fireface 800 I get a delay of under 1 ms which is trivial for home theater use. You can also compensate for the delay using DSP if needed. In such a setup Windows will only see the first interface and the second interface just acts like a "dumb" ADAT DAC.

Probably the biggest limitation with ADAT is sample rate / channel count. At 48 kHz it will do 24 bit / 8 channels but at 96 kHz it can only do 24 bit / 4 channels. Some interfaces have multiple ADAT input / outputs so you can still get 8 channels at 96 kHz but it requires two optical links.

If you will be on Windows or Mac I think I would go with something like a MOTU 24Ao. Plenty of output channels, good analog performance, 1RU form factor for less than $1K seems like a pretty good deal. The MOTU AVB interfaces don't play nice with Linux so I wouldn't use it with that but on Mac or Windows it seems like a winner.

Michael
 
No need for a separate 16 channel dac, but a nice, powerful, clean sounding av atmos receiver with multi sub support, and 11 amplified channels would be nice.
 
Upon reflection: Steve Martin should've at least trademarked Googlephonics way back when.
If he had, he'd be a rich man. OK, even richer than he probably is.
... and maybe we wouldn't have ever had to deal with Alphabet, either. ;)
And maybe the number of audio channels would have stayed at least in the same order of magnitude as our species' average number of ears per individual.
:cool:
Steve Martin' s Googlephonics shtick - some language ;)
 
I'd love to see Topping take on something like the Tonewinner AT-300 / Monoprice HTP-1. A multichannel amp would be nice too but I'd prefer class D to A/B.

Martin
 
If you link interfaces with ADAT there will be a slight delay depending on the exact interfaces used. On a MOTU Ultralite Mk5 in to a RME Fireface 800 I get a delay of under 1 ms which is trivial for home theater use. You can also compensate for the delay using DSP if needed. In such a setup Windows will only see the first interface and the second interface just acts like a "dumb" ADAT DAC.

Probably the biggest limitation with ADAT is sample rate / channel count. At 48 kHz it will do 24 bit / 8 channels but at 96 kHz it can only do 24 bit / 4 channels. Some interfaces have multiple ADAT input / outputs so you can still get 8 channels at 96 kHz but it requires two optical links.

If you will be on Windows or Mac I think I would go with something like a MOTU 24Ao. Plenty of output channels, good analog performance, 1RU form factor for less than $1K seems like a pretty good deal. The MOTU AVB interfaces don't play nice with Linux so I wouldn't use it with that but on Mac or Windows it seems like a winner.

Michael
Thank you. Do you see the link I sent? I have this demand because of it.
 
I'd love to see Topping take on something like the Tonewinner AT-300 / Monoprice HTP-1. A multichannel amp would be nice too but I'd prefer class D to A/B.

Martin
Tonewiner comes from my country and seems to have a high cost performance ratio, but unfortunately, I have never seen its measurement.
The performance of the Monoprice HTP-1 is a bit underwhelming for its price.
 
Respect your choice. But I'll send you a link, hopefully it will help you in the future.
I've read about and heard Atmos and I'm not interested. It really dosen't do anything for me to improve the experience.
 
Most likely this will degenerate into stereo vs. multichannel camps. I like my surround discs (SACD, DVD, Bluray) and so could benefit from multiple-channel DACs and amplifiers. Not a big deal for me since I have all the stuff already, but now and then I wonder if better DACs would yield better performance from my AVP. But speakers usually dominate system performance, and my console is full, so not likely something I would buy.

I can't really imagine watching a movie in stereo any more.

FWIWFM - Don
 
I would like to see a commercial product that accepts 16-24 channels of 24/96 LPCM digital data, yes. That in conjunction with software decoders of ATMOS, DTS-X, and Auro 3D that are purchasable and run on Windows and Mac boxes. Everytime I read about stuff like how manufacturers of home theater receivers will be unwilling to offer things like DLBC as a firmware update to their existing customers because they want those customers to buy a "whole 'nuther receiver" to get that upgrade, I certainly want the alternative of running all that stuff on a PC and just sending the data stream via USB to a multi channel DAC. It's ridiculous that these manufacturers have entrapped their customers in a cycle of buying a new $2k+ Home Theater box every two years. The proper way to fix that (and them, but good!) is to move everything to the PC and use a multichannel dac instead.
 
Does it matter if it's not Topping?
As I get it you want 16 channels clean and CHEAP,right?

If you consider that in real life there are threads every week with problems with 2 channel devices,16 is a big responsibility.
Can you imagine frying 16 speakers because of a glitch?

Usually free meals do not exist but one can hope I guess.
 
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