MiniDSP Flex HTx

[rirelien]

For those interested, I did a bit of testing last night on my AppleTV -> Flex HT setup, which I mostly use for Apple Music streaming with a 4.0 speaker configuration.

An earlier theory I saw was that if the AppleTV is set to output LPCM, you only get the so-called bed channels (ie up to 7.1) decoded, and not non-bed objects. While watching a video on mixing music for Atmos, a producer/mixer who seems to be doing lots of Atmos mixes mentioned that they didn't use the bed channels for their mixes.

This made me curious, so I found a test album (search for the Dolby Labs artist on Apple Music) that contained object-based test tracks, with objects moving around. They play back correctly on my system, within the limitations of my actual 4.0 setup.

So in summary: my position is that although you can't get discrete height channels decoded as LPCM from the AppleTV, you are not missing any audio that is encoded only in Atmos objects when using a setup like this.

Link to test album:

(Hope that link works.)

 

[dadsnavE]

I thought this was the solution to my use case. Turns out I was better served by a MOTU 828 controlled with Gig Performer on a Mac.

So...

I have a never-hooked up unit waiting for a new home.

PM if interested? (Gonna list it on eBay.)

 

[dadsnavE]

Was able to get $750 on eBay in just a couple days.

Anyone interested in what going down the audio interface rabbit hole (like MOTU 828) involves, ping me.

 

[Matt S]

I dug a little deeper, seems like a lot of "clicks" were blamed on CEC. I turned off CEC in my Kodi box...and the clicks seem to have gone away. I stress tested with music and movies and so far no clicks or pops.

Just googled this, having had the same popping issue, and found your solution. I'll try this tomorrow. Many thanks.

 

[Matt S]

I don't use HDMI for music so I can't tell.
I only use HDMI for AV streams.
I have just checked:
- With TV channels (DD 2.0) Flex HT reports 2 channels
- With netflix and prime video (5.1), Flex HT reports 6 channels.

Never got any glitches nor pops.
Transition between formats and streams are completely smooth and silent.

I too have the Feintech device, fed by an AppleTV into a Samsung QN95a which IS eArc compatible.

I couldn't get the TV to output multi channel into the HTx though, and so purchased the AppleTV and Feintech combo.

Last night, after much fiddling, I was enjoying surround sound. Today, no matter what I did, the MiniDSP would say "Muted" whenever I started something with surround sound.

Oddly, it was working just fine when watching Severance last night, aswell as a number of other shows.

 

[rirelien]

I too have the Feintech device, fed by an AppleTV into a Samsung QN95a which IS eArc compatible.

I couldn't get the TV to output multi channel into the HTx though, and so purchased the AppleTV and Feintech combo.

Last night, after much fiddling, I was enjoying surround sound. Today, no matter what I did, the MiniDSP would say "Muted" whenever I started something with surround sound.

Oddly, it was working just fine when watching Severance last night, aswell as a number of other shows.

Could the AppleTV be outputting the encoded audio rather than decoding it to LPCM? Sounds like you need to look at those settings on the ATV side.

 

[Matt S]

Could the AppleTV be outputting the encoded audio rather than decoding it to LPCM? Sounds like you need to look at those settings on the ATV side.

The TV didn't work with the Flex HTx via eArc, so I purchased an AppleTV and Feintech splitter. Whether the splitter is connected via the TV's eArc HDMI port, or a normal HDMI port, makes no difference. The Apple TV device is setup exactly per the instructions and I've turned each device on and off, tried multiple configurations and no luck at all.

I find it interesting that I initially had it running perfectly. Day 2, having powered off, no such luck.

Using Severance as an example.. it was all running perfectly, wonderful surround sound. But day 2, stereo only. After some fiddling around I might then suddenly find that the Flex HTx suddenly switches to Muted, so I guess its receiving a stream it doesn't understand. ATV is set to LPCM. Interestingly something like Paddington will output full surround.

All very odd and all a bit dull now. Coupled with error messages from Dirac, which only seems to detect a tiny frequency range (never an issue with the SHD), I'm close to selling (maybe they'd accept a return as barely used) and switching back to the SHD.

MiniDSP initially seemed helpful but merely told me what I already knew and could see for myself. Long and short - compatibility issues I guess.

 

[rirelien]

The TV didn't work with the Flex HTx via eArc, so I purchased an AppleTV and Feintech splitter. Whether the splitter is connected via the TV's eArc HDMI port, or a normal HDMI port, makes no difference. The Apple TV device is setup exactly per the instructions and I've turned each device on and off, tried multiple configurations and no luck at all.

I find it interesting that I initially had it running perfectly. Day 2, having powered off, no such luck.

Sounds like HDMI EDID handshaking fun. But with the Feintech in the mix, your TV shouldn’t matter.

I have an ATV and Feintech VAX04101 eARC switch which works well. A few more steps to check, in case this is helpful:

Your Flex should be connected to the Feintech via the marked eARC port. TV connected via the output port of the Feintech and eARC/ARC turned off for initial tests.

Feintech in 5.1 or 7.1 mode, via remote or front panel. This tells the ATV what to send via EDID.

ATV setting for Audio > Change Format is off. Setting for Format further down should be Auto (the one where you can force it to 16 bit output.)

Keep Device Console open and monitor inputs while playing back content.

Probably you have done all this!

 

[Mort]

MiniDSP announcing that Flex HTx/HT will be getting input PEQ soon. Beta testers are being sought.

 

[Matt S]

Sounds like HDMI EDID handshaking fun. But with the Feintech in the mix, your TV shouldn’t matter.

I have an ATV and Feintech VAX04101 eARC switch which works well. A few more steps to check, in case this is helpful:

Your Flex should be connected to the Feintech via the marked eARC port. TV connected via the output port of the Feintech and eARC/ARC turned off for initial tests.

Feintech in 5.1 or 7.1 mode, via remote or front panel. This tells the ATV what to send via EDID.

ATV setting for Audio > Change Format is off. Setting for Format further down should be Auto (the one where you can force it to 16 bit output.)

Keep Device Console open and monitor inputs while playing back content.

Probably you have done all this!

I had.... but what happens when you change an older HDMI cable...????? Suddenly things work!! It was a last resort but now I'm up and running!

Just a weird DIRAC issue to sort now. Its detecting only a tiny frequency range which I've not seen before. Time to fix that one.

 

[rirelien]

I had.... but what happens when you change an older HDMI cable...????? Suddenly things work!! It was a last resort but now I'm up and running!

Just a weird DIRAC issue to sort now. It’s detecting only a tiny frequency range which I've not seen before. Time to fix that one.

Good news!

Check sample rate mismatches. Shouldn’t cause an issue but I am convinced this was the case for me, running Dirac Live on MacOS, where you need to be explicit about device bit depth and sample rate in Audio MIDI Setup.

 

[Verausci]

This looks good! What sort of latency are we talking with having to go through (e)ARC and Dirac? Wouldn't want to add a lot of latency when gaming

 

[Joaquinín]

The TV didn't work with the Flex HTx via eArc

I have read this many times. It´s frustrating, and I wonder: Have you tried the USB audio out from the later Samsung TVs (S95C)? I use it with a stereo USB DAC (Gustard X16) and it works great (even in the signal is always displayed as 44.1khz in the DAC, don´t ask me why). I did read in this forum, somewhere, that somebody had obtained USB multichannel output from one of these TVs to a Samsung tablet. Maybe it can work with multichannel USB dacs such as the Flex HT/HTx?

 

[Matt S]

I have read this many times. It´s frustrating, and I wonder: Have you tried the USB audio out from the later Samsung TVs (S95C)? I use it with a stereo USB DAC (Gustard X16) and it works great (even in the signal is always displayed as 44.1khz in the DAC, don´t ask me why). I did read in this forum, somewhere, that somebody had obtained USB multichannel output from one of these TVs to a Samsung tablet. Maybe it can work with multichannel USB dacs such as the Flex HT/HTx

After endless fiddling, it ended up working. I did nothing differently, just started again, tried a different HDMI cable (I guess this might have been the issue?) and suddenly.... working!

 

[anthonymoody]

Hi all - very much a minidsp newbie, so please be gentle.

Plan is to use the HTx to add HDMI to my 2.0 (and future 2.1) system. My primary question is: if I'm SURE that I only want 2.1 output from the HTx, do I care about the issues I'm reading about above whereby certain TVs and/or source devices, etc don't output 7.1, Atmos, etc?

And, for the 8 RCA inputs and outputs, can those be configured as you like? e.g. can the inputs be 4 stereo-pairs from 4 analog devices?? And for the outputs, if I'm 2.1, I assume I can assign e.g. RCA outputs 1, 2, and 3 to L/R/sub?

 

[stony2275]

After endless fiddling, it ended up working. I did nothing differently, just started again, tried a different HDMI cable (I guess this might have been the issue?) and suddenly.... working!

I had issues with HDMI cables and once I found some that worked, never saw the issue again.

 

[Mort]

Plan is to use the HTx to add HDMI to my 2.0 (and future 2.1) system. My primary question is: if I'm SURE that I only want 2.1 output from the HTx, do I care about the issues I'm reading about above whereby certain TVs and/or source devices, etc don't output 7.1, Atmos, etc?

It's defined by the source but almost everything can pass 2 channel lpcm over HDMI. You should be ok. Note that you will not really get 2.1. you'll get 2.0 and you'll bass manage the subwoofer. You won't get the true LFE channel.

, for the 8 RCA inputs and outputs, can those be configured as you like? e.g. can the inputs be 4 stereo-pairs from 4 analog devices?? And for the outputs, if I'm 2.1, I assume I can assign e.g. RCA outputs 1, 2, and 3 to L/R/sub?

Correct

 

[anthonymoody]

It's defined by the source but almost everything can pass 2 channel lpcm over HDMI. You should be ok. Note that you will not really get 2.1. you'll get 2.0 and you'll bass manage the subwoofer. You won't get the true LFE channel.




Correct

Thanks so much.

Trying to decide between the HTx, which would get me room correction, and the Essence HDACC II-4K which would get me HDMI switching (which I really appreciate) but lacks any room correction. It would suffer the same sub limitation.

​

 

[Mort]

would get me HDMI switching

I do my HDMI switching upstream with the hdfury VRROOM. It does require another remote...

 

[NTK]

And, for the 8 RCA inputs and outputs, can those be configured as you like? e.g. can the inputs be 4 stereo-pairs from 4 analog devices?? And for the outputs, if I'm 2.1, I assume I can assign e.g. RCA outputs 1, 2, and 3 to L/R/sub?

The routing and matrix mixer can indeed be used as analog input selector. But each selection will take up one preset configuration. Since there are only 4 presets, I don't know if that is the best use for them.