Monoprice Blackbird Review (HDMI Audio Extractor)

[formdissolve]

I just want stereo. The Parasound P6 says that it can do 192/24 via optical.

That should work then.. make sure the switch on the Monoprice unit is in the right spot and that your Oppo is set. If you're not using the optical port on the Oppo, you could just plug that into the Parasound optical and it would work up to 192/24 like that from what I recall

 

[whitey019]

I can't get anything out of the Oppo above 44/16 digitally, optical or coax, have to use analog (DVD-A or SACD). I understand this is a purposeful limit due to copyright protection. This is the whole reason for trying this extractor.

 

[formdissolve]

I can't get anything out of the Oppo above 44/16 digitally, optical or coax, have to use analog (DVD-A or SACD). I understand this is a purposeful limit due to copyright protection. This is the whole reason for trying this extractor.

Oppo should be able to convert the stereo layer of SACD to 88.2/24 PCM then and send over HDMI to the Monoprice with the switch set to PCM. Not sure why it's not doing that. DVDA as well, I believe. I had the Oppo 203 it did that.. Good luck

 

[whitey019]

From what I've read, I thought this should work too. Do I have to actually pass HDMI through the extractor? So far, I've been trying to use the Oppo's second audio only HDMI port.

Thanks

 

[formdissolve]

From what I've read, I thought this should work too. Do I have to actually pass HDMI through the extractor? So far, I've been trying to use the Oppo's second audio only HDMI port.

Thanks

No, the second audio port should work. Make sure you have the correct settings in the Oppo and try out the switch positions on the Monoprice and go from there. Note, this only works for stereo section on the SACD/DVDA, as you are aware.

 

[whitey019]

Alright, I think then I have exhausted all options and this extractor, for whatever reason, just doesn't work with my specific equipment. BTW, I have also tried feeding the optical output to a Yamaha RX-A3060 and get the same results.

 

[Snoopy]

Alright, I think then I have exhausted all options and this extractor, for whatever reason, just doesn't work with my specific equipment. BTW, I have also tried feeding the optical output to a Yamaha RX-A3060 and get the same results.

Just rip the SACDs

 

[whitey019]

I have.

 

[whitey019]

Ok. I've got it working with my computer's HDMI playing ripped DVD-Audio files to both the Yamaha RX-A3060 and the Parasound P6. Therefore, I think it's a problem between the Blackbird and the Oppo UDP-203.

 

[sunao]

Hello again,

I haven't login to ASR for awhile, but I noticed this HDMI extractor topic is hot again. Maybe I should share my experience to help.

1. My first extractor from Monoprice - something not sure for a model number... is not working except
- 48/96 kHz connection via SPDIF coaxial cable works with my Sony udp-x800m2
- I also need to tweak udp-x800m2 option setting not to propagate stream, and downconvert to PCM 96/48. No 192 kHz.
- No signal detected on my DAC (both Benchmark dac3 and something no brand DAC) if I try to send DSD signals with Monoprice extractor
. At first I had tried 8k HDMI cable from Monoprice together, but no luck. no signal detected. (@@)
- Actually a 4k HDMI cable from Amazon basic was good enough. I can see a signal, listen an audio (^^)
- Not sure why I see a difference among cables...but try different HDMI cable(s) if you have.

2. At second, I tried the Chinese HDMI extractor with 'DoP' as suggested by @Fench ...it works like a charm with udp-x800m2! yay ;-)
- I can listen DSD64 as well as PCM192/96/48
- Using 2nd (audio only) HDMI output from x800m2 then feed the signal into the extractor to connect DAC/DSP via a coaxial SPDIF.
- Again 8K HDMI cable from Monoprice has an issue. Stick with less expensive HDMI cable from Amazon again.
- But PCM192 and DSD64 sounds awful or had many noises when I have turned on CD player (not udp-x800m2) which connects
to an optical input of same DAC which connects to HDMI extractor via a coaxial input...I have to make sure I need to turn off CD player always. interference??
- DSD64 has no advantage against PCM192 for me. I cannot listen any difference. So not necessary to buy 'DoP' version if PCM192 is ok.
Then let udp-x800m2 convert SACD to PCM192 signal and extract via HDMI. I can bring a DSP in between the extractor and DAC to optimize.
That makes me feel very good (^^)
- I don't have PCM384 or DSD128 sources. so I don't know about them.

3. No surround audio extracted from HDMI. DD/DTS surround input becomes a white noise signal.

So... check cable or try different extractor, @whitey019. and good luck!

 

[whitey019]

I tried 3 different extractors, 3 hdmi cables and 2 optical cables. The Blackbird was silent and two others only transmitted 44/48k. I guess I'm giving up. I can rip both dvd-a and sacd.

 

[Eric Geer]

This should solve a lot of issues: the GeerFab Audio D.BOB (Digital BreakOut Box) takes the HDMI output of a universal disc player and extracts the DSD64 from SACDs and PCM up to 24/192 from Blu-ray Audio and other hi-res discs then outputs to an external DAC via the DoP over Coax protocol. Legally. (Note: I'm the inventor and manufacturer)

 

[sunao]

@Eric Geer since I always have a question about D.BoB. could you please answer as an inventor? (what a nice opportunity to ask )

I am using a non-brand made in China extractor as I described, and it works nicely with a bit of issue (interference with other equipment via DAC).
In fact, I see this 'extractor' thing is just an ordinal electronic device to extract HDMI's audio signal stream and put into PCM (with DoP header for DSD).
Therefore I haven't see any invention carried out to this Chinese one.
Then what is your invention here? Would you please explain what makes the sound great with D.BoB?
If you have a measurement data of signals (i.e. SND), ASR would be a best place to show.

I also notice about your notation about 'legally'. If I continue using this tiny extractor, what kind of issue I may face?
I am simply using my SACD (and DVD, BD) to play Sony udp x800m2 and feed the signal into DAC. I wonder if it makes any legal issues...

 

[Fench]

2. At second, I tried the Chinese HDMI extractor with 'DoP' as suggested by @Fench ...it works like a charm with udp-x800m2! yay ;-)

Thanks for sharing, @sunao

 

[Eric Geer]

@Eric Geer since I always have a question about D.BoB. could you please answer as an inventor? (what a nice opportunity to ask )

I am using a non-brand made in China extractor as I described, and it works nicely with a bit of issue (interference with other equipment via DAC).
In fact, I see this 'extractor' thing is just an ordinal electronic device to extract HDMI's audio signal stream and put into PCM (with DoP header for DSD).
Therefore I haven't see any invention carried out to this Chinese one.
Then what is your invention here? Would you please explain what makes the sound great with D.BoB?
If you have a measurement data of signals (i.e. SND), ASR would be a best place to show.

I also notice about your notation about 'legally'. If I continue using this tiny extractor, what kind of issue I may face?
I am simply using my SACD (and DVD, BD) to play Sony udp x800m2 and feed the signal into DAC. I wonder if it makes any legal issues...

The cheap. non-brand HDMI extractors that output DoP are not legal in that they bypass and do not support HDCP. All SACDs and most Blu-ray Audio discs employ HDCP to prevent copying. Getting DoP to work with HDCP is near impossible, which is why it took 20 years for the D.BOB to come along. The DoP/HDMI issue took me over a year to successfully implement. Don't be surprised if there is legal action taken to prevent the importation of those cheap, often unreliable boxes. And note - the D.BOB holds a US Patent.

 

[Fench]

The cheap. non-brand HDMI extractors that output DoP are not legal in that they bypass and do not support HDCP. All SACDs and most Blu-ray Audio discs employ HDCP to prevent copying. Getting DoP to work with HDCP is near impossible, which is why it took 20 years for the D.BOB to come along. The DoP/HDMI issue took me over a year to successfully implement. Don't be surprised if there is legal action taken to prevent the importation of those cheap, often unreliable boxes. And note - the D.BOB holds a US Patent.

@Eric Geer thank you for elucidation.
Assuming your patent concerns HDCP-compliant DoP, did you offer it up for sale to SACD player manufacturers? DoP over optical or coaxial SPDIF straight from the player would be an attractive sales point in this market.

 

[Kimbrough Xu]

Does it support Dolby?

 

[sunao]

@Eric Geer thank you for your response and explanation.
I would not break any patent, including yours. If I use HDMI extractor to extract PCM, or if I choose a device only extracts and converts to PCM (i.e. recent minidsp flex), I may not break. The one I use sounds risky for me to use. I will look for alternative.

My experience, Sony udp x800m2 has no difference in between DSD64 and PCM192 at my environment so far.

 

[Fench]

Sony UBP-X800M2 converts DSD64 to 176.4 kHz PCM (rather than 192 kHz). Has something to do with DSD64 using 64 times the CD sampling rate of 44.1 kHz = 2.8224 MHz = 16 x 176.4 (just an integer multiple of 176.4).

I'm using the popular JTD18G-H5CH audio extractor (~40 $ or €) to extract 176.4 kHz, 24 bit PCM from the 2nd HDMI audio-only out port of the Sony. I can't compare that to the sound of DoP64 (since i'm not using a D.BOB or ChiFi box), but it does sound beautiful through my ADI-2 DAC.

Wikipedia mentions that "the vast majority of SACDs—especially rock and contemporary music, which rely on multitrack techniques—are in fact mixed in PCM (or mixed analog and recorded on PCM recorders) and then converted to DSD for SACD mastering." So I gues the advantage of SACD is mainly with older recordings of classical and other genres. Anyway i'm not tempted to drastically expand my 5-piece SACD-collection