Monoprice HTP-1 Home Theater Processor Review

[kaa]

HTP-1 already passes 4K HDR/Dolby Vision. I’ve been doing that for years from an AppleTV, Sony X800/X1100ES, and Intel/M1 Mac minis.

Your question goes to show how irrelevant HDMI 2.1 is: nobody even knows how it differs materially from previous.

TIL. What then is the purpose of HDMI 2.1 and who actually needs it?

 

[jhaider]

TIL. What then is the purpose of HDMI 2.1 and who actually needs it?

Great questions!

As far as I can tell, it's for the video game nut with an 8k super HDR TV that refreshes at quadruple speed.

People who listen to music and stream normal content don't seem to derive any benefits from the extra bandwidth.

 

[rdo]

Great questions!

As far as I can tell, it's for the video game nut with an 8k super HDR TV that refreshes at quadruple speed.

People who listen to music and stream normal content don't seem to derive any benefits from the extra bandwidth.

According to this HDMI 2.1 gives Atmos over eArc

Basically this means Dolby Atmos over ARC at full resolution, which you currently can't do.

 

[RichB]

Great questions!

As far as I can tell, it's for the video game nut with an 8k super HDR TV that refreshes at quadruple speed.

People who listen to music and stream normal content don't seem to derive any benefits from the extra bandwidth.

Fixing bugs and 1 second input switching would be nice.
Though, from what I am seeing, HDMI 2.1 comes at significant increase in power usage to run the chipset.
In time, that will improve.

- Rich

 

[Vacceo]

Great questions!

As far as I can tell, it's for the video game nut with an 8k super HDR TV that refreshes at quadruple speed.

People who listen to music and stream normal content don't seem to derive any benefits from the extra bandwidth.

I use it for 4k, 120 hz refresh and image metadata like HDR, Dolby Vision, 12 bit depth color...

To consistently reach those framerates, you need some serious horspower on your GPU, however.

According to this HDMI 2.1 gives Atmos over eArc

eARC can be enabled for HDMI 2.0. in certain cases. It has the bandwidth to pass Atmos in high bitrate and sampling.

 

[Sancus]

Atmos over eARC works fine on my Denon 4500H, which doesn't have HDMI 2.1 bandwidth.

Since there is no actual such thing as monolithic HDMI 2.1(every feature is treated as separately optional) many of its features were implemented in HDMI 2.0 receivers prior to the existence of the higher bandwidth chipsets.

 

[jhaider]

Fixing bugs and 1 second input switching would be nice.
Though, from what I am seeing, HDMI 2.1 comes at significant increase in power usage to run the chipset.
In time, that will improve.

- Rich

What bugs are you currently seeing? If you’ve upgraded I find it hard to fathom someone going from Emo to HTP-1 would think the latter buggy!

Mine (both of them - we use 1 in the 2-channel system as well because there's no decent - DLBC or better, loudness compensation - 2-channel only device available at similar or lower cost right now) have been basically problem free since for about a year. I think the big meltdown when mine and a bunch of other people's HTP-1s started doom-looping was last July. May have been the year before though.

Input switching may be slow. I don’t know. Nearly 100% of the use of one flows through an AppleTV, and 100% of the use of the other flows though a WiiM Pro - even vinyl so we can make use of that device’s auto standby function (and HTP-1’s trigger in). Auto standby is one of the few real gaps in HTP-1’s feature set.

 

[RichB]

What bugs are you currently seeing? If you’ve upgraded I find it hard to fathom someone going from Emo to HTP-1 would think the latter buggy!

Mine (both of them - we use 1 in the 2-channel system as well because there's no decent - DLBC or better, loudness compensation - 2-channel only device available at similar or lower cost right now) have been basically problem free since for about a year. I think the big meltdown when mine and a bunch of other people's HTP-1s started doom-looping was last July. May have been the year before though.

Input switching may be slow. I don’t know. Nearly 100% of the use of one flows through an AppleTV, and 100% of the use of the other flows though a WiiM Pro - even vinyl so we can make use of that device’s auto standby function (and HTP-1’s trigger in). Auto standby is one of the few real gaps in HTP-1’s feature set.

My system is fairly straightforward. I have occasionally see a case with distortion in the center channel that sounds like tin can (digital distortion) that is fixed by changing inputs on the RMC-1. This appears to be linked to the fast startup mode.

The ATV4K (new) is set to match rate and range so there is blanking for a few seconds, then resync delays that are annoying. The boot loop kept my away for the HTP-1, along with the long period of no stock. The RMC-1 sounds great and the Dolby up mixer for 2-channel shows is wonderful.

My HT, is limited by the environment so channel counts is not a convert. From a Family Approval Factor point of view, the input switching is the clunky. I also have a Denon 3700 that is about the same, though I think there are cases when the RMC-1 does a double handshake.

For 2-channel, I bypass it with the Benchmark DAC3 and LA4 so that is not an issue.

The concept of improved bass management is of interest, but I'll wait for others to debug it for me

- Rich

 

[GPx86]

HTP-1 bootloop issue has been resolved for a year for me with the firmware released last year. Just a couple weeks ago another new firmware was released that further addressed the issue and will completely eliminate it.

 

[Beast76]

My system is fairly straightforward. I have occasionally see a case with distortion in the center channel that sounds like tin can (digital distortion) that is fixed by changing inputs on the RMC-1. This appears to be linked to the fast startup mode. The ATV4K (new) is set to match rate and range so there is blanking for a few seconds, then resync delays that are annoying. The boot loop kept my away for the HTP-1, along with the long period of no stock. The RMC-1 sounds great and the Dolby up mixer for 2-channel shows is wonderful. My HT, is limited by the environment so channel counts is not a convert. From a Family Approval Factor point of view, the input switching is the clunky. I also have a Denon 3700 that is about the same, though I think there are cases when the RMC-1 does a double handshake. For 2-channel, I bypass it with the Benchmark DAC3 and LA4 so that is not an issue. The concept of improved bass management is of interest, but I'll wait for others to debug it for me - Rich

I think you were being asked what bugs you think still exist in the HTP-1. There are basically no known major bugs in the HTP-1 so if you’re waiting for others to debug it for you, we already have

 

[FrantzM]

This processor is now on my wish list, because the bugs seem to have been ironed out. It seems to have everything that I need:
My questions:
Is DLBC included in the purchase price?
Do they plan on releasing DIRAC ART to this platform?
Reliabilities issues?
Availability?
How one would compare the Dynamic EQ feature with Audyssey DEQ? FWIW I like DEQ, anything better is icing on the cake.

Peace.

 

[Jdunk54nl]

DLBC is not included, but there is a 30% off sale. so $350 for the multi sub stuff or $250 for single sub.

Monolith HTP-1 – Dirac

www.dirac.com

 

[Beast76]

This processor is now on my wish list, because the bugs seem to have been ironed out. It seems to have everything that I need:
My questions:
Is DLBC included in the purchase price?
Do they plan on releasing DIRAC ART to this platform?
Reliabilities issues?
Availability?
How one would compare the Dynamic EQ feature with Audyssey DEQ? FWIW I like DEQ, anything better is icing on the cake.

Peace.

Yes - Dirac ART has been announced by Monoprice in the HTP-1 thread at avsforum. No reliability issues (And has a 5 year warranty). It’s available right now.

“Loudness” on the HTP-1 is superior to DEQ IMO. You can modify it to your tastes and listening level.

 

[GPx86]

I do not have any subs. Is it necessary to have the additional Dirac license to manage the low frequencies? I am only using 2-channel but they are full range speakers.

 

[Beast76]

I do not have any subs. Is it necessary to have the additional Dirac license to manage the low frequencies? I am only using 2-channel but they are full range speakers.

DLBC is only for subwoofers - so no you do not need any additional license for your setup.

 

[ElectricKoolAid]

DLBC is not included, but there is a 30% off sale. so $350 for the multi sub stuff or $250 for single sub.

Monolith HTP-1 – Dirac

www.dirac.com

View attachment 294404

Looks like they took the code down:

 

[NegativeEntropy]

Looks like they took the code down:

View attachment 294415

"expires 29 November" smells like a black Friday deal to me.

 

[jhaider]

My system is fairly straightforward. I have occasionally see a case with distortion in the center channel that sounds like tin can (digital distortion) that is fixed by changing inputs on the RMC-1. This appears to be linked to the fast startup mode.

But that's Emotiva. Here we're discussing a...more carefully sorted AVP.

The boot loop kept my away for the HTP-1, along with the long period of no stock.

Understood on both counts.

Personally, I've had two doom loops, both of which were completely infuriating. My general expectation of things is that they just work. The last one was in July, 2021. (I went back and checked my emails - it was 2021 and not 2022) I think there was an exogenous event that caused doom loops to spike at that time? Forum threads from that month have a lot more traffic about doom loops than before or after. Since then it (and subsequently they) have been reliable for me at least so far. Who knows what tomorrow will bring.

I've also only used factory firmware releases. There is an aftermarket firmware that offers some improvements, most of which I believe have been incorporated into the recently released official version. (I have nothing at all against that project, and had planned to install it the second I had an issue. But I never had an issue, so I never went through the bother.)

As to your second point, I bought our second one used at roughly the cost of new, because there was no new stock and no visibility into when stock may be available at that time. But I think that also says something about the utility of this processor, that a used one was preferable to anything available new.

The concept of improved bass management is of interest, but I'll wait for others to debug it for me

DLBC has been around for years no and is well sorted. That said, I take it in a system like yours with all those giant Revels you mean ART. I expect ART will be able to do really nice things for you.

This processor is now on my wish list, because the bugs seem to have been ironed out. It seems to have everything that I need:
My questions:
Is DLBC included in the purchase price?

No. I think it's $500 extra.

Do they plan on releasing DIRAC ART to this platform?

The official statement is yes, but IMO it's rational to view any future promised feature for any product as speculation. Even if intentions are good there could also always be some external factor that delays or prevents implementation and release. Put another way, the only product ever guaranteed to receive Dirac ART is StormAudio. Anything else is speculation.

How one would compare the Dynamic EQ feature with Audyssey DEQ? FWIW I like DEQ, anything better is icing on the cake.

Factually there are two differences. First, loudness compensation on HTP-1 is FR manipulation only. It does not boost surrounds at low volume. It's your call if that's better or worse. Second, the target curves are different. Difference 2(a) is HTP-1 offers two separate target curves for loudness. I think many of us prefer the "vintage" curve, but it's worth trying both.

 

[laurelkurt]

I just bought an HTP-1 B-stock today at 2,625 bucks. There may be more available.

 

[Sal1950]

I just bought an HTP-1 B-stock today at 2,625 bucks. There may be more available.

Doesn't seem to be, only the 8 channel amps are there AFAIK

https://www.monoprice.com/product?p_id=44463