Yes & no. Technically you can use HDMI for MCH and seemingly work. But all MCH HDMI DAC implementations are broken...
Granted but his sample size is minute.
So great news!
There looks to be not broken MCH HDMI DAC implementations.
I got the SINBAD values for some high end MCH DAC's. Nothing in Blue tier but there are better measured results.
I found this
site that converts THD to SINBAD. I found some websites that also had same AP THD measurements using same 1kh for quite a few. Still can't find Krell PrePro measurements. The ASR highest is Emotiva RMC-1 at 100db, but with a little googling I found better. Also bear in mind, DAC is more tweakish than say the room correction app. I can certainly hear differences between RC apps, while I just went from red tier to the highest of blue and cannot hear a diff. I have no formal audio education. I would certainly take a Trinnov with red tier over a blue tier and no RC.
The best was
ANTHEM STATEMENT D2V 3D, measuring 0.000516% / -105.7. Discontinued. I see in Ebay for $1,500. So if the DAC tweak is most important this would be the best way to go. Not sure if Anthem updates the RC app in old devices, so RC wise it might be a downgrade from current models. That’s what I like about Trinnov, they’re consistently updating. The
Anthem Statement D1 measured: .00338% / 89.4. D2 was not measured & was upgradable to add ARC in 2008.
The second best was
McIntosh MX150, 0.00057% / -104.8. If I was to guess the newer model MX160 is probably the best measured DAC today. Since the hosts approves of RoomPerfect I would classify the MX160 as the most advanced PrePro today & probably in blue tier. Not far stretch as it just has to go up 2db from the previous model.
Bryston SP3 - 0.000857 / -101.3. No room correction so I would consider this broken anyway...
Worthy mention:
Integra DTC-9.8 .0093 / -80.6 - First PrePro that decoded BD's. Knowing what I know now, I still regret not buying this anyway. I had the Audyseey standalone that had 2 extra conversions in path. I ended up waiting too long of time for a decent PrePro. There was also the D2 but it bothered me too much that it could not decode. Ironic that My that my BD is decoding now and for the foreseeable future. The next PrePro that decoded BD's was
Marantz AV8003 around 6 months later with mere 0.023 / 72.7. So those that chose Integra over Matantz won the SINBAD lottery.
PrePro SINBAD not in ASR (from hometheaterhifi and 1 or 2 in S & V):
Denon AVP-A1HDCI - .019 / -74.4
Integra DTC-9.8 THX Ultra2 7.1 SSP - .0093 / -80.6
INTEGRA DHC-80.6 11.2 - .00797 / -81.9
Marantz AV7005 7.1 - .01 / 80
McIntosh MX150 7.1 - 0.00057 / -104.8
CLASSE SSP-800 - 0.003 / -90.4
MARANTZ AV7701 7.2 - .002395 / 92.4
MARANTZ AV8801 - 0.002852 / -90.8
Yamaha CX-A5000 SSP - 0.005 / -86
Marantz AV8003 Processor - 0.023 / -72.7
Bryston SP3 - 0.000857 / -101.3
ANTHEM STATEMENT D2V 3D - 0.000516 / -105.747005967
MARANTZ AV8802 - 0.001692 / -95.4