Stereo AV Receiver or just use my Stereo system ?

[SOULKAT]

Stereo AV Receiver or just use my Stereo system ? { Possible buys or just replace my Amp ? Marantz NR1200 or Denon DRA 800H Stereo Receivers }
For Pioneer PDP Plasma Tv with Apple 4K Fire Qube 4K Mac Mini + Topping E30 Dac
To Arcam Alpha 8 Amp
B&W Speakers 601s
Moth Turntable and Denon Tape Deck
It's all wired up at the moment with HDMI { Old HDMI 1.3 i think } TO THE TV FROM APPLE 4K TV & FIRE QUBE & MAC MINI
I am using the X2 Phono red and white audio out to my amp { That plays audio from the tv the mac mini the apple tv and the fire qube and the audio from the tv speakers Great & Also using the Toslink audio out on the tv to my DAC { But that only plays audio from my DVT Well the audio from the free view or normal tv but when i leave the tv speakers on using the Toslink it plays out of sink with the tv and sort of echoes }
Also my mac mini goes through the DAC as well and that works fine

So i need a new amp Do i buy the AV Receivers or just an denon PMA600 Amp & use the same connections as i can also stream from my phone using Apple TV And when my computers is on like i have some kind of streamer
So will i be better of buying an AV and plug all the HDMIs into that { I am not bothered about 5.1 as Stereo will do me fine well maybe a Sub so its 2.1 }

 

[Helicopter]

Stereo AV Receiver or just use my Stereo system ? { Possible buys or just replace my Amp ? Marantz NR1200 or Denon DRA 800H Stereo Receivers }
For Pioneer PDP Plasma Tv with Apple 4K Fire Qube 4K Mac Mini + Topping E30 Dac
To Arcam Alpha 8 Amp
B&W Speakers 601s
Moth Turntable and Denon Tape Deck
It's all wired up at the moment with HDMI { Old HDMI 1.3 i think } TO THE TV FROM APPLE 4K TV & FIRE QUBE & MAC MINI
I am using the X2 Phono red and white audio out to my amp { That plays audio from the tv the mac mini the apple tv and the fire qube and the audio from the tv speakers Great & Also using the Toslink audio out on the tv to my DAC { But that only plays audio from my DVT Well the audio from the free view or normal tv but when i leave the tv speakers on using the Toslink it plays out of sink with the tv and sort of echoes }
Also my mac mini goes through the DAC as well and that works fine

So i need a new amp Do i buy the AV Receivers or just an denon PMA600 Amp & use the same connections as i can also stream from my phone using Apple TV And when my computers is on like i have some kind of streamer
So will i be better of buying an AV and plug all the HDMIs into that { I am not bothered about 5.1 as Stereo will do me fine well maybe a Sub so its 2.1 }

AVR probably won't perform any better, but that's probably the route I would go just to get more HDMI inputs and manage the video part. What was the problem with status quo? All the layers of connections running through the TV, right? Seems an AVR is the solution to that.

 

[nn_in]

I think a list of Avr's that are good for stereo 2.0 and 2.1 would be useful.Avr's are priced competitively and have room correction (I think most of them do).

 

[Chrispy]

What would make one avr "better" than another for just 2.0 or 2.1 playback? AVRs tend to have bass management where many 2ch units do not, too.

 

[bluefuzz]

So i need a new amp

Do you? I would think something like the HDfury Diva would solve most of your issues. AppleTV, FireCube and MacMini HDMI into HDfury Diva. HDMI from Diva to TV for picture, Toslink from Diva to DAC for audio. Use the best HDMI cables you can get.

I use the Diva for a similar setup. It's a great little box. It can also do ambient backlighting on the TV which is actually the main reason I got it.

 

[SOULKAT]

I found a HDMI 5x1 switch and Audio Extractor ( 3D 4K HDMI HDCP as you said HDMI In to Toslink out to Dac and it works great except for the Fire cube TV as it shows up on the Dac but the audio won’t come out and that really dose my head in but it will come through the TV speakers and the stereo speakers through the TVs 2x phono audio out to the amp but won’t go through the Dac Vire toslink ( HDMI SWITCH TO DAC ) ??? I have looked at the fire cube TV settings and can’t see any audio out options ? There must be something I have overlooked Could you help as you seem to really understand what I have done here Thanks Dan

 

[SOULKAT]

 

[SOULKAT]

Ok a final note as to New / Used Items All Included extra Delivery Charges.

Used Pioneer PDP-LX6080 60" TV £245.00 / Used Pioneer Bluray Player BDP_LX91 £221.00 / HDMI 5x1 Switch and Audio Extractor £45.00 / Used Arcam SA10 Amp. £250.00 / B&W 601 my old pair for the TV And a New unopened box of x 2 B&W 601s New old stock. £200.00. / Atacama HMS 2X Speaker stands £135.00 Used but mint } Cable Talk - Talk 3.1 Bi-wire Speaker Cable. Free I have loads of this / New Rel T5i Subwoofer. £399.00 / Topping E30 Dac. £131.50. / Used { Like new } Sennheiser HD650 Headphones 5 Months old with Receipt £225.00
Used Pro-Ject Head Box S Headphone amp. £60.00 Used But Mint / New Rega Fono Mini A2D Amp. £80.10 / New Rega 2021 Planner P2 Turntable Gloss Black £399.00 { New Cartridge to follow ?? }
That's £2405.10 To change my whole system
Everything that's plugged into the 5x1 HDMI Switch comes through the Dac except the fire cube TV as that shows up on the Dac but i can't get a sound out of it well except audio from tv through the amp and the 601s wired to the TV { VERY STRANGE } But everything else works great and no need for a receiver. Cool

The Fire Cube 4K & Apple 4K Tv. / Mac Mini / Windows Lap top / & External hard drives I have kept as they work fine with a virgin media account {100Mbps + Tv / Sim / landline Deal} Plus a Used but mint Netgear Pro-safe GS108 V3 Network 8 Port Switch { £15.70 } for all hard wire Ethernet cat 6 cables { Free from virgin. The cables that is }

New Rega Planner P2 Turntable Gloss Black { New Cartridge to follow ?? }
What do you recomend ?
1. Audio-Technica VM540ML (AT440MLa/b) £225.00 Premium Sound
2. Denon DL-110 Black £298.00 Moving Coil
3. Grado Prestige Gold £228.00 Audio Affair
3. Nagaoka MP-110 Yellow £146.86 From Japan
4. Ortofon 2M Red £69.00 Richer Sounds
5. Ortofon 2M Blue £189.00 Premium Sound
6. Ortofon 2M Bronze £239.00 Premium Sound
7. Ortofon 2M Black £519.00 Premium Sound
8. Rega Elys Mk2 Blue £125.00 Martins
9. Rega Exact Mk2 Rega Yellow £269.00
10. Rega Bias 2 £83.00 Red HiFi Gear

Audio Technica Cartrdiges Below that I think may fit ??
11. Audio Technica AT-VM 95C £29.99
12. AT-VM 95E £39.99
13. AT-VM 95EN £130.00
14. AT-VM 520EB £99.50
15. AT-VM 95 ML £149.00
16. AT-VM 95SH Shibata £170.00 TO £180

Compared to the Stock Rega P1 & P2 Turntable Cartridges are Carbon Cartridge / Stylus At £30.00
Or £18.99 For Just the Carbon Stylus

I am thinking that the Number 8. Rega Elys Mk2 Blue £125.00 Would be best for me maybe ?

I have just bought a Yellow Rega Exact Cartridge with only 10 Hours use for £156.00 + £4.70 Del the seller seems to be a very honest and honourable person. So there you have a final result from the above choices
Thanks Dan

 

[SOULKAT]

Pictures of new Rega Exact Cartridge ( Well newish )

 

[bluefuzz]

There must be something I have overlooked

I recommended the HDfury Diva because it is a high quality, reliable and well supported device that I can vouch for because I use it myself. The HDMI splitter you have may be OK, but such devices have their quirks and I have no idea whether this specific device is capable of what you want to do. There is a reason why the HDfury costs nearly ten times as much ... ;-)

Whether the issue with the FireCube is with the FireCube itself, the splitter or something else I couldn't say. I don't own a FireCube. I assume you have tried swapping cables, ports etc? Does the FireCube work through the DAC if no other devices are connected?

 

[SOULKAT]

I have tried another HDMI cable from a trusted Place but I have not removed all the HDMI leads or another port so I will give that a try later and thanks for the info on the HDfury Diva I never knew about that one sounds cool for an upgrade I will look out for a used one maybe Thanks

 

[Helicopter]

Get VM95ML from the VM95 line. I have heard it and the E. I was impressed with the E but ML is the best. Shibata is a quadraphonic cart and doesn't have any other advantage over ML; probably priced higher for the cool sounding name and corresponding mistique.

 

[SOULKAT]

I was looking at that one the AT-VM95ML £149.00 & I never knew that about the AT-VM 95SH Shibata £170.00 TO £180 but in the end I saw the Exact and
I have just bought a Yellow Rega Exact Cartridge with only 10 Hours use for £156.00 + £4.70 Del the seller seems to be a very honest and honourable person. So there you have a final result from the above choices
Thanks

 

[dr0ss]

Having trouble following the details of the discussion here, but if the problem is that you're plugging the fire cube into the hdmi splitter, extracting optical out from that to your DAC, and you're not getting sound, I've run into that with a fire stick. If the cube is at all like the stick, it will by default try to output sound in a Dolby Digital format. If your DAC (like most DACs designed for audio instead of video use) can't decode that, you'll get silence. The solution is to go into the fire cube's audio settings and choose stereo output. Or, buy an AVR with Dolby decoding capability.

 

[SOULKAT]

I will have a go at those suggestions it seems like you understand my problem Thanks

 

[SOULKAT]

I have tried everything HDMI leads ports and settings on tv and Fire Cube and there is no stereo output on the fire cube. Only Audio settings are PCM {Is what i have it on now} Dolby digital plus = Low buzzing sound & Dolby digital = Loud buzzing sound Advanced audio settings are only Volume leveler mine is off & Digital Enhancer I have put on. Then Audio Sync I have left alone as its ok So it looks like i will not get the dam fire cube to run audio through the DAC It sounds pretty good through the amp and tv speakers but it's just been bugging me thats all. Thanks for your help in this matter drOSS

 

[dr0ss]

This is really puzzling. I have almost the identical setup, though with the stick, and it works fine. (Yes, PCM=stereo.) Since it works for you on other sources, it isn'ta bad toslink cable or the unit not being able to extract audio. Have you tried switching the inputs, plugging the fire cube into one of the other hdmi inputs? Also, I assume you've tried taking sound off the switcher's analogue outputs to see if here's anything there.

(The kind of buzzing you report is exactly what you get when a non-Dolby DAC gets a dolby-encoded signal.)

 

[SOULKAT]

I have swopped the HDMI around but not with the sound off on the switcher and I have not tried another Toslink cable I will try them both tomorrow Thanks

 

[dr0ss]

You should try with the switcher completely off (so it has to handshake again when turned on). But, when I said "sound off the switcher" what I meant was seeing if you can get stereo sound from the switcher's two analogue outputs, running RCA cables from the switcher directly to an analogue input on your amp or preamp, bypassing the DAC.

 

[SOULKAT]

I have swopped HDMI cables = No Change & Toslinck cable =No change & Used the x2 Phono into the amp = No change the Phono out on the splitter works with the amps input. The settings I use on the splitter are ARC / SPDIF/LR & PASS So that's the channel I am using comes up in a green light and then 3 lights in a row show up for the ARC / SPDIF/LR & PASS settings ON as selected as this works with all DAC inputs. { Except the Fire Cube } I have tried 2.0 on its own & ARC OFF / PASS Off & many HDMI splitter configurations & NO LUCK at All. Crazy