UB9000 Blu-Ray Player and separate amp - how to find something with HDMI in?

[noblenote]

Hi all. As the title suggests, I have a UB9000 blu-ray player. Its DAC is great and all, but I do not want to use the blu-ray player for volume control (super clunky player in terms of responsiveness) and I am looking for something for streaming as well.

I only do 2.0/stereo and plan to buy the Benchmark AHB2 amp for my speakers. The only other device will be my Sony TV.

My issue is I would like to use my blu-ray player's HDMI out.. but almost no streamers/pre-amps have HDMI in. If just listening to 2.0, is optical out of the Blu-ray player to the streamer, good enough for movies - or am I leaving something on the table because of HDMI's superior capacity for data? If anyone has any other solutions I would love to hear it. I've been reading threads the whole week and I'm having trouble finding a satisfactory conclusion. Thank you!

P.S. or do I use the analog outs of the UB9000 into a streamer instead of HDMI? The TLDR is I don't want to be missing anything by not using HDMI, since the highest possible quality is the whole point of the bluray player.

 

[staticV3]

Hi @noblenote! Welcome aboard.

The enhanced data rate of HDMI is useless if you're just going to use stereo anyway, so Toslink would work just as well.

Well, at least kind of.
When using Toslink out of your UB9000, you'd have no choice but to control volume on your streamer or AHB2, even when watching movies.
The TV remote won't be able to control volume, since audio wouldn't ever go though it.

What I'd do instead is:
UB9000->HDMI->Sony TV->HDMI ARC-> Flex HT/HTx->AHB2

That way, you can use the TV remote for controlling volume, apply room correction using Dirac, and you can even expand your system with subwoofers, using the Flex's multiple outputs.

Then for streaming, just add a WiiM Mini or WiiM Pro, plugged into the Flex's Toslink input.

 

[Bob from Florida]

I use the HDMI out of my 9000 to my Vizio TV - Vizio analog out set for fixed volume - line in one my Luxman integrated - output to speakers. I also use the audio out of the 9000 - internally has an ESS 9038 DAC - to another line input on the Luxman for playing CD’s. If you get a preamp for the AHB2 you are all set. It works fine for me this way.

 

[staticV3]

I use the HDMI out of my 9000 to my Vizio TV - Vizio analog out set for fixed volume - line in one my Luxman integrated - output to speakers. I also use the audio out of the 9000 - internally has an ESS 9038 DAC - to another line input on the Luxman for playing CD’s. If you get a preamp for the AHB2 you are all set. It works fine for me this way.

Is there a way to incorporate music streaming in your setup?

 

[Bob from Florida]

Is there a way to incorporate music streaming in your setup?

I have a Raspberry pi 4 using Volumio as the server / streamer device. My music is on a NAS which Volumio accesses and I feed a Modius DAC from one of the USB ports on the pi. Modius balanced out to one of the balanced inputs on the Luxman. I don’t currently stream, but could if I wanted to with Volumio. The Vizio TV has the Sirius radio app installed and our current subscription also crosses over to the TV app which plays through the Luxman as well.

 

[staticV3]

I have a Raspberry pi 4 using Volumio as the server / streamer device. My music is on a NAS which Volumio accesses and I feed a Modius DAC from one of the USB ports on the pi. Modius balanced out to one of the balanced inputs on the Luxman. I don’t currently stream, but could if I wanted to with Volumio. The Vizio TV has the Sirius radio app installed and our current subscription also crosses over to the TV app which plays through the Luxman as well.

Nice, there you go @noblenote.
Already two possible solutions.

 

[noblenote]

@staticV3 and @Bob from Florida thank you both so much for your input; super, super helpful. I like the idea of HDMI from the bluray player to the TV, and from the TV to the Flex. Also interesting RE: the TV streaming app in lieu of needing a dedicated streamer. Thank you again!

 

[Yorkshire Mouth]

I’d have thought the best route would be:

Amazon Basics 4K HDMI Extractor Review

This is a review and detailed measurements of the Amazon Basics 4K HDMI extractor. Member kindly purchased and drop shipped it to me. It normally costs $22.89 but was on sale for just $5!!! The case is the standard metal one for these kinds of adapters. Power is provided with a supplied USB-A...

audiosciencereview.com

Then buy a DAC with a volume control. Or a WiiM Pro Plus - that’s a streamer which has digital in.

Or finally, wait for the upcoming WiiM Ultra streamer. That is going to have HDMI in.