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HTPC and HD audio questions

L

loganex

Member
Hi folks. I'm planning to build an HTPC for everything from home video playback to Blu-ray. I just found out that SPDIF is not the most capable audio connection available -- it can't do more than 5.1 in Dolby Digital or DTS. If I want HD audio such as DD+, True-HD, DTS-HD, etc., I've got to get onboard 9x00 mGPU from nVidia or a 4xxx ATI card, either of which can do LPCM over HDMI. (I'm using this table as a reference, which is pretty handy.)

Q1. Is that the only way to get HD audio during Blu-ray playback on an HTPC?

If the answer to Q1 is yes, then I'll be spending a bit more money than I thought. Intel mATX mobo with 9400 is $130 ish. So if I get that...

Q2. Will I need to spring for a higher end audio receiver that does HD audio decoding? (Or would the decoding already be done when the audio/video signal goes out over HDMI, so any receiver would work?)

If the answer to Q2 is yes, I'll be spending even more money, maybe $100 for an ONKYO TX-SR507 vs. the 307, say. (I've got speakers already, just need a new receiver, trying to decide on one.) Total, that's maybe $150 more than if I didn't care about HD audio. So...

Q3. Will I notice $150 difference in the audio quality? Are HD audio formats $150 more awesome than standard Dolby Digital/DTS?

Thanks in advance for the help.
 
1) The Auzentech X-Fi Hometheater can bitstream the DD Live / DTS-HD signal to a receiver capable of decoding those signals. Whether or not that's "better" than an LPCM stream is up to you.

2) Not necessarily. If you're outputting in LPCM, then the DDLive/DTS-HD signal has already been decoded so the receiver doesn't need to be capable of doing it.

3) Depends a lot on your speakers. If you have a higher end audio system (speakers + receiver) then yes, its very noticable. If not, then no, probably not. Just as a reference, if you're considering using an Onkyo 3 series receiver, then no, you're not going to notice a difference. You didn't list what kind of speakers you're using though.
 
Thanks, slick, I appreciate it. If I'm looking at the right thing, the auzentech card you mention costs about $200, right? Dunno, that might not be worth it to me.

My speakers are not high end, they came with a HTIB where the receiver broke, so I need to replace it. But it sounds like, if I understand what you're telling me, that I could go the 9400/LPCM route with a lower-end receiver and still get DDLive/DTS-HD sound, right? Later, to more fully enjoy that sound, I could buy better speakers. It's a lot easier/cheaper to upgrade speakers than receivers or HTPCs.

If I use the 9400/LPCm plan, I'd get a receiver that has HDMI switching, so I could send the audio video signal to the receiver via HDMI, then pass the video signal on to the TV via HDMI. With that setup, am I taking full advantage of Blu-ray's capabilities?

Also, don't know if I've given you enough info, but I'm looking for a solid receiver recommendation, if you've got one. Trying to stay around $300 or less for that part.
 
You have to sit no more than 6 feet from the speakers or you won't hear the difference. Or is HD audio different from HD video?
😉
 
You can use analog, too, but note that most receivers won't do postprocessing on that signal.

Any receiver *that does HDMI audio* will work. The 507 is the cheapest current model Onkyo for that (but it does decode too). There's also last year's 576, $250 at a4less...
 
Originally posted by: loganex
Thanks, slick, I appreciate it. If I'm looking at the right thing, the auzentech card you mention costs about $200, right? Dunno, that might not be worth it to me.

My speakers are not high end, they came with a HTIB where the receiver broke, so I need to replace it. But it sounds like, if I understand what you're telling me, that I could go the 9400/LPCM route with a lower-end receiver and still get DDLive/DTS-HD sound, right? Later, to more fully enjoy that sound, I could buy better speakers. It's a lot easier/cheaper to upgrade speakers than receivers or HTPCs.

If I use the 9400/LPCm plan, I'd get a receiver that has HDMI switching, so I could send the audio video signal to the receiver via HDMI, then pass the video signal on to the TV via HDMI. With that setup, am I taking full advantage of Blu-ray's capabilities?

Also, don't know if I've given you enough info, but I'm looking for a solid receiver recommendation, if you've got one. Trying to stay around $300 or less for that part.
Click to expand...

I'm not trying to bad mouth your setup or anything, but in all honesty, if you're using HTiB speakers w/ a low level Onkyo receiver, then I really wouldn't put much time into worrying about HD audio anyway. The odds of you being able to distingush much of a difference between DTS and DTS-MA on that setup are quite slim.

the reality is a well encoded DD/DTS track can sound VERY good anyway, so its not like you're missing out on a whole new world or anything. Plus with the PC market's horrible integration of HDMI 1.3 so far anyway, you'd wind up frustrating yourself for very little, if any, gain.
 
Originally posted by: Slick5150

I'm not trying to bad mouth your setup or anything,
Click to expand...

No worries, this is the kind of help I'm looking for. Maybe I'm trying to future-proof my HTPC build and that's a little impossible with the pace of change...


Originally posted by: s44

Any receiver *that does HDMI audio* will work. The 507 is the cheapest current model Onkyo for that (but it does decode too).
Click to expand...

I thought the ONKYO TX-SR307 link here does HDMI audio, does it not? Am I missing something?
 
I think the 9400 motherboards are overpriced. Just get whatever motherboard you want (as long as it has a PCI-e slot for the videocard) and get this 4550. Use coupon code EMCLSNW43 to get $5, and it's only $19.99 shipped after the $10 mail-in rebate.

I'm sorry to say that the SR307 definitely does not do HDMI audio; it does what's called HDMI pass-thru. HDMI pass-thru passes through the video connection to your display. You need what's called HDMI repeating, which will repeat the HDMI audio to the speakers. You don't even need a receiver that decodes the signals since your computer will just be passing LPCM. I copied the following directly from Onkyo's TX-SR307 product page:

Three 1080p capable HDMI inputs (V1.3a Pass-Thru*)
* separate audio connection required
Click to expand...
 
Originally posted by: loganex
Originally posted by: Slick5150

I'm not trying to bad mouth your setup or anything,
Click to expand...

No worries, this is the kind of help I'm looking for. Maybe I'm trying to future-proof my HTPC build and that's a little impossible with the pace of change...


Originally posted by: s44

Any receiver *that does HDMI audio* will work. The 507 is the cheapest current model Onkyo for that (but it does decode too).
Click to expand...

I thought the ONKYO TX-SR307 link here does HDMI audio, does it not? Am I missing something?
Click to expand...

No, it basically just acts as a video switch for the HDMI. It doesn't do any processing at all, so the audio signal is basically just ignored. You'd have to run a seperate audio (optical or coax) to receive digital audio on that receiver. And, as I think you know, optical and coax can't do HD audio.

You might want to look at a lower end Denon or Yamaha receiver. I think some of their base level stuff now does HDMI audio (not HD decoding, but it could at least take a DD/DTS/or LPCM signal over HDMI).

I'm not a huge fan of Onkyo's receivers anyway, but that's more of a personal taste issue I guess. But you could, for example, get a refurbished Denon AVR-1907 for $199 here and I'm fairly certain that does do audio over HDMI (someone can correct me if I'm wrong here)
 
Thanks guys, I'll take a look at denon and yamaha. I think that $200-$300 receivers thread will be very helpful, too.
 
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