[Doctorossi]

I can't find a product I would've guessed would've been on the market for a couple of years now.

Does anyone know of a 5.1 headphone amp with an HDMI input?

I'm looking for lossless 5.1 from my internally-decoding Blu-ray player (for those unfamiliar, the lossless 5.1 formats require HDMI- S/PDIF doesn't have enough bandwidth). This product category seems like an absolute no-brainer to me, but I can't find one anywhere!

Anybody have any recommendations or, failing that, at least know anything about one that's going to come to market?

 

[iriverdude]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Doctorossi /img/forum/go_quote.gif I can't find a product I would've guessed would've been on the market for a couple of years now. Does anyone know of a 5.1 headphone amp with an HDMI input? I'm looking for lossless 5.1 from my internally-decoding Blu-ray player (for those unfamiliar, the lossless 5.1 formats require HDMI- S/PDIF doesn't have enough bandwidth). This product category seems like an absolute no-brainer to me, but I can't find one anywhere! Anybody have any recommendations or, failing that, at least know anything about one that's going to come to market?

Seems too much of a specialised item. What about a av amp with Dolby Headphone? 5.1 headphones are poop, if you want 5.1 get a 5.1 speaker system. Headphones are stereo, so just use left & right analogue out from your BD player into a headphone amp.

 

[linuxworks]

closest thing I can think of is a 5.1 dts/dd decoder dac (I have 1) but it takes spdif, not the hdmi style audio.

you can even downmix the 5.1 to 2.0 (which is what I often do) so you can listen in phones.

that's the ebay/hk dac I bought half a year ago. it was in the $150 range.

or - simply buy a 'home theater' stereo box and that should be able to take in hdmi audio and let you downmix to 2.0. yamaha, denon, onkyo, etc. easily buyable today.

 

[iriverdude]

Quote:

you can even downmix the 5.1 to 2.0 (which is what I often do) so you can listen in phones.

All DVD players do this, just use left/right out. But with your decoder it won't accept HD audio (SACD, Dolby Master, DTS true etc) so will be better using BD players stereo output.

 

[linuxworks]

I actually don't even BELIEVE in 'hd audio'. I think its all lies.

consumer audio can just BARELY keep up with 20bit sound. 24bit sound is really 'iffy' for home audio.

then there's the issue of how they mix the sound. are THEY using good equipment or just creating a lot of extra bits that have no actual data in them, just noise bits?

dd5.1 and dts sound quite good enough. and those formats will be 'spdif able' for years and years. for me, 'hd audio' is a complete waste of resources. ymmv, of course

 

[necropimp]

Quote:

Originally Posted by iriverdude /img/forum/go_quote.gif Dolby Master, DTS true

it's Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio (there's also DTS-HD High Resolution which is high bitrate lossy)

only way i know of to get what you want is to go for an AV receiver that at the very least accepts PCM over HDMI

lower cost options include the Marantz SR4002 (7.1ch) or the Yamaha RX-V463 (5.1ch) both run about $300 new online and they both accept multichannel PCM you will need to hook these up to a TV for initial setup

alternatively if your PC is up to the task of bluray playback you could get a bluray drive (LG makes a good bluray/hd dvd combo drive that is $110 on newegg)

and also headphones are stereo and as mentioned above you could run the stereo analog from the player to any headphone amp and the player will decode and downmix the lossless audio for you

 

[Doctorossi]

Quote:

Originally Posted by linuxworks /img/forum/go_quote.gif I actually don't even BELIEVE in 'hd audio'. I think its all lies. consumer audio can just BARELY keep up with 20bit sound. 24bit sound is really 'iffy' for home audio.

I'm not talking about 24bit, per se; just lossless. If you can't hear the difference between decent lossless and significantly lossy, I'll recommend an ear cleaning.

And on a broader note, gee... how'd I know the bulk of responses would be of the "That's crap; you don't want that." variety?

Come on people- you don't have to like it, you don't have to want it, you don't have to listen to it. I'm just asking you to help me find it.

 

[linuxworks]

home stereo receiver.

there - that's your answer. wasn't it an obvious one, though? go to best buy, buy a home theater stereo. no DIY building or anything - just install it and use it. just make sure it doesn't say 'hdmi PASS THRU'. you want it to INTERCEPT and interpret the audio bits, not just relay them to the tv.

the DRM in 'hd audio' is what will make me turn a blind eye to this format. but if you like that kind of thing, hey, more power to ya.

 

[iriverdude]

Quote:

I actually don't even BELIEVE in 'hd audio'. I think its all lies.

I bet people said that about Dolby Digital & DTS, wanting to stick with Pro-Logic. My speakers and amps are good enough for HD audio.

Quote:

dd5.1 and dts sound quite good enough.

No for music it doesn't, at least with Dolby Digital.

For the OP I wouldn't bother with a av amp if he's not get a 5.1 speaker system, just buy a decent BD player with quality analogue stages, use left & right out to a headphone amp. Don't mess with 5.1 headphones they're naff. Spend money on good standard stereo pair of phones.

 

[Doctorossi]

Quote:

Originally Posted by linuxworks /img/forum/go_quote.gif home stereo receiver. there - that's your answer.

Thanks, but it isn't.

Quote:

Originally Posted by linuxworks /img/forum/go_quote.gif just make sure it doesn't say 'hdmi PASS THRU'. you want it to INTERCEPT and interpret the audio bits, not just relay them to the tv.

1. I don't want a receiver; I want a headphone amp.

2. Actually, I do want pass-through. As I said, my player decodes internally.

3. Nothing is going to a TV. As I said, it's going to headphones.

Quote:

Originally Posted by linuxworks /img/forum/go_quote.gif the DRM in 'hd audio' is what will make me turn a blind eye to this format. but if you like that kind of thing, hey, more power to ya.

Yes, I do like lossless 5.1 audio; that's why I started this here thread. Find me some Blu-ray discs with DRM-free lossless 5.1 audio and I'll happily leap right onto your bandwagon. Until that day comes, I grit my teeth and hold the hand(shake) of the devil.

Anyway, thanks for the dismissive, snide and ignorant reply!

 

[Doctorossi]

Quote:

Originally Posted by iriverdude /img/forum/go_quote.gif For the OP I wouldn't bother with a av amp if he's not get a 5.1 speaker system, just buy a decent BD player with quality analogue stages, use left & right out to a headphone amp. Don't mess with 5.1 headphones they're naff. Spend money on good standard stereo pair of phones.

Thank you very much for the much more considered reply. However, I know what I'm getting into with 5.1 phones. I have plenty of 'good standard stereo' phones. I appreciate the valiant effort to save me from ruin, but, loony as it may sound...

I REALLY DO WANT WHAT I'M ASKING FOR.

Be warned, all, that efforts to convince me otherwise will prove fruitless.

 

[iriverdude]

What about BD player 5.1 out to three headphone amps all calibrated levels, use a BD player with variable output 5.1 out. If your phones have 6 individual cables either RCA or 3.5mm this'll probably work.

 

[Doctorossi]

Quote:

Originally Posted by iriverdude /img/forum/go_quote.gif What about BD player 5.1 out to three headphone amps all calibrated levels, use a BD player with variable output 5.1 out. If your phones have 6 individual cables either RCA or 3.5mm this'll probably work.

Thank you for trying, but can you see the issue:

1 headphone amp with HDMI input

vs.

1 new Blu-ray player and

3 stereo headphone amps

 

[vvanrij]

DENON UK | Home Audio Components

Just a receiver with HDMI's in and a headphone out. Offcourse there is no dedicated headphone amp with hdmi in's, because that would make no sense at all (streaming video trough a specialised audio item for heaphones ???)

 

[Doctorossi]

Quote:

Originally Posted by vvanrij /img/forum/go_quote.gif Just a receiver with HDMI's in and a headphone out.

A 2.0 headphone out, that would be.

Quote:

Originally Posted by vvanrij /img/forum/go_quote.gif Offcourse there is no dedicated headphone amp with hdmi in's, because that would make no sense at all (streaming video trough a specialised audio item for heaphones ???)

Why on Earth would it make "no sense at all"? There are 5.1 headphones. There are 5.1 sources which require HDMI and amplification. There are 5.1 headphone amps. There are 5.1 amps with HDMI. With this product, I could easily listen to lossless 5.1 on headphones. Without it, I can't. Seems pretty logical to me.