[shmau]

When I suggested the Dr HDMI 4K, it was to simulate a television plugged into the output of the A16, that is the A16 output->Dr HDMI input.
Nothing should be needed to be plugged into the output of the Dr HDMI 4K.

The instruction sheet can be found at https://hdfury.com/product/dr-hdmi-4k/ on the "getting started" tab.

NOTE: clicking the URL doesn't work for some reason - just copy and paste it.

I have one of those (completely different reason though) but I'm not sure if having it plugged in without any output is going to let the handshake proceed far enough. You could try though. It it does not work then a simple dummy HDMI plug could be used. With the right dummy plug perhaps the dr. HDMI could be eliminated entirely for significant space savings.

Not necessarily saying that this is the right way to sort out this mess of components but sure why not give it a try.

 

[Sanctuary]

Wow. It's crazy how much more refined Atmos sounds with with just 7.1. Even while using just 7.1 as my base and adding 4 heights from another PRIR so that it doesn't go into "legacy mode" it sounds so much less congested than how the same 7.1 PRIR sounded to me on the A8 during action heavy scenes.

Watching Saving Private Ryan, and previously you could hear channel separation, but it often got too busy to do it well it seemed, and sometimes you'd just have "action channel here", "action channel there" and they kind of congealed into a wall of noise at times. This just sounds so much clearer all around during the same scenes. I'm not sure if it's entirely because of Atmos being object based, or because the DSP in the A16 is just so much better than that in the A8, but this is impressive as hell.

Or maybe I just managed to get a better HPEQ, I don't know. With the A8 it honestly didn't actually seem to make much of a difference using one or not for me no matter how many HPEQs I made.

edit: Ford vs Ferrari is even better. It already sounded really good with just standard 7.1, but I'm sitting here with a stupid grin on my face.

 

[arnaud]

I think that if the other speakers are from other PRIRs or BRIRs then the chance of getting all speakers to sound fairly realistic will decrease, but still maybe it is worth to try (if only because it could improve the personal measured measured speakers without screwing up the rest any further). I am skeptical though that a mix of personal measured speakers and not personally measured speakers (that can not be optimized independently) will sound very nice, regardless of using manLOUD or not.

In my understanding of this, the manLOUD eq helps alleviate issues with capturing BRIRs and HPEQ on a closed ear canal and should thus be useful for all speakers, not just the L/R/C.

Maybe an EDID emulator can solve the problem. I'll explain later if you want, busy now.

All these issues with handshakes, I am soo annoyed at this industry for coming up with such terrible communication protocols... eARC is supposed to fix all this but feels like we'll need another 10 years for all hardware to handle it...

 

[dsperber]

When I suggested the Dr HDMI 4K, it was to simulate a 4K/DV/Atmos television plugged into the output of the A16, that is the A16 output->Dr HDMI input.
I'm hoping that nothing needs to be plugged into the output of the Dr HDMI 4K.

The instruction sheet can be found at https://hdfury.com/product/dr-hdmi-4k/ on the "getting started" tab.

NOTE: clicking the URL doesn't work for some reason - just copy and paste it.

The link worked just fine.

But I'd already looked at those instructions. I didn't have any problem using them to figure out how to pick which setting I probably wanted to use, which was the "green-3" (labeled on the unit as DV1 for LG C7, which seemed reasonable):

However the instructions do not indicate what is meant by "input" and what is meant by "output", or even providing a typical sample connection diagram. Maybe it's just obvious that there really is supposed to only be one way to do it, but I honestly couldn't intuit what I was supposed to do. I assumed the item would fake out the source and AVR into believing there was a DV/DA-capable TV at the end of the HDMI cable. Why would they otherwise provide an OUTPUT as well as an INPUT, unless something was supposed to be connected there?

Again, a clear discussion of how the unit is supposed to be connected, including options if there are options of one way or the other for different purposes... that would have been helpful. I suppose I could have emailed them in China and asked for some help but I really did think I had sussed it out. Maybe not.

I will give it another try now, with AVR HDMI2-out -> A16 -> DrHDMI4K, still with "green-3" as the setting. And AVR HDMI1-out -> LG C9. And AVR set to output HDMI1+2.

 

[dsperber]

Not successful.

I disconnected everything from the AVR except for the Roku feeding it, and the HDMI1-out still going to the TV. Everything was disconnected from the A16 except for HDMI2-out from the AVR which went into HDMI2-in of the A16. Then HDMI-out of the A16 goes to INPUT of the DrHDMI4K. Nothing is connected to OUTPUT of the DrHDMI4K.

Power on the A16 and let it stabilize. Then power on the AVR and select the Roku input. Set output to HDMI1+2. Power on the TV. I see the Roku home page, and it looks like it's at 4K.

Well, in fact it IS at 4K. But the display setting shows jut 4K60, not 4K60 Dolby Vision. Then I tried selecting 4K60 Dolby Vision and running the HDMI test. The first 4K60 test passed, but the second HDCP test just went round and round and never completed. I had to cancel eventually. Of course it never even made it to the final HDR test. Dolby Vision requires HDCP 2.2 but apparently in this "dead-end" configuration with no display at all, the DrHDMI4K is not providing this fake-out as required.

I then went and looked again at the DrHDMI4K instructions, and actually now saw in the very first sentence the connection method I was supposed to be using. And it appears there IS supposed to be something connected to the OUTPUT... i.e. a TV! Doesn't look like they expected the unit to be either (a) dead-ended, out of the A16, or (b) the A16 dead-ended, out of the DrHDMI4K. The expectation clearly is that there's supposed to be a real TV at the end of the chain, perhaps one that is less capable than it should be so that the DrHDMI4K fakes out the source that the lesser TV is actually a greater TV than it is.

Obviously there is supposed to be a TV at the end of this path, with the DrHDMI4K between source and TV performing some magic. Forget about the A16 getting involved for purposes of getting Atmos audio.

Undaunted, I decided to see if I could at least get Netflix via Roku to deliver Atmos audio. So I opened Netflix, expecting to be able to navigate to a movie, etc. However the TV screen turned purple.

Case closed. Total failure. Back to my 100% successful cabling as described previously.

Still no explanation for the eARC difference between m C9 and the CX of @GotTheShakes, where I get no Atmos from Netflix on the C9 TV to the A16 via eARC unless I connect my AVR to the A16. In contrast, @GotTheShakes does get Atmos from Netflix on the CX to the A16 via eARC. Unless there is some other setting on the A16 that facilitates this, which I don't have set and he does, perhaps it really is that LG "fixed" something in the CX and newer that supports Atmos to a "dead-ended A16" but that is "broken" in my C9 so that only 5.1 is provided to a "dead-ended A16".

 

[Flash676]

Still no explanation for the eARC difference between m C9 and the CX of @GotTheShakes, where I get no Atmos from Netflix on the C9 TV to the A16 via eARC unless I connect my AVR to the A16. In contrast, @GotTheShakes does get Atmos from Netflix on the CX to the A16 via eARC. Unless there is some other setting on the A16 that facilitates this, which I don't have set and he does, perhaps it really is that LG "fixed" something in the CX and newer that supports Atmos to a "dead-ended A16" but that is "broken" in my C9 so that only 5.1 is provided to a "dead-ended A16".

I get Atmos over eARC from my LG GX TV's internal apps without anything else connected to the Realiser.

I will say that I have issues with eARC when using an optical HDMI cable. I only have one so I don't know if it's a problem specific to that cable.

 

[sander99]

I then went and looked again at the DrHDMI4K instructions, and actually now saw in the very first sentence the connection method I was supposed to be using. And it appears there IS supposed to be something connected to the OUTPUT... i.e. a TV! Doesn't look like they expected the unit to be either (a) dead-ended, out of the A16, or (b) the A16 dead-ended, out of the DrHDMI4K. The expectation clearly is that there's supposed to be a real TV at the end of the chain, perhaps one that is less capable than it should be so that the DrHDMI4K fakes out the source that the lesser TV is actually a greater TV than it is.

Obviously there is supposed to be a TV at the end of this path, with the DrHDMI4K between source and TV performing some magic.

As I understand it, you only need the TV on the output of the "Doctor HDMI 4K" at the moment that you copy the EDID information from that TV. And then later when the TV is gone this same EDID information is provided by the "Doctor HDMI 4K" (by selecting bank number 8).
And in your case, it is about the Atmos capabilities. So I figure that if you temporarely connect the Atmos capable AVR to the output of the A16 again (with the "Doctor HDMI 4K" inbetween), then copy the EDID info, then later with the receiver disconnected from the A16 output the "Doctor HDMI 4K" will make the A16 [Edit: and the sources before] think the AVR is still connected and behave the same (after selecting bank number 8). (Maybe you should also connect the TV to the AVR out at the moment that you copy the EDID info so that the video capabilities of the TV are also included, but I hope it still gets the AVR's audio capabilities in that situation.)
And if this works: people like @makan that don't have an Atmos capable receiver could do the same trick if they could borrow such a receiver just for this EDID copy step.
(And I know that some of the cheaper EDID emulators, priced 15 dollars or so, also have such a EDID copy function.)

 

[Got the Shakes]

Not successful.

I disconnected everything from the AVR except for the Roku feeding it, and the HDMI1-out still going to the TV. Everything was disconnected from the A16 except for HDMI2-out from the AVR which went into HDMI2-in of the A16. Then HDMI-out of the A16 goes to INPUT of the DrHDMI4K. Nothing is connected to OUTPUT of the DrHDMI4K.

Power on the A16 and let it stabilize. Then power on the AVR and select the Roku input. Set output to HDMI1+2. Power on the TV. I see the Roku home page, and it looks like it's at 4K.

Well, in fact it IS at 4K. But the display setting shows jut 4K60, not 4K60 Dolby Vision. Then I tried selecting 4K60 Dolby Vision and running the HDMI test. The first 4K60 test passed, but the second HDCP test just went round and round and never completed. I had to cancel eventually. Of course it never even made it to the final HDR test. Dolby Vision requires HDCP 2.2 but apparently in this "dead-end" configuration with no display at all, the DrHDMI4K is not providing this fake-out as required.

I then went and looked again at the DrHDMI4K instructions, and actually now saw in the very first sentence the connection method I was supposed to be using. And it appears there IS supposed to be something connected to the OUTPUT... i.e. a TV! Doesn't look like they expected the unit to be either (a) dead-ended, out of the A16, or (b) the A16 dead-ended, out of the DrHDMI4K. The expectation clearly is that there's supposed to be a real TV at the end of the chain, perhaps one that is less capable than it should be so that the DrHDMI4K fakes out the source that the lesser TV is actually a greater TV than it is.





Obviously there is supposed to be a TV at the end of this path, with the DrHDMI4K between source and TV performing some magic. Forget about the A16 getting involved for purposes of getting Atmos audio.

Undaunted, I decided to see if I could at least get Netflix via Roku to deliver Atmos audio. So I opened Netflix, expecting to be able to navigate to a movie, etc. However the TV screen turned purple.

Case closed. Total failure. Back to my 100% successful cabling as described previously.

Still no explanation for the eARC difference between m C9 and the CX of @GotTheShakes, where I get no Atmos from Netflix on the C9 TV to the A16 via eARC unless I connect my AVR to the A16. In contrast, @GotTheShakes does get Atmos from Netflix on the CX to the A16 via eARC. Unless there is some other setting on the A16 that facilitates this, which I don't have set and he does, perhaps it really is that LG "fixed" something in the CX and newer that supports Atmos to a "dead-ended A16" but that is "broken" in my C9 so that only 5.1 is provided to a "dead-ended A16".

I don’t have a good explanation for this, but I can tell you that the behavior has changed from when eARC first launched in beta on the A16 to today. When it first launched, I used to have to do a dance of enabling and disabling eARC on my tv to get Atmos to work over eARC. Two things have happened since then. First was updating my A16 to the latest firmware. Second is that my CX has received probably four firmware updates itself. Right around the time that A16 first enabled eARC, there were a lot of people report eARC issues on the CX, not with the A16 obviously since almost no one has one, but to their more traditional AVR. As LG released subsequent updates, it seemed to remedy most of the eARC issues that people were having. I imagine some combination of CX and A16 updates got eARC working to the point that it is 100% successful with Atmos on my tv. I know handshake issues can be tricky, so I do follow the same procedure every time which is:

Turn on my TV
Boot up my A16
Switch my A16 to eARC as the input
Switch my output on my CX to HDMI ARC (it's not labeled as eARC, you have to enable enable eARC in the sound menu on the CX under additional options which I'm sure you know from you testing)

Following that procedure in that order work 100% of the time. It's possible that it isn't necessary to repeat that every time, but it works so I've stuck with it.

 

[sander99]

In my understanding of this, the manLOUD eq helps alleviate issues with capturing BRIRs and HPEQ on a closed ear canal and should thus be useful for all speakers, not just the L/R/C.

Partly yes. For a group of speakers that you all measured yourself (probably best in one session with the exact same mic position) doing the manLOUD would be mainly about alleviating those closed ear canal issues and there would be one unique EQ that is optimal (or close to optimal) for all those speakers. But if speakers from other people's PRIRs are involved: then the manLOUD is also about compensating for differences in HRTF. Compensating for the closed ear canal issues could be beneficial for those additional non-personal measured speakers I guess, but you can never get them all optimal.

 

[pervysage]

Man... the Realiser A16 is insane when it comes to making cheap $20 headphones sound like they are 50x the price, lol (as long as that headphone synergizes well with the A16).

I was just switching through all my headphones last night determining what I would be using in my bedside setup. I had bought the Koss KSC75 clip-on headphones last year initially as just something I could clip-on one side to listen to something as I wander off to sleep as I like having background noise. Immediately after putting them on I immediately had the thought of how damn comfortable they were compared to your traditional headphones because it basically feels like wearing nothing at all (queue that stupid sexy Ned Flanders clip from the Simpsons). Then I figured they would be pretty amazing for those long marathon gaming sessions sitting at my desk and just jokingly did a HPEQ on them using the Realiser A16 while not expecting much. To my amazement they sounded freaking amazing... I crap you not, it makes these $20 headphones compete with $1000 headphones.

The reason I am posting this now instead of last year when I first got the KSC75 is that I never actually ended up trying the KSC75 WITHOUT the Realiser A16.. But last night as I was cycling through all my headphones, I finally tried the KSC75 without the Realiser A16, just straight to my amp and it sounded TERRIBLE, haha. NOW it sounded like a $25 headphone.

It's just amazing what the Realiser A16 can do for a cheap headphone just with a simple HPEQ that takes all but a minute or two to do. I will say, the KSC75 in stock form is similar to something like the HD800 in that it is pretty bass light and doesn't have much oomph to it. It seems like the Realiser A16 LOVES that because let me tell you, the resulting HPEQ it creates solves ALL that and you end up with something that sounds fantastic.

Anyways, carry on, just wanted to talk about how my jaw had dropped when I heard the KSC75 in stock form last night without the A16 backing it up lol. I gotta run these bad boys with some movies now.

 

[dsperber]

Turn on my TV
Boot up my A16
Switch my A16 to eARC as the input
Switch my output on my CX to HDMI ARC (it's not labeled as eARC, you have to enable enable eARC in the sound menu on the CX under additional options which I'm sure you know from you testing)

Following that procedure in that order work 100% of the time. It's possible that it isn't necessary to repeat that every time, but it works so I've stuck with it.

Well, turns out there's more than just that sequence of steps you've described here that is CRUCIAL to achieving Atmos audio from TV apps delivered via eARC to the A16 with no AVR involved. I think you left out some details that turn out to be CRUCIAL AND CRITICAL to achieving the objective (which is Atmos through eARC audio from the TV -> A16, without involving a connected AVR at all).

==> I, too, have now achieved Atmos audio from Netflix app on my C9 TV to the A16 for headphone listening... WITHOUT AN AVR BEING CONNECTED.

But it required a very specific prerequisite setup steps and then some additional steps. And in order for it to be repeatable (i.e. across a power off/on of the TV) it required that once again the series of very specific prerequisite steps be repeated in order to recreate the prerequisite conditions. And only now could the Atmos -> A16 success be repeated 100%.

So here's my new story. But again... if at the end of everything (which is successful) I simply power the TV off and then on again (i.e. leaving the TV configured just exactly as it last was when I WAS delivering Atmos audio via eARC from TV to the A16, and NOT repeating the prliminary configuration steps required as a prerequisite) then in fact the TV apps from this second power-on state WILL NOT DELIVER ATMOS AGAIN, but once again WILL ONLY DELIVER 5.1! In other words YOU MUST REPEAT THE PREREQUISITE SETUP STEPS EACH TIME YOU WANT TO ACHIEVE ATMOS AUDIO FROM TV -> A16 VIA EARC.

First, to guarantee that no AVR was involved, I removed the AVR-end of the 20ft-fiber/HDMI cable (which fully supports eARC, Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos) from the HDMI1-out of the AVR and moved it over to HDMI-out of the A16. Also, although it's not really involved, I removed the HDMI cable (delivering audio-only) going from HDMI2-out of my Oppo 203 from HDMI1-in of the A16. I kept my three streaming sources connected to the A16 through HDMI2-4, although they too are not pertinent to the current experiments and will not be powered on. But they are still physically connected to the A16 HDMI inputs 2-4 through HDMi cables.

Next, you must do the following steps just one time time, but it absolutely must be done at some time previously as one part of the required prerequisite setup. The objective here is to configure the TV for how HDMI ARC will be facilitated whenever it is enabled. In particular you want have the TV configured to (a) deliver audio in pass-through original multi-channel form as opposed to downmixed into 2.0 PCM stereo, and (b) using eARC as opposed to ARC:

(1) Settings -> All settings -> Sound -> Sound out -> HDMI ARC -> ENABLE:
(a) within HDMI ARC: -> Digital sound out -> pass-through
(b) within HDMI ARC: -> eARC -> ON
(2) Settings -> All settings -> Connection -> HDMI Device Settings -> SIMPLINK (HDMI-CEC) -> ENABLE

You can now return Sound -> Sound out -> internal TV speaker, and power the TV off. From now on whenever audio out via HDMI ARC is activated (for delivery of audio to the A16) it will be through both (a) pass-through of original untouched multi-channel audio (either 5.1 or Dolby Atmos), and (b) using eARC as opposed to ARC.

NOTE: if/when you do actually enable sound out ->HDMI-ARC for delivery of audio to the A16, even if SIMPLINK is currently DISABLED the TV will simultaneously and automatically ENABLE SIMPLINK (HDMI-CEC). This is unavoidable nor can it be prevented, but it is also not of any consequence at that time because it truly is mandatory that SIMPLINK be enabled in order to actually support HDMI-ARC audio output via eARC. For convenience you can just ENABLE it always, as a prerequisite.

Next, every time multi-channel audio (either 5.1 or Atmos) is to be sent from TV to the A16 via eARC, the following CRUCIAL prerequisite steps ARE MANDATORY:

(1) Power the TV on (if it is not already on)
(2) Settings -> Sound out -> internal TV speaker <<=== this is really the crucial action that MUST be taken

These are crucial and critical prerequisite steps and the resulting settings that MUST BE IN PLACE TO START FROM, in order to eventually be delivering Atmos audio from TV apps to the A16 via eARC. You MUST have sound going to internal TV speaker as the absolutely required mandatory prerequisite condition.

(3) The A16 needs to be powered on, desktop stabilized, and then some preset supporting Dolby Atmos selected and its audio source set to eARC.

Note that this can actually be done either before or after the TV is powered on. But it is required that the A16 be powered on, stabilized, and ready to receive eARC audio, in order to eventually perform the following steps that will result in delivering Atmos audio via eARC from TV to the A16.

(4) With the TV already powered on and (a) still set for audio via internal TV speaker, and (b) still set for SIMPLINK enabled or disabled, use the TV remote to select the Netflix app on the TV and then navigate to something like "The Witcher" or "The Two Popes" or anything else that will be delivered in Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos and select it. The information bar on the resulting movie poster screen will advise "Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos", because in the TV's current state both DV and DA can be delivered. The C9 TV is absolutely capable of internally presenting both DV on its screen and decoding DA using the internal TV speakers. And this is the current prerequisite condition of the TV, hence why DV+DA is shown as available for the movie.

Note that even without yet pressing OK to actually begin truly playing the movie on the TV, the Netflix app will already be playing preview video and sound in the background behind the poster text information that is still displayed in the foreground on the screen. And, sure enough both the "Dolby Vision" as well as "Dolby Atmos" badges will be presented by the C9 for a few seconds in the upper-right corner of the screen. This confirms that both DV and DA are being streamed through the Netflix app and are currently in effect, presented via the TV screen and the prerequisite condition TV internal speakers. If right now you look at the A16 display screen you will see that there is currently no digital audio of any kind being received from the TV at this moment (and this is correct, since none is being sent at this moment).

(5) Either (a) right now with the Netflix poster information still in the foreground and picture/sound preview playing in the background DV on the TV and DA via the TV internal speakers and before you push OK to start properly PLAY'ing the movie, or (b) after pushing OK to start properly PLAY'ing the movie:

==> Settings -> Sound out -> HDMI ARC

Simultaneously with pushing OK to activate and enable HDMI ARC audio out to the A16, if SIMPLINK is currently disabled then the TV will also flash the "SIMPLINK is now on" badge in the upper-right corner of the screen. This is correct and unavoidable because again HDMI-CEC is genuinely required in order to pass-through audio out via eARC through HDMI (as previously configured.

But, miraculously, if you now look at the display screen of the A16 you will see that truly it is now receiving Dolby Atmos audio!! The TV's Netflix app was already active and streaming Dolby Atmos audio and delivering it to the internal TV speakers, along with streaming Dolby Vision and delivering it to the TV screen. All that happened when you redirected audio to go to the A16 through Settings -> Sound out -> HDMI ARC is that instantly the TV changed how it was handling the audio already currently being streamed as Dolby Atmos through the Netflix app, redirecting it out over HDMI via pass-through eARC and on to the A16. The Netflix app once having determined what audio option is appropriate, and then started and playing a movie with that audio format, is itself completely unaffected by this sudden switch of TV audio output (while playback is in-flight), and continues to deliver the previously selected Dolby Atmos audio to the TV for disposition.

And THAT is how you get Dolby Atmos to the A16 without a DVR.

Of course if you now stop the movie, and simply power the TV off, and then power the TV back on, and once again select the Netflix app and navigate to that identical movie, you will now see on its poster screen that only 5.1 audio is available!!! It does not show Dolby Atmos!! And why? Because the TV is still sitting in its last configured state, with both (a) audio out -> HDMI ARC and (b) with SIMPLINK (HDMI-CEC) enabled. And since the A16 all by itself dead-ended (i.e. with no Atmos-enabled AVR connected to respond to the HDMI handshake) does not provide proper EDID handshake info that says it can receive Atmos audio, this second Netflix app instance during its HDMI handshake process determines that only 5.1 audio is suitable. And that is what will always be seen, if you don't repeat the earlier prerequisite steps (1) - (2) that I show above... i.e. only offering 5.1 audio.

But if you instead first repeat prerequisite steps (1) - (2), placing the TV back into internal TV speaker mode, well now when you get into the Netflix app and select a movie you will once again see that Dolby Atmos audio is available. And if you start playing that movie (which will be in Atmos to the LG via internal TV speakers) and than switch audio out -> HDMI ARC, the currently streaming Atmos audio will now just instantly again be redirected out over HDMI to the A16. And you're home free.

Pure trickery, but it works! You don't actually need a connected AVR to cover for the fact that the A16 itself is not providing EDID info that it is Atmos-capable. Once you get the TV's Netflix app to start streaming a movie with DV+DA using the TV screen and internal TV speakers, you can suddenly redirect that Dolby Atmos audio out over HDMI using the TV audio out -> HDMI ARC and the Netflix app will continue operating just as it was, without any change. So Atmos audio goes to the A16. Pure trickery, but now at least understood and replicated. It works.

Alternatively, as I've stated previously, if you simply have the HDMI output from a downstream Atmos-capable AVR connected to any HDMI input of the A16, well now the HDMI handshake during initialization of the TV's Netflix app sees THROUGH the A16 at the Atmos-capable AVR, and immediately authorizes Atmos audio for the movie... even with (a) TV audio out already set to HDMI ARC, and (b) TV SIMPLINK (HDMI-CEC) already set to ENABLED. So now you will automatically be provided with Atmos audio via pass-through eARC via HDMI... theoretically going to the Atmos-capable AVR but actually passing through the A16 where it is peeled off and sent to headphones. No trickery, and fully understood as well. This works too.

However now that it is known that the CRITICAL preliminary setting is (1) back on the TV, namely Settings -> audio out -> internal TV speaker, and then (2) get the TV app going feeding Dolby Atmos audio to the internal TV speakers, and finally (3) while the Netflix app is playing the movie with Atmos audio going to internal TV speakers just change Settings -> audio out -> HDMI ARC, well that seems simple enough. And also with this technique the only re-cabling requirement is for me to just move the TV cable from HDMI1-out of the AVR over to HDMI-out of the A16 which makes perfect sense, thus also avoiding the need for a second HDMI cable from A16 to AVR, that really simplifies things if I do want to use TV apps and get Atmos eARC audio from the A16.

FINAL NOTE: As far as using the external streaming source devices going INTO the HDMI inputs of the A16, the HDMI output of the A16 does not need to go to a DV+DA-capable AVR in order for DV+DA content to be delivered from apps running on the external streaming source devices. However the HDMI-out of the A16 does need to be connected to a DV+DA-capable TV like the C9. That is really performing the same function in the HDMI handshake between app running on the source device and going THROUGH the A16 to the display/AVR device at the other end of the HDMI handshake. In order for the source to approve the sending of DV+DA, the target display/AVR must be capable of accepting it. The A16 itself is NOT providing that required EDID response. It is either the TV or the AVR which is providing that response, and which in turn causes the source app itself to deliver DV+DA streamed content... either output on the TV or through the AVR (with audio peeled off by the A16 in the middle).

Same as with apps running on the TV getting proper EDID response from the AVR immediately that DV+DA is supported (no matter whether TV audio out is currently internal TV speakers or HDMI ARC left over from last time), in the other direction when the app is running on an external streaming device running through the A16 and out to a display that responds with EDID info that again it can accept DV+DA, that is again why even without any AVR involved these streaming source devices and apps WILL deliver DV+DA through the A16, with DA audio peeled off by the A16 and DV video passed on to the TV.

==> I maintain the A16 by itself is NOT providing any EDID response required by the source apps, running on either the TV or running on external streaming devices. It is only the connected AVR or TV at the other end of the HDMI path from source to target (running through the A16) that satisfies the objective of achieving DV+DA from source app (wherever it may reside) through the A16 and on out to target. And, in the TV app story, when audio out -> internal TV speaker that the TV itself says "I can accept both DV+DA from the app running on the TV itself, and so the TV app begins playing by delivering DV+DA to the TV itself demanded by the audio out -> internal TV speaker setting. Only by interrupting that ongoing audio streaming-in-progress from the TV app to the TV speakers by suddenly redirecting audio out -> HDMI ARC (which does not disturb or interrupt the TV app itself), is sound suddenly and instantly redirected out over HDMI via pass-through eARC to the A16, but still delivering Dolby Atmos audio from the streaming app on the TV.

 

[m8o]

So, did I read correctly that Smyth is finishing up with the backers and will be moving on to pre-orders [ahem] soon? I do not joke when I say I had completely forgotten I sunk a few thousand USD into this thing (weak lol).

 

[shmau]

So, did I read correctly that Smyth is finishing up with the backers and will be moving on to pre-orders [ahem] soon? I do not joke when I say I had completely forgotten I sunk a few thousand USD into this thing (weak lol).

Not quite. They should be really close but afaik there has been zero progress for over a year or two. They'll probably only start doing them again once the component shortages settle down and availability and prices return to normal. Could be a few more years.

 

[m8o]

Not quite. They should be really close but afaik there has been zero progress for over a year or two. They'll probably only start doing them again once the component shortages settle down and availability and prices return to normal. Could be a few more years.

OMG ... well thank you for that in any case.

 

[GeorgeA]

As I’m fond of surround music, I’d be happy to be able to bitstream from my Cambridge Audio CXUHD player various PCM and DSD multichannel files to my A16 unit.

As part of FAQ page, Smyth Research stated that DST was not supported by their HDMI interface so multi-channel DSD support was not imminent. However, what DSD discs playback is concerned, there’re a few posts in this tread. For example, @audiohobbit wrote in his Post #6,714 that a “5ch SACD converted to PCM by the Oppo and sent via HDMI there isn't this problem either.” So, it seems that by converting the DSD signal to PCM the issue would be solved.

My playback setup consists of the Cambridge Audio CXUHD player connected to the Smyth Research Realiser A16 via HDMI cable. I have attached a picture (01) with the settings for the CXUHD audio output.

When a 5.1 SACD disc is played back (picture 02 attached), the 6-channel PCM audio signal is received by Realiser A16 such as (picture 03). On the other hand, when playing back a SACD 5.0 disc (picture 04), the 5-channel PCM audio signal sent to Realiser A16 is received only as a two-channel PCM (picture 05). I’ve played back the two SACD discs on another player, OPPO BDP-103D. The findings are identical to those for CXUHD. This issue has also been reported by @Litlgi74 at another forum.

Previously, I owned AV receivers, but I didn’t notice such weird behaviour. As I’ve got only CXUHD and OPPO BDP-103D players as sources, I’m quite limited in the possible options. I think I should report this issue to Smyth Research, but I’m afraid I won’t find availability for a more or less acceptable solution.