How to stream multi channel DSD

[ssmaudio]

I want to set up a rig to stream multi channel DSD files from my Mac (using Audirvana) to my Yamaha RX-A880 receiver. I settled on using the Exasound e38 DAC, but it has analog line outputs and the receiver has no analog inputs. So what to do? Are there any options to put out multi channel audio through HDMI to my receiver? I don’t want to have to shell out massive bucks for a receiver that has analog inputs. Thank you!

Here’s what the back looks like of my receiver.

 

[Pogre]

I just go straight from my Windows pc to the receiver with HDMI. I just recently listened to some DSD files that way actually. I don't know much about macs but I assume it has an HDMI output?

 

[lovinthehd]

If you want to use that external dac I think you'll need an avr with multi-ch analog inputs. Now, if I had to have an external dac it would be nice to have one with the capabilities yours has, but an hdmi to an avr is much easier.

 

[ssmaudio]

Well, I’m trying to set up a wireless solution. The exasound e38 plus their streamer would’ve worked.

 

[lovinthehd]

Well, I’m trying to set up a wireless solution. The exasound e38 plus their streamer would’ve worked.

Why would you want a wireless solution using your dac?

 

[everettT]

How much did you pay for the DAC?

 

[ssmaudio]

Ok maybe I don’t understand all this very well. I’ll explain what I have and see if you experts can suggest a solution.

I have a Yamaha RXA880 receiver that has only HDMI inputs, decodes multi channel DSD for my SACDs, but supports only 2-channel DSD over USB and (I think) UPnP.

I have a Mac with all my music—including some multi-channel DSD64/128 files and multi-channel FLAC stuff. I use Audirvana to stream high res 2-channel FLAC/DSD to my receiver (with MusicCast since Airplay etc. support only up to 44kHz).

I want to stream wirelessly to my receiver (through my wifi network) all my my music including the multi-channel stuff from my Mac (ideally using Audirvana).

So far I’ve come up with:
1) UPnP, but the Yamaha manual seems to imply that multi channel isn’t supported (and Audirvana has some bugs that prevent it from streaming multi channel on UPnP);
2) Exasound e38 DAC to decode the DSD files and their Sigma Streamer to wirelessly stream them, but the e38 only has a analog outputs and my receiver only has HDMI inputs;
3) Use a wireless HDMI; one like this https://www.bestbuy.com/site/iogear-wireless-hdmi-tv-connection-kit-black/6214324.p?skuId=6214324

Any other suggestions? Thanks.

i know there are other solutions that involve using an Oppo, USB sticks plugged into the Yamaha etc. but I’m really trying to find a wireless solution.

 

[lovinthehd]

Ok maybe I don’t understand all this very well. I’ll explain what I have and see if you experts can suggest a solution.

I have a Yamaha RXA880 receiver that has only HDMI inputs, decodes multi channel DSD for my SACDs, but supports only 2-channel DSD over USB and (I think) UPnP.

I have a Mac with all my music—including some multi-channel DSD64/128 files and multi-channel FLAC stuff. I use Audirvana to stream high res 2-channel FLAC/DSD to my receiver (with MusicCast since Airplay etc. support only up to 44kHz).

I want to stream wirelessly to my receiver (through my wifi network) all my my music including the multi-channel stuff from my Mac (ideally using Audirvana).

So far I’ve come up with:
1) UPnP, but the Yamaha manual seems to imply that multi channel isn’t supported (and Audirvana has some bugs that prevent it from streaming multi channel on UPnP);
2) Exasound e38 DAC to decode the DSD files and their Sigma Streamer to wirelessly stream them, but the e38 only has a analog outputs and my receiver only has HDMI inputs;
3) Use a wireless HDMI; one like this https://www.bestbuy.com/site/iogear-wireless-hdmi-tv-connection-kit-black/6214324.p?skuId=6214324

Any other suggestions? Thanks.

i know there are other solutions that involve using an Oppo, USB sticks plugged into the Yamaha etc. but I’m really trying to find a wireless solution.

I think quite a few avrs are limited to 2ch via dlna/wifi, mine can't do multich rips even in flac that way, but my Oppo can. I use foobar2000/bubbleupnp. I don't have any dsd based downloads, files are too big to bother with my internet service, so I just play multich optical discs (sacd, bluray, dvd) generally but did rip some of my dvd multich discs to flac using dvd audio extractor. I don't have a way to rip my sacds or blurays conveniently, tho.

 

[ssmaudio]

Yeah it's a shame that it’s so difficult to play multi ch audio. Don’t know what the music industry is thinking with this approach. There’s quite a lot of multi ch music out there and (especially in classical music) some labels like Pentatone and Channel classics only release in multi ch DSD/FLAC.

 

[sterling shoote]

Ok maybe I don’t understand all this very well. I’ll explain what I have and see if you experts can suggest a solution.

I have a Yamaha RXA880 receiver that has only HDMI inputs, decodes multi channel DSD for my SACDs, but supports only 2-channel DSD over USB and (I think) UPnP.

I have a Mac with all my music—including some multi-channel DSD64/128 files and multi-channel FLAC stuff. I use Audirvana to stream high res 2-channel FLAC/DSD to my receiver (with MusicCast since Airplay etc. support only up to 44kHz).

I want to stream wirelessly to my receiver (through my wifi network) all my my music including the multi-channel stuff from my Mac (ideally using Audirvana).

So far I’ve come up with:
1) UPnP, but the Yamaha manual seems to imply that multi channel isn’t supported (and Audirvana has some bugs that prevent it from streaming multi channel on UPnP);
2) Exasound e38 DAC to decode the DSD files and their Sigma Streamer to wirelessly stream them, but the e38 only has a analog outputs and my receiver only has HDMI inputs;
3) Use a wireless HDMI; one like this https://www.bestbuy.com/site/iogear-wireless-hdmi-tv-connection-kit-black/6214324.p?skuId=6214324

Any other suggestions? Thanks.

i know there are other solutions that involve using an Oppo, USB sticks plugged into the Yamaha etc. but I’m really trying to find a wireles

Your wireless via DLNA will not deliver multi-channel gaplessly. Just send multi-channel to a usb drive and make a wired connection from it to your receiver, or copy multi-channel to a thumb drive and connect it to the receiver. Of course, you can deliver from computer to receiver via HDMI but some multi-channel file types may not be glitch free. As has been mentioned it's not the easiest thing to get multi-channel downloads to your AVR. It's why I have an OPPO-205, to preclude me from having to deal with all of the connection nonsense. I just buy multi-channel SACDs and Blurays. The SACDs are most convenient, since I do not need to open up my TV to set OPPO to play. SACDS also have resale value and do not need to be backed up to assure protection from crash.

 

[ssmaudio]

Ok, thanks for the answers. Another idea I had was to see if I can stream multi channel dsf files over the Yamaha MusicCast, but that doesn’t seem to work (stereo DSD is fine).

So it looks like I have to the USB stick approach. But even there I’m stuck—the Yamaha RX880 receiver only does 2-ch over USB!!! So either 1) I buy a new receiver or 2) what?

Would a used Oppo 105 decode DSD over USB and send it over HDMI to my receiver? But for that money I could buy a new receiver!

 

[lovinthehd]

Ok, thanks for the answers. Another idea I had was to see if I can stream multi channel dsf files over the Yamaha MusicCast, but that doesn’t seem to work (stereo DSD is fine).

So it looks like I have to the USB stick approach. But even there I’m stuck—the Yamaha RX880 receiver only does 2-ch over USB!!! So either 1) I buy a new receiver or 2) what?

Would a used Oppo 105 decode DSD over USB and send it over HDMI to my receiver? But for that money I could buy a new receiver!

Do you have a bluray player with a usb input? I'd try that....

 

[ssmaudio]

Yes, a Sony UBP-X800. But it doesn’t do DSD over usb

 

[lovinthehd]

Yes, a Sony UBP-X800. But it doesn’t do DSD over usb

Was just thinking multich.....maybe if you encode that in flac....

 

[ssmaudio]

I don’t know much about flac to be honest. I’ve been listening to SACDs for 15 years and only know DSD. Not sure I want to add yet another thing to the mix.

 

[lovinthehd]

I don’t know much about flac to be honest. I’ve been listening to SACDs for 15 years and only know DSD. Not sure I want to add yet another thing to the mix.

How did you rip your sacds?

 

[ssmaudio]

I haven’t ripped any yet. I download DSD if I can. Otherwise buy SACD. But I’ve bought a Sony S390 for $50 and plan to rip with it and sacd_extract. See the following for more info

SACD Ripping - starting grid

docs.google.com

and

Rip SACD with a Blu-ray player

I recently stumbled across this thread and was super excited. I have 50 or so SACD's that I'd like to move to cloud storage and access thru JRiver. Bought a PS3 but the software had been updated, so gave that to my son. Snatched a BDP-BX59 off of local CL. Enabled Quick Play Installed Java on...

www.hifihaven.org

 

[lovinthehd]

I haven’t ripped any yet. I download DSD if I can. Otherwise buy SACD. But I’ve bought a Sony S390 for $50 and plan to rip with it and sacd_extract. See the following for more info

SACD Ripping - starting grid

docs.google.com

and

Rip SACD with a Blu-ray player

I recently stumbled across this thread and was super excited. I have 50 or so SACD's that I'd like to move to cloud storage and access thru JRiver. Bought a PS3 but the software had been updated, so gave that to my son. Snatched a BDP-BX59 off of local CL. Enabled Quick Play Installed Java on...

www.hifihaven.org

Thanks, somewhat involved but interesting and already have a couple S5100s.....but don't use Roon. LOL this is why I just play the discs currently

 

[ssmaudio]

Well here’s something very interesting! I plugged in a usb stick containing multi-ch DSD of a Mendelssohn piano trio into my Sony UBP X800 dvd/SACD player and voilà—it played it in multi channel! The manual doesn’t even state that it can do that. (This is using HDMI transport to my Yamaha RX A880 that supports DSD natively.)

That’s something. At least I have something that I can use. But it doesn’t solve my streaming issue of course, since the user interface is horrendous and it doesn’t fit my couch potato life.

I may still upgrade my receiver to the Yamaha 3080 that has 5.1 analog inputs and use the Exasound DAC + their network streamer with Audirvana on my Mac. Then I have a decent software player with album liner notes, etc. I have a call scheduled with Georg at Exasound tomorrow; see how it goes.

 

[snakeeyes]

I think the 1080, 2080, and 3080 can decode DSD over HDMI. (Not 880 and lower). They removed analog inputs a few years ago.

FAQ: Where Did My Multi-Channel Analog Inputs Go?

Are you looking at a new AV receiver and realize there are no multi-channel analog inputs on it to play multi-channel SACD files in native DSD format. Are you out of luck? Read on to find out.

www.audioholics.com

That’s cool the X800 UHD player works for you.

I play SACD discs in my X800m2. I have a couple dozen SACDs. I haven’t tried files.