Dear BayensF,
While I don't have JRiver installed on my PC, I have found the the x6000 does indeed not require the Raspberry Pi to operate. While the X6000 has the same footprint to allow for fitting the X6000, I have used a blu-ray player's hdmi output connected to the input of the X6000's input. The X6000 by SupTronics is also sold in France as the ST6000
https://www.audiophonics.fr/en/dac-and-interfaces-for-raspberry-pi/st6000-dac-es9023x4-hdmi-i2s-24bit-192khz-71ch-for-raspberry-pi-p-11849.html.
Before proceeding with the technical discussion about the X6000, I must agree with the original poster about the quality of the sound, it is awesome. I have compared it to another hdmi sound processor the CLUX-11SA and the A3080 hdmi audio extractor. This segues into the technical discussion of what it can and cannot do.
Mainly, like the CLUX-11SA and A3080, the X6000 DOES NOT decode Dolby-HD and DTS-MA at the 3.5mm analogue outputs. The analogue sound at the 3.5mm connections is decoded LPCM.
That is the audio stream at the the hdmi input to the X6000's must be LPCM to obtain 7.1 channels at the 3.5mm analogue output connectors.
You may ask the X6000 supports Dolby-HD (5.1 or 7.1) and DTS (5.1 or 7.1). That is true.
If the X6000's hdmi input has Dolby-HD (5.1 or 7.1) or DTS (5.1 or 7.1), it will go through the X6000's hdmi output. If you were to hear the what comes out of the 3.5mm analogue outputs, you will hear
BUZZING NOISE.
As a result the
X6000 or ST6000 DOES NOT DECODE MULTICHANNEL HD or MA or lossless (5.1 or 7.1) or even the lossy 5.1 (max) Dolby and DTS SIGNALS at the 3.5mm analogue connections.HD, MA lossless and lossy (5.1 channels max) signals will pass through the X6000's hdmi output while the X6000's optical SPDIF will pass only the lossy 5.1 channel (max) signals.
So how does one get multichannel MA and HD lossless or even multichannel lossy signals at the X6000's analogue outputs? Your device such as a blu-ray player must be able to convert any MA or HD lossless or mutichannel lossy signals to muti-channel LPCM.
Check your blu-ray player's manual. In the player's manual you will see a chart of possible audio outputs for the player's hdmi output. You will see something like (a) bitstream, (b) dts-re-encode, (c) LPCM or (d) auto.
Set the player's audio hdmi to LPCM. The player converts all multi-channel lossless (HD and MA) and lossy 5.1 channels max to LPCM.
Two issues:
(i) not all players will convert all the multichannel audio formats to multichannel LPCM. For example the LG BP125, BP240, BP325, BP420 and BP450 will only output a stereo downmix LPCM regardless of HD or MA or lossy 5.1 (max). So the X6000 will not be able to decode multichannel LPCM.
A player such as the Pioneer BDP150's or Panasonic DMP-BDT370's hdmi audio output will convert all muti-channel formats to LPCM.
This is illustrative only. CHECK your player's manual(ii) What about the Raspberry Pi ('RPi) decoding multi-channel audio? I cannot comment directly on using the RPi with the X6000 because I did not buy the X6000 to be used with the RPi. I do have an RPi, but am not using it for playback of media files.
There is so much confusion on the internet about the RPi's audio decoding processing capabilities and the software used on the RPi for viewing blu-rays or other video files.
However, in relation to my experience with the X6000, to get multi-channel analogue sound at the x6000's the input hdmi audio signal
MUST BE LPCM.
You may ask, "...but I set my media centre's software on the RPi to decode Dolby-HD and DTS-MA I don't see any LPCM anywhere."
Based on my experience of how the X6000's audio is decoded and the requirement that the blu-ray player must output LPCM,
it is likely that the RPi's software may well convert the multichannel audio to LPCM without telling you that it does. So if you do hear multichannel sound on the X6000's 3.5mm analogue outputs, it is because the X6000 decoded LPCM from an LPCM source signal whether it is the blu-ray player of the RPi.
Analysis I written more in depth about the X6000 at
http://www.raspberrypiwiki.com/index.php/X6000K . The X6000's main processor is the EP91A6S. The datasheet of the EP91A6S is vague about whether or not it decodes MA or HD signals and converts them to LPCM since the input to the X6000's ES9023 DACs require an LPCM signal. From my understanding, despite the EP91A6S decoding MA and HD signals and it being present on the ILS_x (where x = 0 to 3) the same ILS buses are fed to the ES9023. It appears the the MA and HD HBR (high bit rate) signals are not in LPCM form. Effectively this means that the HBR signals are not decoded in an LPCM form to be decoded by the X6000's four ES9023 DACs.
SUMMARY* Once you understand the operation and the kinds of signals handled by the X6000 or ST6000, it has an
AWESOME sound at its analogue 3.5mm connectors.
* The X6000 or ST6000 will pass through muti-channel audio through its hdmi output. You will need an amplifier with an hdmi input and the capability to decode all multi-channel formats. In this case your blu-ray player's hdmi audio output can be set to
bitstream * To listen to multichannel sound via the X6000's 3.5mm output jacks, your blu-ray player's hdmi audio output must be set to
LPCM. The same may well be said for the RPi's multichannel audio output via hdmi.
* For the RPi: Even though your RPi's software (whatever kind of software) settings may have no mention of LPCM, the multichannel audio on the RPi is converted to LPCM for it to be heard on the X6000.
THERE IS NO OTHER WAY BUT LPCM at the X6000's hdmi input * If you do set your blu-ray player to bitstream, your lossless or lossy multichannel signals will go through the X6000's hdmi output while the lossy multichannel signals will go through the optical SPDIF. The signals at the X6000 3.5mm analogue outputs will sound noisy and buzzy.
* Compared to other audio extractors, the X6000 or ST6000 has the best sound quality processing lpcm signals up to 192kHz and a signal to noise ratio of 112 dB. Having the CLUX-11SA or its equivalent A3080, the X6000's sound quality is the best. If you do shop around, you may find that the X6000 is the lowest price compared to the CLUX-11SA or A3080 or other branded HDMI LPCM audio extractor. I too like the original poster did purchase the X6000 at dx.com for AU $64. Other places charge much more and even double what I paid.
* Furthermore, I did purchase a 5V(dc) 5A power supply.
* When using the X6000's 3.5mm analogue outputs to feed into an eight channel amplifier, you may need to purchase 3.5mm to RCA adapters whether the 3.5mm is a plug or socket and whether RCAs are plug or socket. The reason is that you may need to swap L/R to R/L (whether front, side or rear) and to swap the Centre/LFE connections.
* You may ask why bother with 3.5mm analogue sockets. Simple. Not all amplifiers have multichannel decoding, let alone hdmi inputs. If you want to know, my eight channel amplifier does not have hdmi inputs. The amplifier is a composite made from a 5.1 channel Logitech Z5000 for the front, centre, LFE and side channels, and another amplifier for the rear channels.
You may also have an amplifier that has eight channel inputs and wish to put it to good use.
* To operate the TV, X6000 and blu-ray player, switch on in the following order: (1) TV (digital TV), (2) X6000 then (3) blu-ray player.
I hope that helps,
Anthony of Sydney
Author
Topic: SupTronics X6000-7.1CH Sound Card (Read 4265 times)