MC
With the addition of DSD file support, I feel many of us, like myself, are procuring a PS3 and ripping our SACD collections to DSF files. Many thanks to the J River team for including DSD support.
However, some DSD files are presenting me with a challenge. Classical SACDs are often recorded in 5 channel surround - no .1 subwoofer channel like other SACDs. In fact for classical rips this is more the rule than the exception.
When I attempt to play one of these 5 channel recordings, my Marantz pre pro spits up a little bit, and J River reports that 5 channel is not supported, and it can down mix to 2 channel. I realize this is a hardware issue, not a J River issue per se but I believe it to be a common hardware issue with many preamps/processors.
Now, I can go to tools-audio-dsp and force the data to be presented in a 5.1 format, and it plays fine. Unfortunately, then all my 2 channel music is also presented in a 5.1 channel format as well, which is not so good. Not convenient to go through all those menus, especially from Theater View, which is my standard.
I know that some have found a workaround, utilizing ZoneSelect to put 5 channel files to a different zone in a forced 5.1 format, but that workaround is limited to those individuals that typically utilize a 2 channel outboard DAC for stereo listening, and a different processor for multichannel. I, and I would guess many others, utilize an HDMI output to the preamp, and do not have the ability to create a second zone (which would require a second audio device) to work around this issue.
So - my long winded problem/suggestion for the team is to give us an option in channels that leaves 2 channel alone, but let's us put 5 channel (and 4 channel for that matter) into a 5.1 channel format. That would be so nice!
If I have missed something and there is a workaround short of going to tools every time I want to play a 5 channel file (which I admit is possible) then please let me know. I am not always the brightest bulb in the knife drawer.