Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[jocar37]

I'm very new to JRiver.  I'm trying to follow the instructions in the JRiver Media Center 17 in Detail article to set up bitperfect playback, but one of the early steps described does match what I'm seeing.

I'm running Windows 7 Pro and I'm outputting to a Marantz HD DAC1. In Device Properties, the article shows the following tabs: General, Levels, Enhancements and Advanced.  When I go into my Device Properties, I get 3 of these 4 tabs, but in place of Enhancements, I have Supported Formats. 

This seems at least somewhat significant, because the article says to select "Disable All Enhancements" in the Enhancements tab.  I can't find that option anywhere in any of my Properties tabs.

In my Supported Formats tab, however, there are 2 sections.  In the top half, entitled Encoded formats, it asks "Which of the following formats is your Digital Receiver able to decode?" with boxes for DTS Audio, Dolby Digital and Microsoft WMA Pro Audio, all of which are checked.  Next to the window with these check boxes is a Test button, which is grayed out.

I'm guessing that, in lieu of disabling all enhancements, I should uncheck each of the three formats listed.  Is that right?  Are there other enhancements that I'm going to have to find out how to disable to run bitperfect mode?

Also, in the bottom half of my Supported Formats tab, entitled, "Sample Rates" there is a question "Which of the following sample rates are supported by your Digital Receiver?"  The box below this question is EMPTY, and the test button to the right is again grayed out.  Is this significant?  Or should I just assume that any format the device is supposed to be able to support will in fact be supported? 

I contacted Marantz and they were NO help - absolutely freaking clueless!!!  AFter a week duirng which I placed daily calls to their "Customer Support," and being told my inquiry had been "elevated" but no answer had come back from their "advanced" tier, I got an email telling me to go to JRiver for any answers.  Can you believe this?  In all their marketing and documentation they talk about the formats they can support, and they specifically and frequently mention JRiver. So you'd think they were at least a step or two above morons, but... oh, well!

Thanks for any help or suggestions.

[JimH]

There are some audio topics on our wiki.  This one should get you started:

http://wiki.jriver.com/index.php/Audio_Connection_Type

You just need to select the Bitstreaming option in the Audio section of MC's options.  Whether it works is then dependent on what the DAC does play and how it is set.

You can test the DAC from Windows Control Panel > Sound to see what it can play.

[jocar37]

Thanks JimH.  The Bitstreaming option is selected: "Bitstreaming Yes (DSD)." Is this correct, or should I go into Custom and change it?

Also, the Bitstreaming article you suggested says,
"Only consider bitstreaming if ALL of the following are true:
You have more than two speakers connected
You are using an HDMI or S/PDIF connection
You have a receiver (or outboard decoder) capable of decoding formats like Dolby Digital and DTS (and preferably the latest formats like Dolby TrueHD, etc.)
You have properly configured the receiver levels, speakers, distances, etc.
You do not want to use VideoClock, Room."

As noted, Dolby Digital and DTS were checked, so I guess I leave them checked. But I only have 2 speakers connected and I'm using a USB-B connection. Does this really matter for bitperfect playback?

[JimH]

I don't think you want DSD. 

When you set bitstreaming, does USB show up as a possibility?

[jocar37]

I didn't really set bitstreaming.  I don't know exactly how it happened, but when I go into Option, under the top heading is Audio Device.  For my DAC, the title "Marantz ASIO Device [ASIO]" comes up - not just Marantz.  Like I don't even have a choice between ASIO and Wasapi.

Under Bitstreaming, I can go in and choose from the options, "None (Recommended), HDMI, S/PDIF, DSD and Custom."  If I click Custom, my choices are "Dolby Digital(AC3), Dolby Digital Plus (E-AC3), Dolby True HD, DTS, DTS-HD and DSD."

And what about the article saying that I need 2 speakers and a connection other than USB, i.e. HDMI or S/PDIF?