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Devices => Sound Cards, DAC's, Receivers, Speakers, and Headphones => Topic started by: strettonufo on April 28, 2013, 06:29:10 pm

Title: HDMI audio de-embedder
Post by: strettonufo on April 28, 2013, 06:29:10 pm

is anyone using an audio de-embedder to convert the digital audio in HDMI to sp/dif and then to a dac? My laptop does not have digital audio out, just hdmi.

Title: Re: HDMI audio de-embedder
Post by: mojave on April 30, 2013, 02:42:48 pm

I would suggest trying a USB to SPDIF converter. There is quite a range of prices on them. Here is a list of several:

http://www.thewelltemperedcomputer.com/HW/USB_SPDIF.htm (http://www.thewelltemperedcomputer.com/HW/USB_SPDIF.htm)

Here is a $29 USB to SPDIF adaptor from Turtle Beach:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16829118007 (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16829118007)

Title: Re: HDMI audio de-embedder
Post by: strettonufo on May 06, 2013, 03:37:13 pm

Thanks. I have been wrestling with this for more than a year, when I decided I was going to put my cd collection on to a computer. Most laptops do not have sp/dif out but do have hdmi. I couldn’t understand why dac’s do not support hdmi input. I contacted simaudio (I have a moon 100d) and they gave me the same advice as you. But I thought then as now, why purchase a usb to sp/dif converter when the laptops hd graphics 4000 controller has already done the job? Two months ago I bought a Toshiba all solid state Ultrabook and MC, based on recent TAS articles on computer audio. I came close to buying a Stello usb converter which would cost $500 but then based on the TAS issue 233 review of the Bryston bda-2 (page 86) I bought a KanexPro de-embedder for $65.00. The TAS reviewer had great experience (although almost embarrassed to admit it) with a de-embedder and I too use an Oppo DVD player front end so I figured I had nothing to lose. I plan to use it with both the Oppo (converting sacd to pcm is intriguing) and the ultrabook. An audio de-embedder comes from the world of pro a/v and the world of hi-fi is often ignorant of (or prejudiced against) the stellar products out there.     

Title: Re: HDMI audio de-embedder
Post by: eddyshere on May 07, 2013, 04:55:03 pm

there's a german firm making fine deembedders : www.spatz-tech.com

And yes deembedder are pro a/v gear but of limited use in a hi-res hifi environment (isn't spdif bandwith maxed out with 2-channel of 192/24 or 5.1 96/24 ... which would mean "downsampling" sacd ? ...but I'm not an expert re spdif and stand to be corrected)