2. home-theater
  3. 156414-4917

Inexpensive AV Processor with bypass

Hi, I currently have a 5.1 system centred on an old Primare P30 processor. Unfortunately t does not properly decode Dolby Digital + or Atmos. I would prefer not to have to replace the processor.

Q1: is there any device which can convert Dolby Digital + and Atmos into old-fashioned Dolby Digital?

Q2: in order to maximise audio quality my system has a separate high quality DAC which, for music, feeds through the processor in bypass mode, thus avoiding conversion of the analogue signal back to digital. Is their an inexpensive processor which has: Dolby Digital, Atmos, and a similar bypass mode? Balanced XLR connections preferred. Sound quality need not be top notch, as it´s for movies only, not my priority. Thanks!

garbo

Showing 5 responses by auxinput

auxinput
2,920 posts
 
Is the TV your source?  If so, then you are using a "SmartTV" that supports stuff like streaming.  Most streaming uses Dolby Digital Plus or Dolby Digital.  It's possible you could connect the toslink digital output of your TV directly to your Primare P30.

Are you using a different source?  This question about Dolby Atmos may not apply.
auxinput
2,920 posts
 
You are kind of stuck unless you get some other source that will stream netflix.  You could try getting a low cost Sony bluray player.  They are generally pretty flexible and they will stream netflix.   I would suggest the BDP-6700 for $99 at a minimum.  It may decode Dolby Digital Plus and down-covert to normal Dolby Digital over coax.
auxinput
2,920 posts
 
millercarbon follows this forum just to post opinions to kill multi-channel audio.

As to your question, Atmos is encoded into normal Dolby True HD. This is only done through bluray players and it is fully backwards compatible to normal True HD. Probably your best bet is to get a bluray player that will down-convert this to old fashion Dolby Digital through digital COAX cable.

Otherwise, the least expensive processor that will do what you want is something like a used Marantz AV7702 which goes for around $1,000 plus or minus.
auxinput
2,920 posts
 
Hi garbo.  I have the same exact problem with my Oppo 103 player.  When I stream netflix, it normally comes down in Dolby Digital Plus format.  When I try to use digital COAX, it just doesn't work.  I only get the left/right channel, or I have to tell the Oppo to convert to PCM (like your TV).  I didn't seem to have this problem when streaming netflix over a Sony bluray player and outputting on digital COAX.
auxinput
2,920 posts
 
That's great!   Good luck on the s/pdif.  A USB/SPDIF reclocker like the Wyred 4 Sound "uLINK" can really improve your sound, but they can definitely get expensive.  They are much better than the $30 converters on amazon/ebay.  You could experiment with cheap one first.  A lot of this 5.1 audio is from configuration in your computer and software.  I know that JRiver media player does support 5.1 digital output for surround sound through both HDMI and SPDIF.  You could also try a bluray player software, such as PowerDVD, if you wanted.
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