TOPIC:

I've been struggling with this as well. I want to avoid an extra AD/DA step. The DDRC-88D is soooo close, but getting audio into it from HDMI seems daunting.

But, there is hope! Blackmagic makes converters that go from HDMI to SDI, from SDI to 4x2ch AES/EBU (which is what the DDRC-88D wants), and from 4x2xch AES/EBU to SDI, and from SDI to 4x1ch balanced analog audio (you select the bank of which 4 of 8 channels you want). These are all reasonably priced.

If you want to use the AVR-DL (or HDA with the Dirac Live! firmware), then you go after it to SDI and from SDI to analog or digital audio. The video just rides along.

For bass management with the AVR-DL, just precede it with an AVL-HD or do it ahead of the AVR-DL in the player (Oppo 103/5 and 203/5) can do this.

Some caveats:

1. The HDMI can not have HDCP. Apparently someone reported success with the Audio only HDMI2 output of an Oppo 103 so we know it will send sound (and probably black video) if it can't handshake HDCP.

2. The audio on the HDMI link has to be LPCM. Again the Oppo 103/5 and 203/5 can decode in the player.

There are 4k SDI 6G (2160p30) and 12G (2160p60) versions of most of these Blackmagic converters (they run from $169 to $249 each, or so, and 12G does get expensive) but if you are dealing with audio only, 720p (black) video is fine.

My plan is to go Oppo -> AVR HDA/DL -> (HDMI->SDI) -> (SDI -> balanced analog XLR for ch 1-4) -> (SDI -> balanced analog XLR for ch 5-8) SDI video can be daisy chained: most units that handle it have input and output. (often a second fallback input for alternate video -- these are used in broadcast environments, so that's where the "PLEASE STAND BY" video comes from).

rhollan wrote:

My plan is to go Oppo -> AVR HDA/DL -> (HDMI->SDI) -> (SDI -> balanced analog XLR for ch 1-4) -> (SDI -> balanced analog XLR for ch 5-8)

Interesting but it looks like the SDI->analog convertor only converts 2 channels?

www.blackmagicdesign.com/au/products/min.../techspecs/W-CONM-01

That one decides video to analog as well.

You want www.blackmagicdesign.com/products/minico.../techspecs/W-CONM-22.

Ah, I see, thanks (I was looking at the "analog" models not the "audio" models...)

Well, I bit the bullet and am starting to ramp up toward what I proposed here:

HDMI->SDI->AES3 audio -> DDRC 88D -> balanced analog audio (no intermediate SDI).

I ordered a Blackmagic HDMI to SDI converter ($75), Blackmagic SDI to audio (4ch analog or 4x2 ch AES3 converter) ($195) and two AJA 2x2ch AES3 to 4ch balanced analog audio converters (these can go either way, 2x$199). If that chain works, I'll be in a position to add a DDRC-88D to the mix! I picked the AJA AES3 to/from balanced analog converters because there were available cheap $195 instead of $395): AJA has a somewhat better reputation that Blackmagic for quality (at the expense of double the price), and, at the crucial stage of converting to analog, I thought they might be a better bet (escpescially at the price).

Since I have professional amps, with input attenuators, I can feed them a full-range signal to test the signal chain out. I plan to source this with the AVR HDMI output from my Oppo 103D, which hopefully will still pass audio with the lack of HDCP. The Oppo can be configured to decode 8ch LPCM over HDMI.

If this all works, I WILL HAVE NO NEED FOR a typical consumer pre/pro (I really have no need for Atmos), once the DDRC-88D is in the mix. All-digital Dirac Live until the final, sole D/A.

Just scored a nanoAVR-DL on Ebay!

Once the rest of the equipment arrives I'll be able to build my "frankenprocessor": HDMI->nanoAVR-DL->SDI->AES/EBU->Analog.

The only thing that will be missing is another nanoAVR to do bass management, but I can add that if this all works.

Well, I bit the bullet and bought a nanoAVR HD to do bass management ahead of the nanoAVR DL (pity to not use the other features, but Dirac Live can compensate for distance/delay and levels if bass management is NOT being done downstream of it). I just received my UMIK-1 measurement mic. A rather nice piece of equipment.

So, the plan is Oppo 103D to the nanoAVR HD via the secondary HDMI output (intended for audio) for bass management, then the nanoAVR DL for Dirac Live processing, and after that to a Black Magic HDMI to SDI converter, then Black Magic SDI to AES/EBU digital out (4x2ch) deembedder and to two 2x2ch AES/EBU to 4x analog DACs (AJA ADA4) each, feeding Crown 2x XLS 1002 and 1x XLS 1502) and Outlaw Audio (M-2200) amps, and dual subwoofers. Volume control will be via the remote for the nanoAVR DL, and level control will be a combination of attenuation in the Crown amps for the front, surround, and rear channels, and trim in the nanoAVR for center and subwoofer channels.

I am a bit concerned about the use of dual subs but they are at the 1/3 and 2/3 positions on the front wall, and equidistant from the listening position. I can at least level trim them individually if needed.

Speakers are Radia 520 fronts, Radia CC-220dx center, Radia PD6-LCRi surround and rears, and a couple of Klipsch subs.