What software and audio gear are you currently using for multi-channel playback?
Mac Mini into an Onkyo receiver via HDMI for surround, or into a Cambridge DacMagic Plus via optical out for stereo. Surround files played through Kodi (XBMC), stereo via Swinsian (still looking for a Mac alternative to MediaMonkey that isn’t terrible)
Where does your content come from, what formats, and how much do you have?
Ripped DVD-A’s, a few downloads, everything into FLAC for consistency’s sake.
Do you down-mix multi-channel content for 2-channel systems?
Occasionally if the original 2-channel version is horrifically compressed (Depeche Mode’s Playing The Angel is one that comes to mind). I keep the original 5.1 FLAC and a 2-channel mixdown as well.
Do you up-mix 2-channel content for multi-channel systems?
No. I’d play around with it for fun if it was conveniently baked in to whatever I was using for playback, but probably not often.
Is there anything special that software needs to do to make your setup work that we might not know about?
Just play 5.1 FLAC files. Optimal setup would be the ability to easily switch outputs (from HDMI to optical) depending on whether I was playing a stereo or surround file.
What software and audio gear are you currently using for multi-channel playback?
PC with WIN10 w/ JRiver via HDMI to my NAD T787 AVR.
Where does your content come from, what formats, and how much do you have?
RIpped DVD-A, DVD-V, DTS-CD to Mch FLAC, SACD ISOs ripped into Mch DSF files. I have appr. 900 Mch albums ripped to FLAC or DSF. All of them properly tagged to my taste.
Do you down-mix multi-channel content for 2-channel systems?
No
Do you up-mix 2-channel content for multi-channel systems?
No.
What DSP features do you require in a software player in order to make multi-channel playback practical?
None as I know of at the moment.
Is there anything special that software needs to do to make your setup work that we might not know about?
As of now I normally only play 2ch FLAC and DSF because I love the interface of Foobar with the DarkOne 3.1 skin and my PC is USB connected to a W4S DAC2DSDse DAC. It handles PCM (up to 192) and DSD (DSD64 and DSD128).
When I play Mch via Jriver it’s through HDMI directly to my AVR. But, I have never felt “familiar” with the JRiver interface. So currently my Mch files in FLAC and DSF is stored for the future. And the future is coming soon to a shop next door. I have used a lot of time to get the tagging correctly for my taste and also so that the DSF 2.0 and DSF Mch files from SACD ISOs shows up as 2ch and Mch under the same album. The files are stored on different HDD drives because of space problems. Currently I have about 10.5TB of music in 2ch and Mch FLAC and DSF.
It would be very nice to have Roon handle different Zones. So I can send the signal either via the W4S DAC or directly to the the AVR via HDMI.
What software and audio gear are you currently using for multi-channel playback?
Mac Mini for streaming (HDMI) to pre/pro (is also Roon Server)
Anthem AVM60 pre/pro
Various NAS for media storage, soon to be Synology 1815+
Where does your content come from, what formats, and how much do you have?
Ripped SACDs (~10)
Ripped DTS CDs (~5)
Do you down-mix multi-channel content for 2-channel systems?
Yes, but usually I will play the 5.1 channel stuff only on the ‘big system’, and play the ‘naturally 2.0’ stuff on others. Some 5.1 songs are unique to the 5.1, and I’ll downmix those as needed.
Do you up-mix 2-channel content for multi-channel systems?
No, but I will ‘dual stereo’ them (ie, L Front/L Rear carry same info)
What DSP features do you require in a software player in order to make multi-channel playback practical?
I don’t. I prefer to have all of that handled via my pre/pro
Is there anything special that software needs to do to make your setup work that we might not know about?
DTS/AC3 support? I understand those require licences, but it also seems there are OSS clones out there, but you’ll have to investigate to see if they really are as good as the official decoder (not unlike LAME vs Fraunhofer)
Currently have a DVD-A / SACD set up based on physical disks via Arcam/ Musical Fidelity amplifier - would look to move this to a PC driven system to one of my other rooms using Roon via new DAC - assuming I can get around DRM and rip the data to my Synology server - I can see this being my preferred set up for multi channel playback -
[quote=“R1200CL, post:68, topic:10474, full:true”]
If you where to stream SACD content, (or DVDA), What format would it be ? Could it be done legally ?[/quote]The possibilities are dsf, doff, flac, other PCM. And yes, legally. Streaming, however, is unlikely now because of bandwidth but file playback is easy.
[quote]
Is it option is to convert the content to PCM, which even could open for MQA in multi channel. (in order to save bandwidth).[/quote]PCM certainly but MQA is a possibility.
[quote]Assuming the format is not converted to FLAC, does there exist any SW-player or streamer that would support SACD / DVDA natively ?[/quote]Many now do. I have several. ( Read my column. )
[quote]Is HMDI transfer for digital multi channel the only option between devices ? (In addition to Ethernet of cause)[/quote]Also USB, I2S, WiSA…
[quote]What bandwidth are we talking about ?.(I think you meed 12MB)
[/quote]Dunno but the real question for streaming whether there is sufficient demand.
Not a direct answer, but let me share my experience with multi-channel…
A number of years ago, pre-Roon and even pre-Sooloos, I set up a multi-channel system. Three identical Avantgarde horns in the front, bipolars in the rear, plus a subwoofer. SACD discs in an Oppo player. I usually do major system surgery when my wife is away. When she came home, I played Nicholas Harnoncourt’s Bach Requiem. After this, I put on a well regarded Telarc Mahler symphony in stereo and went out into the kitchen to get some wine. Soon my wife came out and said, your horns aren’t working.
Think about that. Not just that we thought the multi-channel was sublime. But her reaction to stereo was “broken”. That’s the most compelling vote I can think of.
But in spite of this, I have abandoned multi-channel. And it’s all because of content. I don’t listen to much classical music, because there is nothing new (“classical”, natch). And in avantgarde music and jazz there is no multi-channel. And presumably not in hip hop or other new music.
So my reaction to multi-channel in Roon would be, “shrug”.
And this is not just a personal story. There has been a lot written recently (e.g. Darko) about how audio cannot bury itself in the music of the old farts. I agree – I’m old, but…
[quote=“AndersVinberg, post:70, topic:10474”]
And it’s all because of content. I don’t listen to much classical music, because there is nothing new (“classical”, natch).
[/quote]I am not criticizing you or disputing your taste but there are more new hi-rez multichannel recordings of classical music than of other genres.
I have a similar story to that of @AndersVinberg that emerged out of the post DVDA period.
All my 250+ titles ripped to 5.1 flac. Some of them just sublime. E.g. DSOTM, Porcupine Tree, REM, grover Washington, etc.
Streamed to DUNE HD Max to HD621/861 Meridian combo and 7.0 big DSP rig. At times it was brilliant.
Had there been a steady stream of new titles that I was interested in and a good integration with the Sooloos system I was using I would have stayed multi-channel.
However, I reduced the whole system back to two channels (even for movies).
What software and audio gear are you currently using for multi-channel playback?
Streaming from Intel NUC connected to NAS into Denon receiver via HDMI. The softwares are J River MC22 & HQPlayer for music and Cyberlink PowerDVD 15 for video.
Where does your content come from, what formats, and how much do you have?
Some is downloaded DSD from vendors and some is ripped from DVD’s & BluRay into FLAC. Altogether I have about 100 shows.
Do you down-mix multi-channel content for 2-channel systems?
No, the DSD files come with 2-channel versions & I rip 2-channel as well as multi-channel versions for the DVD’s & BluRay’s
Do you up-mix 2-channel content for multi-channel systems?
Yes
What DSP features do you require in a software player in order to make multi-channel playback practical?
DSD to PCM conversion, the Denon receiver doesn’t play native DSD. Up-mixing capability, preferably to 7.1 as well as 5.1.
Is there anything special that software needs to do to make your setup work that we might not know about?
Nothing off the top of my head.
What software and audio gear are you currently using for multi-channel playback?
Meridian 861v4 with a HD621 inputting surround discrete music. I have used Meridian trifield but have now decided I prefer music in stereo
Where does your content come from, what formats, and how much do you have?
99% of my music in is stereo. Have a very small number of BD audio disks. Did have a collection of SACD (played back using a BD player into the HD621). Really didn’t like have part of the band behind me, very unnatural
Do you down-mix multi-channel content for 2-channel systems?
Do now
Do you up-mix 2-channel content for multi-channel systems?
Did, and have gone back to 2 channel
What DSP features do you require in a software player in order to make multi-channel playback practical?
I presently use Meridian MRC on my 861. My preference would be for Roon to allow the use of 3rd part tools like Dirac, such that it could still output via RAAT to my end point
Is there anything special that software needs to do to make your setup work that we might not know about?
See above, I’d like the 3rd party plug ins to be compatible, from dirac, REW
[quote=“Alex_Baker, post:76, topic:10474”]
Where does your content come from, what formats, and how much do you have?
None of your business. Other than to say. It’s my own, and I have paid the artists in full for it
[/quote]Hi @Alex_Baker, this question is about identifying which multichannel formats need to be supported by Roon and assigning priority to the most popular ones. It’s not about whether you have paid for it on not … that is taken as read.
Ok. In that case I’ll add I have both MCH PCM and MCH DSD in DSF and DFF formats. It’s significant because my own library is the only source of this content. Whereas a lot of Stereo these days can now be sourced from Tidal in pretty good quality (as you know) Cheers.
Win Server 2012 PC running JRiver to convolve a multichannel filter to output 4-way stereo into a multichannel DAC, each channel driving an amp, and each amp directly connected to a speaker driver. So as an active crossover and digital room correction built with Acourate.
Right now a hard drive. Looking to integrate Tidal.
Never down mix.
Up-mix, I guess, by convolving stereo into the digital crossover and digital room correction filter.
No DSP needed, but ability to convolve the filter generated on Acourate.
Actually this is what is holding me back from adopting Roon. Would be great if you could indicate tentative dates for release of the multichannel features so maybe I can wait. I’m right now looking at alternatives. JRiver does this but doesn’t integrate Tidal.
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