Is HDMI the only option to play multi-channel music on a NAD A/V Receiver or are there other options e.g.via ethernet or WiFi?
I have the NAD T 777 v3 on my whishlist.
I have NAD 765. I have Roon Core on new MacBook Pro, Intel i9 processor. I connect to NAD out of MacBook Pro Thunderbolt/USB-C port with USB to HDMI adaptor. Roon core or remote won’t recognize NAD until I switch NAD to HDMI 1 on the NAD, which is the input port I chose on the NAD. My Roon audio settings are such that I set the device as a NAD 777, and Core Exclusive is Yes. After much experimentation, I turned off the switch for MQA engine in Roon, as I was getting major distortion with that switch on. I have also experimented with the Roon audio setting for Multichannel. I set this at 7.1, with “Downmixing as needed”.
Update: I’m still having issues playing sound through all speakers in my 7.1 set up. I found that when I called up the MIDI settings on the MacBook Pro (which hosts Roon Core), I have MIDI options for various 2 channel and 8.1 channel output. The only way I can get my NAD to play sound through all 7.1 speakers is to choose a MIDI setup on the MacBook Pro for 2 channel, 44.1 or 48KHz. But that results in drop outs. Choosing a 8.1 MIDI setup on my MacBook Pro works with no drop outs, but I get only sound from the right and left speakers. I have additional issues when playing MQA files that I won’t go into here. This whole situation is somewhat problematic in getting optimal sound. Interestingly, when I choose HDMI 3 on my MacBook Pro, which is my Xfinity source, I can get 7.1 sound with no issues.