Connection for Surround Sound, Multiple Inputs?

[JohnnySix]

I've been searching for years for a surround decoder which can separate front and rear channels from a soundtrack and send them to independent external DACs *digitally*. It would help me exploit my Phantoms better in my surround setup.

[JohnnySix]

I also wish that Devialet would let us put the Phantoms into a mode where each one extracts a designated channel directly from the same multichannel signal coming into each of their optical inputs, and let ME worry about how to send the source material to them all at once. More optical wires, yes, but it would probably bypass much of the audio/video sync delay.

[alandbush]

You can also use multiple AD converters and use the analog outputs on the receiver/preamp.

Similar to how I utilise my four Phantoms but with a miniDSP for channel routing/mixing and EQ.
Centre channel is mixed into the left and right and LFE into left and right front/rears.
The miniDSP has one optical output to a Phantom which is added, via Spark, to the queue of "roomA", I.e. Front pair.
The rear channels are output as analog and converted to optical via a small cheap converter to another Phantom which is added to the queue of "roomB", I.e. Rear pair.
Channel trim and delays applied either in processor or miniDSP.

[f1eng]

You can also use multiple AD converters and use the analog outputs on the receiver/preamp.

Similar to how I utilise my four Phantoms but with a miniDSP for channel routing/mixing and EQ.
Centre channel is mixed into the left and right and LFE into left and right front/rears.
The miniDSP has one optical output to a Phantom which is added, via Spark, to the queue of "roomA", I.e. Front pair.
The rear channels are output as analog and converted to optical via a small cheap converter to another Phantom which is added to the queue of "roomB", I.e. Rear pair.
Channel trim and delays applied either in processor or miniDSP.

Smart

[alandbush]

I've been searching for years for a surround decoder which can separate front and rear channels from a soundtrack and send them to independent external DACs *digitally*. It would help me exploit my Phantoms better in my surround setup.

Have you considered the Meridian HD621?

Not a surround decoder as such but will split HDMI audio into 4x digital stereo pairs.
Preface that with a miniDSP nanoAVR HD which will allow trim and delay adjustments etc. to be applied to HDMI audio and this may provide a solution of sorts.

[alandbush]

I also wish that Devialet would let us put the Phantoms into a mode where each one extracts a designated channel directly from the same multichannel signal coming into each of their optical inputs, and let ME worry about how to send the source material to them all at once. More optical wires, yes, but it would probably bypass much of the audio/video sync delay.

That idea crossed my mind as well and I did perform a comparison with a single Phantom (no Dialog) against the same Phantom (with Dialog) to determine the delay differences.
Illogically, perhaps, there was little difference!!! Although that's not to say it couldn't be changed by a future update.

Nb - I used an XTC room analyser mic and software to perform the test.

[fgueho]

Have you achieved NO delay with TV source and/or bluray player?
Is there an existing device that can delay a video source (HDMI in, HDMI out, with a delay)?

[alandbush]

Have you achieved NO delay with TV source and/or bluray player?
Is there an existing device that can delay a video source (HDMI in, HDMI out, with a delay)?

My system may have additional video processing delay compared to other users or I may just be lucky.
Video processing is performed by a Lumagen and again, probably, by the LCD.

However, I did have to change the various audio delays when I changed to the Phantoms.
Satellite unit (Sky) now set to 0ms from, I think, 20ms. AV processor now set to 6ms from, I think, 65ms.
Not much wiggle room should the Phantom audio delay increase with future updates.

[JohnnySix]

I've been searching for years for a surround decoder which can separate front and rear channels from a soundtrack and send them to independent external DACs *digitally*. It would help me exploit my Phantoms better in my surround setup.

Have you considered the Meridian HD621?

Not a surround decoder as such but will split HDMI audio into 4x digital stereo pairs.
Preface that with a miniDSP nanoAVR HD which will allow trim and delay adjustments etc. to be applied to HDMI audio and this may provide a solution of sorts.

A good suggestion, but a little overkill for me (and twice my budget!). It's engineered to handle picture & sound. I just wanted the digital audio splitting, so that I could skip the latency-inducing ADC stages in my current solution.

[JohnnySix]

I never imagined - in the early days of AV surround kit - that one day I'd WANT my video processing to incur a massive delay (because then, it would fall back enough to match the delay from a pair of Phantoms).
Perhaps we should all be buying ancient Dolby Surround Receivers off eBay until Devialet sort it out!